the problem of Voice-Over and Music

Rating: 5/10 (25 February 2007)

there are enough comments focusing on character and plot that i'll focus on the voice-over and music.
my doubts started with the voice-over. generally, a voice-over is a crutch that supports a script that fails to show what it should. if it's important enough for the audience to be told something, it should be seen instead- film is a visual medium and voice-overs are a cop-out. and once you've seen the movie, there's no need in subsequent viewings to hear the voice-over again. not all movies with voice-overs suck, but the majority do. in the case of number 23, the voice-over is counter-productive in two ways: (1) carey's delivery is inconsistent; (2) it deflates any developing sense of menace with carey's character.
the second problem area (for me) concerned the music. this movie screams for a unique score with a unique instrument. with the repetition of 23, that repetition should have been carried over into the music, but instead we're offered one scene with a song from the killers, then the rest of the movie gets your standard violins for suspense fare. not unique at all. they could have done something cool like use only 23 notes or something like that to create an interesting auditory experience, but no, it's the run-of-the-mill filler, and it just doesn't fit with this movie.
overall, the failings of the voice-over and music indicate the major problem with the number 23- interesting concept, poor execution.