Not as bad as the critics say but still flawed....

Rating: 5/10 (14 April 2007)

The Number 23 is a victim of the concept being much better than the execution. There is a decent plot here to create a very compelling thriller but the script cheats the film on many occasions. It's unfortunate because the film is drenched in a very hypnotic style and the performances are top notch. I suppose the script needed many more revisions before it went into production because what we have here is a fairly interesting, yet flawed movie going experience.
Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) is leading a seemingly normal life with a seemingly normal wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen), and a seemingly normal son, Robin (Logan Lerman). Everything changes the day his wife purchases a copy of a book entitled The Number 23 at a used bookstore. The book is about the obsession of the main character, a detective named Fingerling, with the number 23 in its various permutations. Walter becomes obsessed with the book. He senses an eerie connection between himself and Fingerling and, like the protagonist, he believes there's something important about how often 23 appears in his life. A psychologist friend (Danny Huston) suggests that he sees 23 everywhere because he's looking for 23 everywhere, but Walter ignores this sensible advice and begins to imagine conspiracies and murders.
This film currently sits with an 8% at Rotten Tomatoes.com which probably makes it one of the first truly univerally panned films of 2007. I'm here to say that the film isn't nearly as bad as those reviews would indicate. In my opinion this isn't a great film or even a very good one, but it isn't a film that should be thrown away and forgotten. There are a few things to rave about. I'm going to take a moment to take up for Joel Schumacher. Many people called him a hack after he destroyed the Batman franchise with Batman & Robin. After this debacle many people seemed to forget that Schumacher is capable of making really good films. Before Batman & Robin he gave us The Lost Boys, Flatliners, Falling Down, and A Time To Kill. After Batman & Robin he gave us Tiger Land, Phone Booth, and Veronica Guerin. These are all good films in their own right. He applies this visual approach to The Number 23. For the scenes within the book he creates a very compelling neo-noir world that is actually quite engaging to watch. I almost wish the whole film took place within this setting. Schumacher surely knows how to create style and its one of the best things about this film. I refuse to blame him anymore for Batman & Robin because after watching the special features on that DVD, it's clear that the film fell victim to studio interference. I think everyone should take a look back and re-examine how they feel about Mr. Schumacher.
The acting also works well. I was a bit worried about Jim Carrey being in this film because I didn't think he could handle certain aspects of the role. I don't question his abilities as a dramatic actor since he was quite good in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show. My concern was whether or not he could play the paranoia associated with the role and thankfully he showed me he could. This is a very nice turn from Carrey and it will probably be forgotten because the film hasn't received many great notices. It's not the best performance of his career but it's definitely something different for
him. As the Fingerling character within the book, he is oddly engaging. He does things with his body language and his eyes that are very subtle and effective. Virginia Madsen is saddled with the supportive wife role but she makes the most of it and probably makes it more compelling than it was on the written page. I think Madsen is a very good actress and it's nice to see her getting more exposure since she was in Sideways. She is also a wonder to watch during the neo-noir scenes but she is in too few of them. Her and Carrey share a decent chemistry that works well for the film.
Too bad the script lets them down. The 23 Enigma is an interesting concept and sometimes the film uses it well but it ultimately plays second fiddle to a rather bland murder mystery plot. If you pay enough attention the conclusion is easy to figure out and once you do, you have to suffer through 15 minutes of an elaborate explanation. It's unnecessary and poorly done. The last act of this film is truly a mess. The script becomes a muddled mess and the film ends with a whimper rather than a bang. It cheats some of the decent ideas that came before it and makes the film end on a very sour note. The film also has way too many cheesy moments that had the audience laughing unintentionally. I could've done without the dog popping up everywhere (it makes sense if you've seen the film) and some of the dialogue between the characters is a little unnatural.
The Number 23 has an interesting concept but unfortunately the film doesn't do much with. I can only recommend this for some of the nice visual tricks and fine performances, but even with that, I don't think it will be enough to satisfy the audience. You want the numbers to add up but they never do in this valiant, yet flawed effort.