ALTHOUGH THE SLANT of Tying the Knot probably won't come as much of a revelation to most San Franciscans, the documentary still packs a wallop in its informed and impassioned defense of same-sex marriage. Chalk it up to the tasteful way in which filmmaker Jim de Sève translates tried-and-true polemical strategies into a focused rallying cry. To be sure, the film doesn't break any new ground in the political documentary genre. The cuts between shouting protesters, pontificating politicians, and weeping ordinary folks all seem preordained. And yet, the formula is followed with a grace and dignity that make it difficult not to share in de Sève's obvious ardor. One perhaps wishes the filmmaker had spent more time shaping his footage, but what the Tying the Knot lacks in finesse, it makes up for with its powerful rush of immediacy. (Max Goldberg)