If I Knew Now What I Knew Then I'd Know Something worth Knowing...

When is an M. Night Shyamalan movie not an M.Night Shyamalan movie? When it's an Alex Proyas movie, of course! But you'd be forgiven for mistaking Knowing as the work of Shyamalan, with its mysterious tale of a man facing a crisis of faith, only for it to be resolved in a twisty way.

Nicholas Cage plays a scientist whose child is given a piece of paper containing a list of numbers, from a time capule buried 50 years earlier. The number seem to list the dates and casulties numbers of all the worlds major catastrophies since the capsule was buried. As the story progresses we wonder if the predictions of future disasters will come to pass...which they do!

And when they do...wow! The plane crash is shot in one continuous shot, showing the plane's impact, Cage's reaction, and his subsequent rescue attempts. The sound/music mix is the best I've heard in ages..with the roar of the carnage and sceams of the victims blasted into your brain. The effects are great as well, selling the 'what it would really be like to be there' aspect.

While many have been dismayed in the direction the plot turns at the end, I feel it fits comfotrably into the sci-fi premise and is well set-up as the story builds.

Despite the Shyamalan structure, this is also a distinctely Alex Proyas movie. Like his earlier Dark City, this explores themes of destiny vs coinsidence and of mysterious figures guiding humanity without there knowledge.

Finally, it's a shame that actress Rose Byrne has a role that requires her to scream uncontrolably and run, arms flapping in a pre-teen girly way. Note to other directors; Rose Byrne is unbelievably cute and such uncute behaviour should not be encouraged.