Deadly arithmetic

Rating: Null/10 (7 September 2008)

Joel Schumacher treads on dangerous ground,Night Shyamalan's territory and the results are not bad at all.Perhaps the "unexpected twist " which has become de rigueur in those movies comes a little too soon,and the last scenes are disappointing,considering what the movie promised . The wife called Agatha might be a nod to the writer of "the murder of Roger Acroyd" from which the screenplay borrows too.
The 11th of September,Ned (14+5+4) and a lot of clues may seem disturbing ,but actually you can find as many 23 as you want ,and if you think it over you can also find many 21 ,or 22 ,or 2/3 (=0,666....)in your own life.That makes the subject a bit artificial.What makes the movie interesting is Jim Carrey's performance (he is at his best when he is overtaken by events : "the majestic" and "the Truman show" ,which makes him extremely endearing:aren't we sick and tired of the brilliant lawyer or the triumphant reporter or the young executives with good prospects ?and Carrey is not divorced ,like so many "heroes" of contemporary movies),a dreary atmosphere and computerized pictures.
Like this?try these
Unbreakable (Night Shyalaman)
La habitacion de Fermat (Piedrahita/Sopena))
Cube (Natali)
Pi (Aronofsky)