When a contract killer has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of the adult son with whom he had been estranged.
Chuck says:
Though only directing a film for the second time in his long career, there’s a confidence behind Micheal Keaton’s approach in “Knox Goes Away.” He’s not afraid to challenge the viewer where presenting a complex narrative is concerned and his willingness to let long stretches play out with little dialogue is refreshing. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to gauge his own performance, a complicated endeavor as his turn is one of subtle response and gradations as the titular character, a hitman with a checkered past, is quickly losing his mind.
Fully aware something is amiss, Knox undergoes a battery of tests that reveals a dire prognosis. Seems he is suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, a degenerative condition that affects the mind, causing personality changes, depression, and the loss of memory, usually occurring over the course of a few short months, the afflicted usually slipping into a coma. Knowing he can no longer continue to work, he sets out to complete a previously contracted job. It goes horribly wrong, leaving two innocents dead. Knox seems to effectively cover his tracks, only to have another dilemma fall into his lap.
His estranged son Miles (James Marsden), who hasn’t spoken to him in 20 years, shows up on his doorstep bloodied and injured. Knowing his father’s line of work, the revelation of which led to his cutting off communication with him, the desperate young man is hoping he can help him get away with murder. Upon visiting a pedophile who impregnated his 16-year-old daughter, he lost his temper and stabbed him to death. If anyone can get him out this jam, it’s Knox…or so he thinks.
Screenwriter Gregory Poirier holds his narrative cards close to his chest, as he gives the viewer just enough information to stay engaged and nothing more. There are a great many moving parts at play, what with Knox trying to avoid being arrested for the murders he committed while extricating his son from his sticky mess. That all the while he is losing his memories adds to the intrigue. Poirier keeps us in the dark as to how Knox is going to pull all this off, which is an effective hook, especially when the character seemingly paints himself into a corner or two. We end up questioning whether we are being toyed with along with Knox’s targets or if the information that is being withheld is due to his faulty memories.
When described, it sounds like a hoary potboiler, but it doesn’t play as such. There’s a low-key approach that provides the film with a sense of realism, tempering the sensational elements of the story. Both the cast and the tone Keaton establishes facilitate this. Marsden has never been better than he is here, at turns desperate, incensed, terrified and finally, cynical. Solid support is provided by the always reliable Marcia Gay Harden as Knox’s ex-wife, and Al Pacino as his fence and de facto memory keeper, consulted throughout by the hitman whenever he feels his grasp of reality is slipping away.
However, it’s Keaton’s performance that holds it all together. The actor has developed a sense of simmering cool over the course of his career, fully on display here. With that firmly in our mind, it makes Knox’s disintegration all the more poignant. Whenever we see him struggle to recall everyday occurrences or grasp for answers that prove elusive, the genre machinations are pushed to the background. Knox’s humanity takes centerstage, with Keaton wisely underplaying every moment. Seeing this intelligent man’s identity slip away as his memories become so much fodder for the disease that’s ravaging him is surprisingly moving, the final scene a relatable, haunting moment, more chilling than anything found in a horror film.
Though some may balk at the deliberate pacing, it’s necessary to lay out this meticulously structured story, as well as develop the movie’s melancholy mood. In the end, “Knox Goes Away” delivers on multiple levels, giving the viewer a clever mystery, intriguing characters, and a touching message regarding the importance of reconciliation, something that is often cruelly snatched away before it can be acted upon.
3.5 Stars
