Number 23 DVD [2007]

Number 23 DVD [2007] Description

Jim Carrey as a schizophrenic murderer isnt convincing, in this melodramatic film about a man obsessed by the Number 23. Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, St. Elmos Fire) has unintentionally managed to make a comedy of horrors that really is quite humorous in parts. Walter Sparrow (Carrey) becomes engrossed in a homespun novel about Detective Fingerling, whose life degrades into mayhem because of his obsession with 23s esoteric numerical puzzles. Sparrows preoccupation with the book follows his botched attempt to catch a nasty dog that bites him, leading one to believe that Sparrows contraction of rabies might be the cause for his mental degradation. As the story progresses, Sparrow retreats further into Fingerlings world, rife with suicidal sexpots and hardboiled detective sleuthing. His wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen), also plays Fingerlings girlfriend, sex-crazed Fabrizia, who taunts Fingerling until he stabs her. Back in reality, Walter aims to solve the unresolved crimes in the book, taking it as a murderers diary rather than as an imagined work. The story is half-baked, though Carreys portrayal of a mentally disturbed person is what makes The Number 23 comedic. Long, contemplative stares, and over-dramatized acting renders Sparrow a cliched character, rather than one odd enough to engage viewers. For a better version of almost the exact plot but with a terrorists twist, see Thr3e instead.