Weekend Box Office: #1 ‘Knowing’, #2 ‘I Love You, Man’, #3 ‘Duplicity’ Ends Weak; Julia’s Comeback? Audiences Say Go Back

COMMENTS (45)

• I am shocked at all the poor reviews people are giving for KNOWING – especially from those who haven’t even watched it yet. It’s entertaining and will keep you thinking long after you walk out the theater. Not a cheap R-rated show filled with empty raunchy jokes.

  The reviewer “ha ha” had it correct: It’s a sci-fi epic. Don’t let poor reviews deter you from watching this movie!

  Comment by Kal — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 8:22pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Anyone calling ‘Knowing’ ‘junky nonsense,’ as ‘Bernard’ does earlier in this comments section, clearly has no knowledge of decent cinema. Though I forgive him and you, Nikki, because, a lot of audiences and the mainstream ‘critics’ apparently have something significant against Cage now, strong enough that they’re willing to damn every movie he’s in now — even it doesn’t deserve it.

  I, too, am hoping ‘Knowing’ builds some WOM for steady business — I notice you already adjusted your B.O. assessment a few million up from your ‘gurus,’ Nikki — perhaps word of mouth is already out there from preview screenings and Friday?

  ‘Knowing’ is a smart, engaging, and no-easy-answers thriller that is also elemental science fiction, with spectacle that always serves the narrative, and characters that all contribute directly to the plot and its numerous subtle twists. I expect no less from Proyas, one of the most consistent, patient, and under-regarded filmmakers working today (Hey, when a guy can even turn out a decent actioner under the FOX moniker, he deserves *quite* a bit of credit). By all rights, this guy should be at the top of the heap of in-demand directors these days, but I think he prefers to operate on the fringes, especially after his experience with FOX — and if he can turn out great pieces of work like ‘Knowing’ while working with Summit and independent funding, I see no reason why he would ever go back to the big studios…

  He needed someone like Cage — who, though not at the peak of his career, is still a ‘star’– to ‘sell’ this movie, and admittedly, he’s the one thing I’d change from ‘Knowing,’ but Cage’s dry performance, even if not ideal, still enunciates the script well enough that the film works splendidly despite him.

  I find great struggles in ‘Knowing’ about science vs. faith vs. belief, the same kinds of questions that were brought forth in the similarly under-the-radar ‘X-Files: I Want to Believe.’ Proyas finds a way of debating issues of faith, science, and belief in a subtle, non-argumentative, non-ideological, and non-confrontational way that should engage many semi-intelligent viewers — but most will probably not really ‘get’ this film until years later, just like ‘Dark City.’

  Comment by Big Proyas fan — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 9:07pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Now on the movie Duplicity that is a real good question: why didn’t it open at more venues? One would figure that Julia Roberts would be a box office draw.
  Now I saw KNOWING directed by Alex Proyas. I like the concenpt use of the numbers and the premise. Now some critics believed the filmed was flawed when it went to to his kid. As for visuals,the film is worth watching for that.

  Comment by chuck — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 9:50pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Knowing was a very very good movie. Between this movie and the Battlestar Galactica finale its been one hell of a great week for sci-fi fantasy fans…at least those of us who enjoy a good dose of the mystical thrown into the mix to keep things interesting.

  as far as Knowing being “anti-Watchmen,” I greatly enjoyed both of them.

  as afar as critics go, they dont have a clue. This is one of the best scif-i genre movies I have seen in a real long time. Battlestar Galactica did it for TV and Knowing has done it for the big screen.

  BRAVO FOR BOTH OF THEM!

  Comment by lu-ee — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 10:13pm PDT  Reply to this post

• This is what I don’t understand. If Cloney, Owen, and Roberts are such big stars ,with the exception of Roberts, then why do their movies tank. They can’t open a movie and yet they still get the A list treatment. What hold do they have on Hollywood? Storyline is what makes the movie.

  Comment by Jerry — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 10:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Saw “Knowing” on Friday and it was fantastic. Not only does it have two of the most dazzling FX sequences I’ve ever seen, it is thought-provoking and dare I say it, spiritually uplifting.

  This film will do well and have legs from word of mouth.

  Bravo.

  Comment by CineFileX — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 10:59pm PDT  Reply to this post

• It’s kinda sad Julia ended up so bad. Other than mid budget pretend indies everything is kinda craptastic.

  i would have been nice that a good Julia movie did good box office numbers.

  but now that Rihanna is happy to got back to her abusive Z-list boyfriend and Octomum has a new home i guess there are more entertaining stories to focus on (*eye roll*)

  Comment by Charlotte A. Cavatica — Saturday March 21, 2009 @ 11:46pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I LOVED “Knowing.” I live in New York City, where it was trashed by all the critics. But I’d been intrigued by it since seeing the Coming Attraction.

  It was GREAT !! Had me on the edge of my seat. I remember thinking,”I haven’t enjoyed myself this much at the movies in years.” This was a 10:00 AM showing on a Sunday morning. Pretty crowded theater. You couldn’t hear a pin drop from the audience the entire time. Everyone was rapt. Lots stayed til the end of the credits- always a good sign.

  I don’t understand why it was trashed. Cage is very sympathetic in this and he does some fine acting.

  Comment by Victoria — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 12:06pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I don’t understand why the critics trashed Knowing. I knew it was going to be better than the critics said; I just didn’t know HOW MUCH BETTER it is. It has a real thriller of a story line, and Cage knows how to keep the audience on his side. It was a pure Hollywood entertainment film – but with some questions about faith and science. The ending was totally unexpected – and satisfying.

  Also, I thought the scenes with Cage and the boy playing his son were very genuine.

  Bet your bottom dollar that strong word of mouth makes this a big, big, hit.

  Comment by Sally — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 1:03pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m betting ‘Duplicity’ holds up well next weekend though, thanks to star appeal and overall positive critical response.

  And how about that Nic Cage?? He continues to surprise as a legit box office champ.

  Comment by Adam — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 2:09pm PDT  Reply to this post

• My God, I don’t know what’s causing all the mental defects here, but KNOWING was an awful experience; it is just a sloppy assemblage of lukewarm cliches that ends up a dreadful mixture of SIGNS and the lyrics of the Styx song “Sail Away.”

  My guess is people went in expecting something NATIONAL TREASURE-esque; it’ll plummet next week, something to the tune of at least 55%.

  Comment by Sim Sim — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 4:17pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Shit floats.

  Comment by Dorothy — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 5:26pm PDT  Reply to this post

• LOVED Knowing and really don’t get the hate. The marketing was terrible for this movie. Made it look like a wanna be “THE NUMBER 23″ (which was awful itself) and it is so much better and so much more.

  Walked out of Duplicity. Really wanted to like it; eager for a smart, adult flick but this was too self aware and had no soul. The whole movie was just cold and off putting and felt like it tried too hard to be smart and interesting. But instead it was just boring.

  I think Julia needs to start taking on new types of material (assuming commercial success matters much to her) that paints her in a warmer light. She really comes off as cold and distant in much of her work these days (this, Closer, the Ocean’s movies…her work and the films she is in these days feel like cold, ultra slick, ultra modern houses…not approachable, not warm).

  I was stunned how warm and attractive she was on Letterman last week…she should (again, assuming she wants a hit) project an aspect of that warmth in her work. It’s been too long since she felt like a real person you can relate to.

  Granted- what the hell do I know? Like she needs my fucking career advice

  Bring on da 3D cartoon next week!

  David

  Comment by david Jaffe — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 5:30pm PDT  Reply to this post

• @Alboone: Roberts simply plays the same snarky wiseass with an inner heart of gold archetype over and over and over and over and over again. She’s the only actress I know that possesses this innate, and on the face of it a rather destructive ability of turning confident women into blowhard cunts that anyone with a modicum of emotional intelligence and self esteem would stay away from.

  HA!! I wouldn’t have put it quite so colorfully, but that is EXACTLY how I feel about Roberts. I can’t recall a Roberts movie where I didn’t want it to end with her getting the short end of the stick.

  Comment by InformedViewer — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 6:31pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Saw Love You Man… It’s a rental. Maybe a ‘Live Stream’… If I’m still allowed to when it comes out on DVD, next week.

  Comment by Dan — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 7:15pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Julia Roberts does not have the same box office draw. It’s hard for me to believe Duplicity bested Witch Mountain. It will be interesting to see if the numbers were fudged by the studio.

  Either way, in the second week Duplicity will drop like a rock… sorry Julia.

  Comment by Helen Hill — Sunday March 22, 2009 @ 11:42pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Julia has hit the wall. She had two babies and lost weight which makes her look older.

  I love her but, it’s over.

  Comment by anon — Monday March 23, 2009 @ 12:21pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I think that Tony Gilroy is an amazing writer and he did a great job directing ‘michael clayton.’ But, the movies that he has written in the past are intense, smart and detailed thrillers with somewhat tricky plot devices. ‘Duplicity’, on the other hand, was very tricky in its plot, but was meant to be a fun movie, a romp if you will. I think Gilroy over thought this one. And, given the times, I think that America wants a movie that is fun and doesn’t need to be thought about. This film could have been great if simplified…The best thing about the film was Paul Giamatti as a Steve Ballmer/ Jim Cramer like executive and the fight scene in the beginning.

  Comment by offthebeatenpath1 — Monday March 23, 2009 @ 3:01pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Yeah, anon, god forbid that she is 40, gave birth twice and got her body back. Because you’d forgive her if she held onto some of that pregnancy weight, wouldn’t you? Chooch.

  Comment by sheesh — Tuesday March 24, 2009 @ 11:04am PDT  Reply to this post

• I saw Duplicity and i enjoyed it but my one complaint there was too much of Julia Roberts. I went to see it because of Clive Owen and Tony Gilroy. I would have been much more excited had it been a different actress.

  Comment by BReiss — Wednesday March 25, 2009 @ 11:55am PDT  Reply to this post