"Knowing" is among the best science-fiction films I've seen...
~ Roger Ebert, film critic
I saw "Knowing" this weekend. Most critics are dismissing it with a condescending sniff, which does not surprise me, due to the premise (more on that later). But in deciding whether or not "Knowing" deserves a go-see, there are two things I'd like fellow movie fans to keep in mind:
1. Roger Ebert, who gave it four stars, is a fairly good judge of movies, and
2. I was so absorbed in this movie that I forgot to open my box of Raisinets.
There are several themes in the film (which is one of its weaknesses), but the primary focus tracks the journey of Nicholas Cage's character, John Koestler, through the depths of grief and the hopelessness of lost faith to a growing comprehension of a grand design in the universe. Herein lies the rub for most MSM movie critics. If the plot line moves our main character towards an acceptance of a Higher Power over earthly events, it's irrefutably stupid. (Or so that towering intellect, Bill Maher, would proclaim.)
Most of us probably wonder at one time or another about the "end of the world." If you're planning on going to see "Knowing," you might want to look up Mark 13:32 beforehand. Just to steady your nerves, also to remind yourself that it's just a movie.
The special effects are breathtaking, the suspense is unrelenting, and the stunning ending is a tricky blend of disaster and hope. The movie stalls a bit during the climactic scene between Cage's character and his young son; director Alex Proya could not resist drawing it out in the Close Encounters/E.T. style.
The children do an outstanding job, particularly Chandler Canterbury as Caleb, Koestler's son. Nicolas Cage, not one of my favorite actors, makes me forget how much he usually annoys me. To a dedicated movie-lover such as myself, quite set and definite in my tastes, this is no small feat and one hallmark of a truly good movie.
If you'd like to be entertained and made to think at the same time, go see "Knowing." You'll leave the theater knowing that today--and what we do with it--is what counts.
