Joel Schumacher
The Number 23

The pathological obsession with numerology dominates the protagonists in 'The Number 23' by Joel Schumacher (director of 'Falling Down' in 1993), and more specifically, the diabolic redundancy of the number 23.

The protagonist Jim Carrey is an eccentric dog catcher (basically goofing around in a small bus occasionally chasing some 'dangerous element'). His life changes when he encounters a mysterious book, with amateur binding and an unknown author, which he starts reading with initial skepticism, only to become captivated in the first few pages. The coincidences between the story in the book and his personal life lead him into a state of paranoia and frantic re-evaluation of his entire past.

In the first sequences, the film seems very interesting indeed; the discovery of the mysterious book and the first incredible coincidences create great suspense, which tends, however, to dissipate as the protagonist's madness grows and as the reflection between the events narrated in the book and Carrey's real life unfolds. All these interweavings generate a bit of confusion, quite heavy during the second half, also because some empathy with the protagonist and the unfolding of the discoveries is lost. In the last twenty minutes, a 'recap' ending sheds light on what was seen in the previous hour of the film. It's not a particularly exciting narrative scheme...

Apart from the confusion, the screenplay lacks some typical elements of the classic entertaining thriller. Firstly, there are no villains, and there are no conspiracies; essentially, there's no real diabolical scheme behind the events, and this is the most disappointing aspect at the end of the film; in short, it's not clear what forces one is fighting against and the reason for these sufferings. Perhaps the mistake is in expecting a thriller! The film should primarily be considered a psychodrama with numerology as its backdrop.

The photographic choices are successful halfway. The early childhood flashbacks are masterfully done, while others are too aseptic, with the scene flooded in white light to generate a surreal effect, a solution I don't really like. The actors are good, with the two main protagonists (Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen) fitting well into their roles.

Although it stumbles a bit, it is a film that entertains, without certainly drawing applause at the end. Better was expected.