Jim Carrey's latest studio picture, The Number 23, is like Bruce Almighty in the actor's dramatic portfolio-it's not terrible, but neither is it particularly inspired.
Directed by Joel Schumacher-known for 8MM and Batman and Robin-The Number 23 is an entry into a very specific sub-genre, the psychological thriller. Like its entertaining predecessors, Stir of Echoes, The Machinist and Memento, 23 features a blue collar male protagonist who slowly loses his mind. Importantly, there is always an elaborate, surprise ending-usually involving a repressed trauma-and the unexpected is, in fact, always expected.
Adhering to this formula, 23 centers around Walter Sparrow (Carrey), a dogcatcher who stumbles across a book, also titled The Number 23. Scenes from the book, which feature Carrey as a private eye named Fingerling are spliced with Sparrow's narrative, in which Carrey becomes increasingly obsessed with the movie's titular digit.
The use of the number twenty three seeems to be a metaphor for frameworks used to understand social life or artistic works, and yet the film doesn't have anything particularly interesting to say on the matter.
Many early scenes are poorly directed and the film moves at an uneven pace. Moments of comic relief come across as manufactured and intrusive. The drama-which is supposed to unsettle us-is borderline laughable. The Number 23 is occasionally fun, but it's also frequently numbing and difficult to recommend.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.