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A
psychological thriller starring Jim Carrey? This is the stunt casting
which greeted me in Joel Schumacher's woefully inept thriller,
The Number 23. Carrey stars as Walter Sparrow, a dog catcher
(Ace Ventura, anyone?) who on his birthday is given
a novel from his wife (Virginia Madsen) entitled "The Number
23". Almost immediately, Walter finds a strong resemblance
with the books main protagonist Fingerling, who develops an obsession
with the number 23. At this point the movie is split into two halves;
a sex filled film-noir (the book) and a bumbling murder mystery
(real life), with the films actors playing dual roles in both.
In the process the film tries to come off as an intelligent thriller,
yet its ludicrous premise (ramblings over a number does not make
for intriguing viewing) failed to hold my interest, as reality,
fantasy, and nightmares combine to make an incoherent mess. On top
of this is a ridiculous twist that - when revealed - does not merit
a response since by that time my interest had withered away.
The acting on hand is shocking, led by the terribly miscast Jim
Carrey. Although a tremendously talented actor with top notch comic
ability and great work is quirky dramas The
Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind, Carrey struggles with such serious, supernatural
fodder, inadvertently conjuring laughs rather than chills. His game
of chicken with a supposed mutt from hell boggles the mind of just
how insipidly stupid this film really is. Oscar nominated actress
Virginia Madsen is equally terrible, even though all her role seems
to entail is for her to lie on her back while Carrey dry humps her
in his tiny whities.
At his best Joel Schumacher has created some gripping films with
high entertainment value (The
Lost Boys, Phone Booth). At his
worst he is an over indulgent director (Batman & Robin,
Bad Company) who is unable to tell the difference
between a film worthy of his talents from crap. This firmly belongs
in the latter.
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