Movie Review: "Knight and Day"
Franck Tabouring
Seen on: June 16, 2010
The players: Director: James Mangold, Writers: Patrick O'Neill & others, Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Dano, Viola Davis
Facts of interest: Mangold also helmed "Walk the Line" and "3:10 to Yuma."
The plot: A secret agent in trouble runs into a charming woman, and together, they try to put an end to the chaos that surrounds them.
Our thoughts: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are in great shape in James Mangold’s new action comedy “Knight and Day,” a silly, yet wildly entertaining summer blockbuster stuffed with witty dialogue, refreshingly brainless action and interesting enough characters you’ll instantly like. Oh, and as over the top as the movie really is, I have to admit it’s also incredibly easy to enjoy.
I’m not going to focus much on story because the plot of “Knight and Day” is very chaotic and ridiculous, but what I can say is that it introduces us to Roy (Cruise), a mysterious secret agent who’s on the run after being double-crossed by the people he works for. Things get even more complicated for Roy when he encounters June, a charming woman who quickly gets mixed up in his mess…
Needless to say, the film follows Roy and June as they to escape from the bad guys all while trying to complete Roy’s mission. They obviously hit quite a few bumps along the road, and the fact that they have trouble trusting each other just adds to the fun and suspense of it all. The success of “Knight and Day” eventually comes down to Cruise and Diaz, who both offer deliver a set of energetic performances.
In fact, I couldn’t even imagine this film without them. Cruise really is in his element here, and it’s obvious he has a lot of fun playing a crazy agent who’s as fearless as he’s eccentric. He totally makes his character work, and he shares an appealing chemistry with Diaz, who’s not as good but still manages to play a convincing female lead. Let’s just say the two work together well, and that certainly helps a lot.
“Knight and Day” went through a ton of rewrites at the script stage, and to be honest, it shows in the final product. The story is incredibly messy and hardly original, and the movie really has to rely on lots of quick twists, funny dialogue and totally implausible action sequences to keep audiences entertained. Luckily, this is a flick that doesn’t take itself seriously, and that’s definitely part of why it works.
In brief, “Day” is the ideal summer movie to check out when you’re ready to leave your brain at home. It’s not exactly a thrilling experience in terms of suspense, but it’s fast-paced and silly enough to show you a good time. Add excellent production values, edgy editing and a fantastic score, and you find yourself in a win-win situation. I’m not ashamed to admit I really enjoyed this film.
Freaky quote: "No, actually, I shot the first pilot then he accidentally shot the second pilot. It's just one of those things." - Tom Cruise
The final word: “Knight and Day” is by far not a perfect film, but for what it is, it simply works. Sometimes you really don’t require a flawless script if you’re aiming for a brainless action movie with the intent to simply amuse your audience, and that’s exactly the case with “Day.” It’s pure big-screen fun, and that’s the end of it. Go check it out if you haven’t already.
Article by Franck Tabouring
Reader Comments (1)
Good review! I enjoyed the movie as well.