KNOX GOES AWAY : Tuesday 22nd October 2024.

I saw the M Rated 'KNOX GOES AWAY' aka 'ASSASSIN'S PLAN' aka 'A KILLER'S MEMORY' earlier this week, and this American crime thriller film is Co-Produced, Directed and starring Michael Keaton who made his Directorial debut in 2008 with 'The Merry Gentleman'. This film saw its World Premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, had a limited cinema release in the US in mid-March this year, has so far grossed US$654K and has garnered mixed critical reviews.

The film follows a contract killer John Knox (Michael Keaton), who is estranged from his wife and son and lives alone, only interacting with other members of his industry and Annie (Joanna Kulig), the Polish sex worker who comes to visit him once a week on a Thursday, has done so for the past four years, and who shares his love of books. One night Knox meets up with his partner Thomas Muncie (Ray McKinnon) and announces that he has to cut their dinner short as he has to go to the airport to fly out to San Francisco for personal reasons and will be back in 24 hours. Muncie presses him for the reasons behind his flight but Knox just reiterates that it's personal. 

There Knox has an appointment with a specialist doctor and is diagnosed with a rapidly evolving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Knox asks him how long has he got, and the Doctor responds with weeks only. Back home, Knox quickly makes arrangements to cash out and retire from the business. Before that, he undertakes one last job with Muncie. 

During the job, after successfully killing his target but also unintentionally killing the woman who was with him in the shower, Knox accidentally kills Muncie in his dementia-induced state. He hurriedly stages the scene and leaves. Later that night, he is unexpectedly visited by his estranged son who he hasn't seen or heard from for many years, Miles (James Marsden), who tearfully admits to killing a man for raping his sixteen year old daughter Kaylee (Morgan Bastin), Knox's granddaughter. Miles is fully aware of what his dad does for a living, and so believed that his father was the only man he could turn to under the circumstances. Knox tells his son to clean up thoroughly in the shower, while he bags up all of Miles clothes.

Knox instructs his son to remain quiet to the authorities and to go about his normal business as usual. Knox later that night arrives at the crime scene and meticulously removes evidence that may incriminate Miles, while mysteriously storing them away for later use. Meanwhile, determined detective Emily Ikari (Suzy Nakamura) is on both murder cases, and resolves to track down the killer.

Knox later visits his long term friend Xavier Crane (Al Pacino), a former thief. Together, they hatch a plan to set Knox's family up for life while leaving the business behind, all while Knox battles his fading mental capabilities. Meanwhile, Detective Ikari links both crimes to a single perpetrator. 

She questions Knox with little or no clarity, and he later plants the evidence he had previously stored away around his son Miles' home, in an apparent act of betrayal. Miles is arrested for the murder of his daughter's rapist, and is visited by Knox in prison, where Knox accuses his son of ratting him out to the IRS in a tax evasion case several years prior, for which he spent six years in prison. 

Knox visits a cabin in the woods that he used to own but which his son sold two years prior. He breaks in and removes a stone tile from under a wood burning stove to retrieve a small pouch of diamonds. He then wanders off into the woods and gets lost but is picked up by a kindly hiker who calls Crane to come and collect him. Crane drives him home. 

Upon reaching home, he is confronted by a group of three heavy set burglars and Annie, who had become aware of Knox's dementia and the fact that he had been cashing out and ratted him out as a result. Overpowering them all and finishing them off each with a couple of rounds Knox confronts Annie at gunpoint and informs her that she would have gotten a one third share anyway, with the other two thirds going to Miles and his ex-wife Ruby (Marcia Gay Harden).

Despondent, Knox calls Xavier, who wishes him all the best before calling the Police as part of their plan, and telling them that Knox is at home with three dead bodies. He is arrested by Detective Ikari. The Police later discover signs that the evidence found at Miles house may have been tampered with, and planted there by Knox, leading to the conclusion that Knox may have framed his own son for the murder. When asked by Ikari on a possible motive, Miles, recalling his father's accusation of him in prison, responds accordingly, shifting the blame on to Knox. He is then released.

A few weeks weeks later, Miles visits his father in prison. Knox, now having fully lost his mental faculties, does not recognise his own son and is later moved from prison to a medical facility, having only weeks left to live. Miles and his mother receive equal shares of Knox's fortune now split just two ways, ensuring the completion of his retirement plan. Annie, who is spared, is shown receiving Knox's library and opening the cover of 'A Tale of Two Cities'. Knox is seen staring out of a window in a catatonic state. 

'Knox Goes Away' is a slow burn neo-noir crime thriller that doesn't feature explosions, car chases, or OTT gun play or close quarter combat. Instead, Director and star Keaton has delivered a character study that is engaging and nuanced, tautly wound and clever all at once, while eeking out top notch, albeit low key performances from its cast. As for the storyline, it's a little convoluted and almost bordering on the unbelievable, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying this race against the clock for this hitman with rapid onset dementia to redeem himself to the people he cares most about. 

'Knox Goes Away' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

    

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 30th October 2014.

Another week and another slew of new cinema content being released for your enjoyment. In summary we have a mid-90's true life drug trafficking, gun running, politically incorrect journalism drama; we have an assassin coming out of retirement to right the wrongs done to him seeing a welcome return of this A-List actor doing what he does best; then there is a romantic tear-fest that will have you reaching for the Kleenex as lovers reunite and the story unfolds over two periods in time; a story of a ten year old boy genius who travels across the country to collect a prize for his smart thinking and invention; and finally a polar opposite from the UK that is another true story set in the valleys of South Wales in the mid-80's as an unlikely alliance is forged to combat Thatcher's grip on the Unions.

So, we could have something for almost everyone here again this week, but if there is nothing to hang your hat on in the week ahead, fear not, there is still plenty of content available at your local cinema to entertain all comers. When you have seen any one of those Previewed below, or featured in previous Previews/Reviews or news, drop me a line in the Comments Box following this, or any Post, and share your thoughts with the world - it's always good to get another opinion. Enjoy your movie!

KILL THE MESSENGER (Rated MA15+) - this is a true story set in the mid-1990's that you may remember from all the news coverage it garnered back then, making this film all the more remarkable for its theme and its far reaching implications. Based on the book ('Dark Alliance') by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who uncovered this hornets nest and went public with it, Gary Webb, it tells his story as he investigates alleged connections between the C.I.A., the Nicaraguan drug lords, the American political system at the time, and the crack cocaine pushers on the streets, and the ramifications of this on all those parties and himself ultimately.

Starring Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb with a strong supporting cast including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Paz Vega, Oliver Platt, Andy Garcia, Michael Sheen, Ray Liotta, and Barry Pepper this is Directed by Michael Cuesta who takes us on a journey as Webb digs deeper and discovers more of the C.I.A's involvement in bringing crack cocaine into California to sell on the nations streets to finance arms sales to the Nicaraguan Contra Rebels. As Webb ignores the advice to cease his investigations and his news reports he experiences a smear-campaign against him and his family and spirals into self-doubt, near suicide, and the defence of everything he values and holds dear. A compelling film, taught, thought provoking and all deftly handled by its expert cast, and its subject matter that is sure to resonate.

JOHN WICK (Rated MA15+) - Keanu Reeves is back and doing what he does best! Playing retired assassin John Wick who has just lost his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan) to cancer, he receives a posthumous puppy as a gift from her. While bonding with his new found best friend he encounters three dodgy looking Russian dudes who offer to buy his car on the spot (a 1969 Mustang). When he refuses, they follow him to his home and return undercover of darkness to beat up John, kill his new dog and steal the car. What follows is not touted as your usual by the numbers revenge film, but a well cast, well handled, reasonably violent, cool action movie that is inventive, slick and relentless from beginning to end. Also starring Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane and John Leguizamo this should well please followers of the genre as being a cut above the standard fare!

PRIDE (Rated M) - the Brits do these films so well (think 'The Full Monty', 'Brassed Off', 'Billy Elliot' etc), this one is set in 1984 in Thatcher's Britain as Maggie was clamping down on the Trade Unions and the industrial heartland that made Britain great up to that point. The Coal Miners were striking; the gays were marching on 10, Downing Street; big chunks of industry infrastructure were being sold off to the private sector and the UK was in turmoil. It was a period of great unsettled change - I remember it well! This true story centres around an unlikely alliance forming between the Gay Pride Community of the time and the National Union of Mineworkers who (reluctantly at first), come out (excuse the pun!) in support of each other to rally against Thatcher and her plans for widespread pit closures. Starring always reliable Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Paddy Considine with a thumping 80's soundtrack and laughs aplenty, this has all the makings of another feel good movie that is sure to mean something with those Brits who grew-up in 80's England and witnessed these far reaching ramifications, and if you didn't - just enjoy the movie and the history lesson anyway!

THE BEST OF ME (Rated M) - based on a dramatic romance novel by Nicolas Sparks this tells the story of Dawson (James Marsden) and Amanda (Michelle Monaghan) who growing up were childhood sweethearts - but he came from a family on the wrong side of the tracks and she was born into wealth, happiness and plenty. Dawson has a checkered past with a man-slaughter charge that saw him serve time for four years and leave town upon release. They are reunited twenty or so years later at the funeral of Dawson's 'surrogate' father figure, and gradually over time the flame between them is rekindled. But, there are those still around today that remember their ill-fated relationship of the past, and seem intent on driving another stake between them to ensure that their reunion fails before it has chance to begin again. This tale could have you reaching for the Kleenex as the course of true-love must overcome much adversity to prevail!

THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T. S. SPIVET (Rated M) - based on 'The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet' by Author Reif Larson this big-screen adaptation is Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet in only his second English language film. Whilst this is about the adventures of a ten year old lad, make no mistake, this is not necessarily just a kids film. T. S. Spivet (Kyle Catlett) is a gifted, talented, resourceful ten year old living with his family on a farm in Montana. His Mother is a Scientist, his father a Cowboy and his Sister a Miss America wannabe. One day he is contacted by The Smithsonian Institute to advise that he has won a significant prize for his invention of a perpetual motion machine. He embarks on a lone journey without informing his parents to Washington D. C. where he is to collect his prize at a ceremony being given in his honour. En route however, his voyage of discovery leads to fun, adventure, suspense and revelations about a family tragedy that he did not fully comprehend at the time it occurred. Shot in 3D this film may just surprise and delight, much like Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' did in  2011. Also starring the gifted and versatile Helena Bonham-Carter and Judy Davis.

Five new films then to tempt you out on a balmy Spring evening. When you have sat through your chosen movie, drop us a Comment at Odeon Online and share you thoughts with other like minded cinephiles.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-