Idiotic Cacophony

Rating: 3/10 (30 March 2007)

The most ridiculous and implausible movie of the year (so far) comes in the form of 'The Number 23'. It's not a descent into paranoia, it's a descent into bad film making. Through an interesting concept comes ludicrous and frustrating plot twists, each contributing to the film's complete void of originality. You'll groan with impatience, waiting for it to come to an end, and when it finally does, wonder why you just wasted 90 minutes of you life on a stupid number.
February 3rd, just like any other day. Except for Walter Sparrow, it's his birthday. And while his wife waits for him to pick her up after work that evening, she picks up a book at a local store and gives it to him as a present. The Number 23, the book is called. 'A descent into paranoia'. The book tells the story of a man who's become haunted by this number. Its patterns are everywhere, from everyday life to the inner-workings of the universe. 23 is all around us. When Walter begins to notice profound correlations between his life and that of the book's author, he too begins to notice that his own life is surrounded with the number. Desperate to find answers, Walter sets out to uncover the secret behind this mysterious force, a journey which will reveal more than he bargained for.
This film's trailer gave me reason to believe that Jim Carrey's dip into more serious roles had again brought him success and fortune. The concept is no doubt an intriguing one - a number that mysteriously runs the universe. But is it enough to sustain itself for 90 minutes? No. The answer is a resounding no. It becomes clear very quickly that 'Number 23' hides behind this theory to act as a masquerade the fact that there is absolutely nothing beneath the surface. No logic. No vital signs. It relentlessly bashes you over the head with its premise to no end, and when faced with answering questions, it cuts and runs with a hokey twist that will drive an audience to the point of heckling and finding humor where it's least intended. Believe me, I bear witness to that.
Joel Schumacher, you don't fool anybody. Your antics are so wrought with problems, I'm pretty sure I can come up with at least 23 of them. The only redeeming value to 'Number 23' is a fresh sense of style, brought to you by the people who gave us the sweeping masterpiece, 'The Fountain'. But even this becomes a problematic flaw of the film when too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. There are some innovative aspects to it, like the grainy and edgy look, but it's laid on to the point where it seems they're compensating for the film's dreariness.
It's no secret that Jim Carrey has been suffering from an identity crisis in recent years. Though he delivered a career performance in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', it's also led him to make some rather poor career moves. Add 'Number 23' to that list. It's not that Carrey isn't a talented actor... but only under certain environments. His performance here is so misguided and out of place, it's just awkward. Not bad, but awkward. Virginia Madsen has nowhere to go with a script that's equally a dead end. The pestering sore of a son is more unintentionally funny and annoying than anything else, whose only purpose appears to be spouting off lines that were left over from Carrey's character. There's not much to say when a script makes its characters unlikeable and shallow. It simply paves the way for a dog to steal the show.
'The Number 23' may work best as a way to play a game with friends - spot the number 23! And you know the best thing about this game? You don't have to see this movie to play it. And I suggest you remember that. It'll save you some money, sure, but more than that, it'll save you a lot of needless frustration. 'Number 23' poses some interesting questions, but don't look for any answers. It's all a grand coy, a stupid train wreck of a film. A train wreck you don't want to watch.