Very Creative with a Hitchcockian flare!!

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2008)

Although there really isn't anything new about The Number 23, it is one of those suspense films that keeps you guessing until the very end, and it is a re-imagining of most suspense plots. The story is somewhat convoluted and it make take more than one viewing to catch many of the subtle clues that are offered throughout, but that is what makes it differ from most thrillers. In the end, all will come to understand the meaning behind The Number 23. If you are watching this film on DVD, make sure you pause it before leaving the room. The plot is quite intricate and requires your full attention. Jim Carrey is quite simply at his level best in this role.It would seem that he can deliver more than just comedic roles. Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with a book titled " The Number 23", whose story seams to closely parallel his own life, and the more he delves into it's pages, the more seriously obsessed he becomes with its characters, and their actions, as they relate to the number 23, and furthermore, how this number affects people's lives in an almost demonic way. The book clearly relates how the number 23 figures into dates and events that have shaped our world in destructive ways, ranging from assassinations, disasters and wars. The number 23 seems to figuratively get under the very skin of anybody who recognizes its destructive link to catastrophe. Carrey's performance as a mentally disturbed man is superb, and his escalating obsession to find and meet the author of the book is truly frightening. The viewer will find themselves in a claustrophobic state when Carrey finally discovers the truth behind who wrote the book and why. The script is cleverly written, and often uses people and one extremely creepy dog, to foreshadow the events to come. WARNING -this film does not have the happiest of endings, but it does have one that satisfied this viewer with its small tint of hope. One piece of advice-try not to think about the number 23 after viewing this film, for you might just discover how this number affects your own life. SPOOKY!!