The Number 23 (2007)

	Directed by: Joel Schumacher	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE The Number 23 RUNNING TIME 98 minutes
	Produced by: Beau Flynn Tripp Vinson
	Written by: Fernley Phillips

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Walter Sparrow/Fingerling	Jim Carrey	½
Agatha Sparrow/Fabrizia	Virginia Madsen	½
Robin Sparrow	Logan Lerman	½
Isaac French/Dr. Miles Phoenix	Danny Huston	½
Suicide Blonde/Mrs. Dobkins/Mother	Lynn Collins
Laura Tollins	Rhona Mitra

Review

Given that Joel Schumacher is helming this project, you should perhaps not expect too much in terms of ingenuity. And even if The Number 23 is explicitly (or implicitly?) mostly about numbers, it definitely isn't out to revolutionise mathematics. Jim Carrey stars as an amiable father and husband who, after coming across a book about the number 23, finds himself increasingly fascinated – and ultimately obsessed – with the concept that every answer in this world boils down to 23. Additionally, he finds his life a parallel to that of the protagonist in the book, something that fuels his interest in tracking down the book's obscure writer.

Carrey is believable in the lead, looking great in the film's parallel universe, which is elegantly shot in crisp, contrastive colours. The film takes itself seriously, initially overly so, when it presents the story as more clever than it really is. It has its fair share of silly, banal elements. However, as the ending approaches, Schumacher shows patience and deftness in summing up and balancing it all. The script by Fernley Phillips won't exactly blow you away, but it also doesn't cheat you, and towards the end it becomes increasingly interesting from a psychological point of view, making The Number 23 an occasionally engaging thriller.