Fascinating premise is marred by predictable story turns.

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2007)

Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) is a simple man, who has an loving wife (Virginia Madsen) and an bright teenage son (Logan Lerman). Which Walter has an decent job working for Animal Control and his life is ordinary until his wife bought him an used book at the book shop for his birthday. The Book, she given him is titled "The Number 23" by an unknown novelist. The novel is a study of obsession, when Walter is about to read it. The novel comes with an warning before he starts reading it. Once he does read it, he finds things very similar to his life. The book titled "The Number 23", the number has a very eerie meaning to Walter. Pratically every where he goes or things that happen in his life, he sees that number. When he finally finished reading the book, the novel ends very ambiguous with no ending. It seems there's an chapter missing. Walter decides to find the person, who wrote the book and trying to find out how this novel truly ends.
Directed by Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, Flatliners, Phone Booth) made an interesting, flawed but an intriguing movie. This film is filled with arresting visuals and some good moments of suspense as well. Although the audiences might guess the plot twist in the first half of the movie but you will still find yourself interested in some of the unexpected story turns in the film. This film was an box office disappointed but it will surely find an audiences on DVD.
DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good:Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an good-hearted commentary track by the director, deleted scenes, two featurettes and more. This DVD also has the Unrated Cut with three minutes of additional footage. Although the critics did really hated this film and Die Hard fans of Carrey's might be disappointed as well. This picture is quite watchable. It is depending how you would tolerate and believe in Carrey's ambitious performance. Strikingly Photographed by Matthew Libatique (Gothika, Requiem for a Dream, Tigerland). Bud Cort appears unbilled. Panavision. (*** ½/*****).