Knowing Me, Knowing You, ahhhaa (Knowing (DVD))

Member Name: fergusa

Product:	Knowing (DVD)
Date:	24/07/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some good scenes and effects.

Disadvantages: Not a great plot, bad ending.

When my hubby chooses a DVD, it usually means either something that will require thought, the reading of subtitles or an "education" in some important event (usually involving soldiers).

So, I was rather intrigued when last night he came back with this Nicholas Cage film which, at first glimpse, seemed to be about super natural powers.

It's not the kind of film we would generally watch, and I've come away with mixed thoughts about it. Obviously, I'll not be giving too much away on the plot, but a general synopsis follows.

The film centers around an Astrophysicist (John Koestler, played by Cage)and his son, Caleb. His is a single dad as Caleb's mother died in an accident.

Caleb's school are having a memorial day to open up a time capsule which was buried fifty years before. All of the children in 1959 had drawn a picture and placed in an envelope. Each of these envelopes are distributed amongst the 2009 children and then returned to the school's care.

Caleb's envelope was from a girl called Lucinda. The film shows a sequence from 1959 when Lucinda was doing her "picture". Caleb does not return the envelope and takes it home where it captures his father's attention.

I will not go into any more detail, other than to say that Lucinda's "picture" has some very far reaching effects on Caleb and John's relationship, and on the wider society.

**What I liked and disliked about this film.
I wouldn't say I liked or disliked this film, it was just OK. Watchable, but not good enough to watch again.

There are some very good (although somewhat "Hollywood") special effects, in particular in the second half of the film.

If you like chilling films (think sixth sense) you will like the suspense and scary bits of this film. To be honest, I found it bit too spooky, but I've never been good with horror/scary films.

I did think that there were some excellent scenes in the movie, Nicholas Cage was very good and the actor who played his son excellent. There were also some supporting characters who gave good performances.

There were also plenty of moments of suspense (the type where you want to shout at the screen "don't go back to the house", look behind the door". )There were also moments of endearment, the blossoming of human relationships and the bond between parent and child.

For me though, the ending (don't worry, not gonna tell you) was a bit weak. I'm sure other people would find the "twist" dramatic but for me it was too contrived and was the worst bit of the film (although it stopped me being scared and left me just a bit bemused).

The music behind the film was appropriate, setting the mood without being too dramatic.

Overall, it's not a film genre I particularly like, or a cast that I would choose a movie from, but as a film it was OK. It wasn't great and I won't watch it agin, but there were some good scenes and effects. At the end, I felt slightly cheated, a reasonable film with a disappointing end.

Summary: Back to the thought provoking, subtitled films then?