Number 23 is a powerful clock. This is not a popcorn flick, nor is it a light hearted drama to relax into. Jim Carrey, I never imagined the powerful drama that unfolds in Number 23.
Jim Carrey stars as the father and husband of Walter Sparrow. Virginia Madsen plays Sparrow’s wife Agatha. Walter and Agatha’s teenage son, Robin, is played by Logan Lerman. Sparrows are by all accounts a simple and happy family. Until Walter Sparrow opens a new twist of fate he can’t put down, and it will change his life forever.
Sparrow feels an unstable connection to the novel Number 23. He begins to believe that the author knew him, and wrote a book parallel to his life, notwithstanding some differences. Most authors dream of having a reader in their writing. Number 23 becomes a psychotic nightmare from which Sparrow cannot tear himself away. From dreams to everyday incidents, Sparrow is tormented by the theme of the book, which made him aware of madness, death, and in the novel he drove to murder: number 23.
Not only does he begin to see the number 23 everywhere he turns, but he becomes paranoid and obsessive about the meaning of the number and its influence on his life. The riddle of the number 23 and its recurrence in the birth, name, and scientific formulas and information begin to rattle Walter, gnawing at his mind and consciousness.
They weave the film from the written work and the life of Sparrow, through dreams, imaginations, and crazy things. At last the sparrow found himself almost like the murderer, about whom the book was written. His wife, Agatha, and son, Robin, try to intervene, but Carrey’s character is driven away, almost unable.
The climax of the film is psychologically gripping and forces the viewer to understand the story. Walter, do I know murderers, Fingerling? Does Waltharius throw out an inexplicable web of facts and fictions? Will his family be able to reach Walter, or will his obsession rule and ultimately turn his life upside down?
Viewers also question the wife’s role as a faithful spouse, or as a saboteur. His dark but true comment, “Every time I read a book it’s like the author has stolen a part of me that I never knew,” is one of many comments and actions that lead viewers to question their role in the man’s psychotic development; Walter
Number 23 is a mind-bending, twisted drama that keeps viewers thinking, guessing, and perplexed. Jim Carrey delivers one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Carrey steps from mind-numbing nonsense and slapstick to show a surprising depth of talent in Number 23. Madsen, Lerman, and others provide a supporting cast.
I didn’t want to watch Number 23, but I got a lot from watching it. It is a silly exploration of the human mind. Many listeners and critics gave it an average rating of 23. The movie had more sex than violence that I care to see, but I give it four stars because the fights are thought provoking. If you’re looking for the mindless entertainment we all need sometimes, don’t be fooled by Jim Carrey’s association with this movie; skip Number 23.
Number 23 is now available on DVD. It was directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Fernley Phillips, and distributed by New Line Cinema.
Number 23 is rated R for violence, disturbing psychological content, sexuality and language.
