Knowing

When watching Knowing, I couldn't help but compare it to a similar film, The Mothman Prophecies, which is firmly situated in the mystery genre - unlike Knowing, which is genre-wise much broader, but essentially it is "bastardized sci-fi," which should be much dearer to me as a fan of the genre. Surprisingly, and I emphasize that I don't consider The Mothman Prophecies a film gem in any way. It's nice that Proyas has decent craftsmanship and tries to create the right atmosphere, but at the same time, he heavily copies from successful films of the past and relies on the most banal and naive ideas about encountering extraterrestrial intelligence. The combination of Close Encounters of the Third Kind with People from Space doesn't appeal to me much, not to mention that at times (e.g., in shots from the alien world or when the camera zooms in on the detail of the American flag waving in the wind), the director slides into blatant kitsch. The script is similar to the directing, in that it steals a lot and routinely puts it together. A separate chapter is Cage's performance. I'm not one of those who sharpen their wit on the topic of his current roles, mainly because most of his titles in recent years fall outside my interest, but his alternating roughly four expressions, with the frightened and stunned one prevailing, really got on my nerves. All in all, the destruction of the world according to Proyas doesn't seem smarter than according to Emmerich, nor is it more entertaining. Overall impression: 40%. (03/05/2013)

If Nicolas Cage has something to act in, he does it. In the case of Knowing, he was lucky to have both a decently atmospheric and chillingly escalating script and a director who really knows how to play with films. After a long time, Knowing is a Cage film (i.e., starring Cage) that I can recommend to just about anyone. Suspenseful from the beginning until the great final 25 minutes, with decent special effects and Marc Beltrami's music, which you will notice especially during the more dramatic scenes. Clean four stars, good job! (12/06/2010)

Proyas is a wizard. For a ridiculously low amount of money (by the budgetary standards of modern Hollywood), he delivered an atmospheric visual treat that can send chills down the spine. Though script-wise is like a poor man’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the pathetic conversation with the father and the grain scene look like something out of the Jehovah Witnesses’ magazine Watchtower, I still give it thumbs up for the bold apocalyptic denouement. The film is not without flaws, but you can feel the craftsmanship and the author's passion for the cause, and that is appreciated. Proyas's favourite albinos had a suitably creepy effect, with Cage surprisingly tame and not overacting. (22/06/2009)

I, Robot was a pure studio movie – expensive, spectacular and bombastic, but also shallow and superficial. Knowing is a smaller, more modest film but also more personal and sensitive. Too bad that the not-very-original subject matter and weaker ending overshadow the otherwise perfect screenwriting and editing work, where everything from the detailed depiction of the characters and action dynamics to horror elements is delivered in precisely measured doses. Not to mention the fact that the special effects are not just self-serving eye candy, but are subordinate to a story with a soul. And I haven’t seen Nick Cage in such a well-fitting role for a while. Knowing is a high-quality small film that I’m rating higher than I expected. (02/09/2009)

Proyas has mastered the craft perfectly, but this skill is absolutely useless when he has to deal with a completely trivial script that drags the plot through the morass of the cheapest clichés. Then the director himself becomes a problem, as two pivotal scenes (by the way, letting them get on the internet was a major mistake) seem to have come out of a completely different film. Then there are the horror sequences, which perfectly battle with the cheap remainder of the film, overstuffed with warped family relationships and long-winded scientific theories. It’s a film that’s perfect in its individual parts, but as a whole, it’s... disappointing. PS: (27/06/2009)