A dull little movie

Rating: 5/10 (31 July 2013)

THE NUMBER 23 sees Jim Carrey in a so-called 'serious' role playing a normal family guy who gradually becomes obsessed with the number 23. That's the extent of the plot; does it sound gripping to you? No, me either, and this movie turns out to be a relatively pointless thriller that covers the same type of ground as a dozen others. The only problem is that those others were better.
The crux of the plot seems to hinge on who the author is of a mysterious book that leads to Carrey's obsession. The stakes, therefore, are hardly high; at least in films like KNOWING, the central characters have portents of impending disaster and try to do something to stop it. I never felt drawn into the premise of this film, was never really bothered whether Carrey figured it all out or not. It's as if a one-sentence premise was written down and then a lacklustre film constructed around it. Where's the danger, the suspense?
The jury's out on Carrey in this film. He tries to be serious, but his manic moments recall THE CABLE GUY and he can't resist throwing in some goofy humour. Personally, I think he has zero range, as evinced by this and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. The supporting players are better: ageless Virginia Madsen as his wife, Danny Huston as a typically sinister type, a little role for Ed Lauter. It's not enough to stop this being anything but average, though.