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The Number 23

The Number 23 (2007)

February. 23,2007
|
6.4
|
R
| Thriller Crime Mystery

Walter Sparrow is an animal control officer that becomes obsessed with a mysterious book that seems to be based on his own life. As soon as he opens the book, he notices strange parallels between what he reads and what he's experienced. But now he's worried that a fictional murder might materialize.

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Exoticalot
2007/02/23

People are voting emotionally.

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Crwthod
2007/02/24

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

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Jonah Abbott
2007/02/25

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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Kaelan Mccaffrey
2007/02/26

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

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areatw
2007/02/27

I'm a big fan of Jim Carrey and am normally happy to watch any film of his. This one being the only exception. 'The Number 23' is the first Jim Carrey film that I have watched and hated. It is centered around a conspiracy theory that, in itself, is just plain ridiculous. I couldn't take any of it seriously.Aside from the stupid plot, 'The Number 23' is also a tediously dull movie. It moves at a snail's pace at the best of times, in fact most of the time it does no moving at all. It's repetitive and goes nowhere. Less than half an hour in and I already couldn't wait for it to finish. Carrey himself doesn't do much wrong, but he doesn't exactly shine either. How can he with such dreadful material?

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jaredpahl
2007/02/28

The Number 23 is a psychological thriller from director Joel Schumacher, and while the film contains an interesting premise and a juicy role for its star, it never coalesces into the taught adult entertainer it is trying to be.The story focuses on Jim Carrey's Walter Sparrow, a dog-catcher whose life is soon thrown into turmoil as he begins reading a book titled "The Number 23". The book seems to be based on his own life, and it details the seemingly supernatural aura surround the number 23. Through his reading, Walter begins to obsess over 23. The plot makes more than a few major leaps in logic in order to spice up Walter descent into madness. I won't say these logical forgivings are deal breakers. In fact, there are some neat ideas in The Number 23 (The hook about the titular number is at least mildly intriguing), but Schumacher and company don't do enough to mold these ideas into something entertaining.Jim Carey is the main attraction here, turning in a rare dramatic performance. Carrey has an excellent track record with dramatic material (The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but here the focus of those three wonderful movies is not there. Walter as a character has no defining character traits beyond obsessive or psychotic. Carrey tries his best to energize the role, and he is the most interesting part of the film, but his performance is really nothing special and it certainly doesn't make the plot any less silly.I think Joel Schumacher is often unfairly criticized for directing the worst film interpretation of one of the most popular superheroes ever. Schumacher is a competent director and he can (and has) done great things when paired with good material. In The Number 23, he is lost. This film treads just too close to Lifetime movie territory. The emotional beats never quite hit, the story is clumsy, and the characters are foggy archetypes. The Number 23 has an interesting Jim Carrey performance and it made me look at 23 in a new way (which is something), but there is not much to recommend with this messy thriller.35/100

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LeonLouisRicci
2007/03/01

An Off-Beat, Stylish, and Engaging Mystery-Thriller that was Universally Panned and Gutted by Most Critics. But it Contains so Much in such a Flashy Template that the Artistic Flourishes almost Dominate the Proceedings. Almost.The Numerological Mystique is Debated in Egghead and Supernatural Circles and the Number 23 is often Cited as a Recurring "Coincidence" that can't be Ignored. William S. Burroughs, the "Beat" Author was Fascinated by it.Jim Carrey is quite Good and Director Joel Schumacher is in His Cranked Up Mode, and some of His Work Reminds of Brian De Palma. Both go to Unusual Heights to make Movies that are Beautifully Bizarre the way They use the Tools of the Medium to Entertain Visually, sometimes it's Overwhelming but Artistic. This is a Sleeper of a Movie that Invites Multiple Viewings to fully Wrap Your Head around all the References concerning Numerology, specifically the Number 23. The Film's Modern Style is Dreamlike and Surreal, Exploiting the Garish "Primitive Art" of those Detective Mags and Paperbacks often containing Lurid and Brightly Colored Covers that Matches the Seedy Contents.A Good Supporting Cast all Help bring this one Home and the Journey getting there is a lot of Guilty Pleasure Fun. The Film is Thought Provoking and Interesting in its Fringe Inclusions, but not without Contrivances.Neo-Noir Fans will Admire its Gritty Surroundings and Crazy Conceits. It's a Film that Explores the Underbelly with Gloomy Atmosphere and Jim Carrey's unusual use of Underplaying the Comedic Lines add some Relief to the Bleak Storyline of Conspiracies, Murder, and a World that Exists on the Edge of the Everyday.

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Chase Diedrich
2007/03/02

The Number 23 is a well-paced, cunning thriller that has you on the edge of your seat almost the entire time. With great performances by Jim Carrey and Virgonia Madsen, the story of Walter Sparrow, a local animal control officer, turns dark when he is bitten by a dog, making him late to pick up his wife, Agatha, in front of a used book store. Tired of waiting, she decides to go inside. She finds a book titled "The Number 23: A Novel of Obsession," written by a mysterious man that goes by the name of Topsy Kretts. After skimming through the book, she decides to buy it for Walter as a birthday gift. Walter, hoping it is a fun read, finds the sinister twists it has to offer, while implanting the number 23 in his head. He starts obsessing over the number, trying his relationship with Agatha, and pushing on his mental stability. This movie is geniusly created, showing close to no signs of 23 in the beginning, and toward the end, every small corner you may turn to, there is a new 23 just waiting to happen. From colors to the alphabet to dialogue, 23 is shown in every place it can.

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