Knowing is Everything...

Rating: 9/10 (20 March 2009)

It's hard to give a synopsis without giving too much way, so I'll try my best: John Koestler's son has just gotten the most chilling drawing from a time capsule. It contains numbers that predict deadly events that have occurred and that will occur.
Brief, yes, but the less you know, the better. This is probably why the marketing of the film consists of short, mysterious scenes filled with jaw-dropping special effects yet very little on the actual plot. However, the critical reaction may make one think the mystery shrouding this film may not be good. I'll tell you now: Go watch the film if you're interested/intrigued.
I'm afraid the critics are wrong on this one, and painfully so. The plot is far-fetched and probably (or hopefully) not realistic but this is why movies are made, isn't it? Escapism, one says. You sit down for two hours to escape from the real world to watch something fascinating, suspenseful, and, sometimes, disturbing, yet you know it can't be true but you go along with it anyway. This is "Knowing," a film that holds one's attention until the very end, bringing him or her into a world filled with some jaw dropping action scenes, with some very disturbing scenes with it.
"Knowing" is different from your mindless popcorn thrillers because it isn't mindless. It's sometimes thought provoking and triggers a variety of emotions from the viewer. The film is funny when it needs to be, after having watch a very disturbing scene. The action scenes are amazing, some cringe-worthy, in a good way, actually, because it's not just "Wow. Cool special effects," although there really are some top notch effects, but because they are very hard to watch. The film really pushes the PG-13 rating and sometimes pushes it so far and shot so well that I was left speechless.
The film also has a lot of fantastic performances, one from Nicolas Cage, an iffy actor, if you ask me but he manages to pull it off here. Chandler Canterbury, the kid actor one hopes to act well alongside Cage, also does a decent job. Rose Byrne finishes off the main cast with an equally well played role. And the movie isn't just about the action either. In some very human scenes, it may strike an emotional cord from some viewers.
This is not your usual apocalyptic flick. No it isn't. It has something more, something I cannot reveal without spoiling the movie, including an out-of-the-world ending that will leave some viewers talking. Alex Proyas, again, does not disappoint. There are some fantastic performances and some ingenious action scenes, especially in the way they are shot, along with a very intriguing plot. This, I'm proud to say, is the best film this year, so far, and one of the most surprising films I've ever seen. If you're very interested in the film, give it a watch or you'll regret "knowing" nothing about it.