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The Number 23

A movie starring Jim Carrey

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The Number 23 - 2007

Mar 13, 2009

by SusiDee34

Rating:

-3

Pros: none for me

Cons: I like numbers but not these

The Bottom Line:
“I can’t walk
Cannot run
I can’t seem to hide
The place I’m looking for
Lye’s behind the door
In room twenty three”
~Neue Regel

Five minutes into the movie The Number 23 and I’m ready to insert sharp objects under my fingernails. I’ll admit I don’t like Jim Carrey but I thought this might be a break from his slapstick comedy schleep. I’ll give it that, it was certainly a break away.

In the movie Carrey, playing the part of Walter Sparrow, is a dog catcher. Not a very good or diligent one I might add since he seems to spend most of his time languishing in his truck, waiting for the 5 o’clock bell to ring. On his birthday he is scheduled to meet his wife, a baker by trade, then attend a birthday party in his honor. Unfortunately duty calls and he has to actually work, chasing a stray from a restaurant area. Inept as he is at his job, he manages to get bitten which cumulates in a series of events that makes him late to meet his wife.

While she is waiting, Agatha browses the local bookstore, drawn almost, to a book on the shelf titled ‘The Number 23’. Picking it up on a whimsy, she gives it to Walter as a birthday present. Bored beyond belief at his party [it is her friends since he has none], he starts to read the book which quickly becomes an obsession with him. The book is swamped with numerology and it seems to parallel Walter’s life.

It isn’t long until be starts assuming the role of the writer and immerses himself into the role being played out in the book. Both he and Agatha take on dual roles in this film but, frankly, that didn’t make it one bit better. I found the movie incredibly long and boring and wasn’t intrigued with the concept at all.

The Number 23 was directed by Joel Schumacher, receiving 4 nominations. It received an R rating for violence, images, sexuality, and language. The two main characters are Jim Carrey as Walter Sparrow and Fingerling the author, as well as Virginia Madsen as Agatha Sparrow and Fabrizia the author’s muse. Both actors left me flat and uninterested in the story or plot.

I am intrigued by numbers and the concept was weird to say the least. All the plays of the number, shown as part of the introduction sequence, were interesting to read but not enough to make the movie bearable.

Features on DVD include:
Audio commentary by Schumacher; The Making of The Number 23 featurette; Creating the World of Fingerling featurette; all access pass; 10 behind the scenes futurities; deleted scenes; The 23 Enigma featurette; How to find your life path number video guide; trivia; theatrical trailer; DVD ROM access, which I did not utilize.

Not worth the time or trouble.

Thanks,
Susi

Recommended:
No

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More The Number 23 reviews

review by ryguy4738. December 05, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

Jumping to some seriously deadly conclusions.

* out of **** If you read my review for "The Lost Boys", then you'll remember that at the end of my review, I said, "Thanks Joel Schumacher. But I still hate you." Why did I say this? Well, take a good look at "The Number 23", which is directed by Schumacher, and you'll see why. There is indeed such thing as the 23 Enigma, but that doesn't make the film any better. Rather than substance (or even style), "The Number 23" … more

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review by Lopez15. May 11, 2010

posted in The dreams of our youth

3 stars: Obsession is a dark emotion that can destroy a person's soul....

Obsession is a disease, a dark fleeting sensation that can drive one person to do things that they normally would not do, driving the individual to the brink of insanity that can destroy the person’s life and turn them into a monster. In Joel Schumacher's grim psychological noir delves deep into the physical and mental damage of how one man's obsession almost destroyed everyone he loved and cared for and how he suffers at the hands of a decade old … more

Comments (2) Compliments (12)

Quick Tip by sabres2332. June 10, 2010

A Quick Tip by sabres2332

Great movie! I thought it was more of a thriller, I liked the twists and turns in the movie and the ending was great! I recommend this movie to any type of movie watcher!

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Quick Tip by Lopez15. May 11, 2010

posted in The dreams of our youth

A Quick Tip by Lopez15

A dark, disturbing psychological noir that raises potent and daring questions about the damage and cause of obsession.

Comments (1) Compliments (3)

review by vemartin. February 10, 2008

Jim Carrey Once Again Proves His Acting Chops

Pros: Imaginative story line that play on the human predisposition for superstition. Cons: Convoluted at times; poor script; less than able direction. The Bottom Line: In the end The Number 23 is a mildly entertaining movie that lacked a cohesive script and able direction. Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot. We humans have a predilection for superstition; lets fact it religion is build … more

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review by MzJen_2_review. August 30, 2007

posted in Movie Hype

[1.5]--I rather watch 23-minutes worth of commercials then this

Maybe it was to be expected that Schumacher, who hasn't really made a very satisfying film since the mid 90s, would gravitate to material like this that would at least allow him some time to exercise his 'weird' directorial chops. And really, there is some potential in this as well; Carrey's dog-catcher protagonist is given a book on his birthday (which is on 2/3) called the Number 23, which deals with a sax-playing detective with a dark past who gets involved with an even darker, more sadistic … more

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see all The Number 23 reviews (9)

About the reviewer

Susi Dawson (SusiDee34)
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About this movie

Wiki

In Joel Schumacher's psychological thriller THE NUMBER 23, Jim Carrey takes on another dramatic role. Carrey's character is similar to his roles in THE TRUMAN SHOW and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND: he portrays an average man thrust into quite extraordinary situations after a series of strange events cause him to question everything he's ever taken for granted. On his birthday, Walter Sparrow is given a mysterious and tattered book called THE NUMBER 23 by his loving wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen). As Walter reads the book, he quickly notices its alarming similarities to his own life. Rather than stop reading, he continues, unknowingly inviting the book to take over his life. The deeper Walter gets into the plot, the more he sees himself in its protagonist, Fingerling, whom we see through highly stylized sequences in which Carrey appears as the seedy detective character. Madsen is also present in these scenes, cast as Fingerling's pain-loving girlfriend Fabrizia. As Fingerling and Fabrizia's love...

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