TeenzTen
An action-packed slog
Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Janis
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
adonis98-743-186503
Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him. As his obsession increases, more and more similarities seem to arise. Jim Carrey's perfomance in 'The Number 23' is unlike anything we've seen him before and that i truly respect it i honestly do cause no actor can do comedy forever and Carrey proved some pretty good dramatic skills with this picture. Unfortunately for him the script was a mess and went from this to that so many times that became confusing plus way too slow and the twist? kinda meh. (5/10)
Dainard Farr
I never write reviews, but this movie prompted me to.There is some pretty bad writing in The Number 23:Carrey, Narrator: "Time is just...numbers with a meaning attached to them."Carrey, Narrator: "She said she was a good person once. But now?" Suicide Blonde: "I'm a bad person." -- I laughed here.Carrey, Narrator: "I was right. She was in danger. I just didn't realize the danger was me."Later, Carrey tranquilizes a dog in a cemetery. A priest and a groundskeeper (the dog's owner) come out of nowhere, and Carrey asks the groundskeeper why he named the dog Ned. At no point does anyone ask why this man is shooting dogs with tranquilizers (he doesn't identify himself as animal control). Instead, they answer Carrey's questions and chat with him like a casual acquaintance.Anyway, I have to mention the pacing of this movie: It's probably one of its biggest flaws. Like 25 (23??) minutes in, Carrey's character is essentially a firm believer in the whole conspiracy. That. is. WAY. too. fast. The movie doesn't try at all to get you in the main character's head-space. So at 37 minutes, when Carrey asks his friend, of the number 23, "is it God?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes.It's not only how fast Carrey "believes," it's how little it takes for him to be pushed off the deep end. Carrey's two characters are drowning in a bunch of confirmation bias, which comes across more as ridiculous than spooky or suspenseful. The Hiroshima bomb was dropped at so- and-so time, which adds up to 23. Okay? What time was the Nagasaki bomb dropped?On the topic of the plot: It's much too easy to foresee the twist ending just shy of the hour mark. In the movie's book, the murderer (Carrey) gets away because the lover senselessly picks up the knife and gets his finger prints on it. At 55 minutes, Carrey says that the killer in real life from 15 years ago was discovered because his finger prints were all over the knife, HEAVILY implying that the convict, like the character in the book, was framed.There's also a major plot hole at the end of the movie. The hospital that Carrey is committed to runs through his family history, finding out that his father committed suicide. They don't, however, find that his longtime girlfriend was recently murdered by stabbing? A nearly identical case to the one in his book?Also a bus almost runs Carrey over at the end because it never slows down, despite seeing Carrey in the street from at least half a block away. Then it speeds on by when he steps out of the way, like a train would.
Mace
Joel's Schumacher's The Number 23 is a tedious, stodgy and pompous film that rarely manages to entertain or intrigue.Jim Carrey has proved himself worthy of dramatic roles, Truman Show (1998) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), being his two best non-goofball acts. While Jim Carrey's performance here is undeniably the most entertaining part of this mess of a film, it's appreciated for all the wrong reasons. The film practically drowns itself in it's over-seriousness and melodrama, making the often-charismatic Carrey feel drab and lifeless. Watching the film is quite literally the equivalent of listening to a deranged conspiracy theorist explain his theory to those unfamiliar with it. In fact, that IS the story verbatim. While the "23 theory" itself is quite the intriguing coincidence, it's just that- a coincidence. However, the film is so persistent in pointing out as many coincidences as possible that are completely irrelevant. It frankly becomes an annoying and distracting plot element that comes off as aberrantly stupid rather than cleverly absorbing. The film had the potential to be a fascinating and brilliantly twisted psychological tale of obsession and mental illness, but instead, reserves the majority of focus to it's laughable "conspiracy" gimmick. Schumacher sure had a knack for finding these "23 enigmas", it's just a shame that making a cohesive film didn't add up to 23.
Elvis Baburov
The trouble with many actors that do only a particular type of film, is that once they go outside of their box, it's just too weird. This is true to Jim Carrey. We've become so accustomed to his comedy flicks that this throws us off guard. I kept waiting for him to crack jokes, but they never came. This is a true drama/thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.Carrey plays a man who starts reading a book that more and more sound like it was written just for him. Then strange occurrences of the number 23 keep popping up and the story gets weirder and weirder. But trust me, stick with it--the twist is a jaw dropper. I thought overall it was a great movie.
