Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

I'm a big fan of Jim Carrey and am normally happy to watch any film of his. This one being the only exception. 'The Number 23' is the first Jim Carrey film that I have watched and hated. It is centered around a conspiracy theory that, in itself, is just plain ridiculous. I couldn't take any of it seriously.Aside from the stupid plot, 'The Number 23' is also a tediously dull movie. It moves at a snail's pace at the best of times, in fact most of the time it does no moving at all. It's repetitive and goes nowhere. Less than half an hour in and I already couldn't wait for it to finish. Carrey himself doesn't do much wrong, but he doesn't exactly shine either. How can he with such dreadful material?

The Number 23 is a psychological thriller from director Joel Schumacher, and while the film contains an interesting premise and a juicy role for its star, it never coalesces into the taught adult entertainer it is trying to be.The story focuses on Jim Carrey's Walter Sparrow, a dog-catcher whose life is soon thrown into turmoil as he begins reading a book titled "The Number 23". The book seems to be based on his own life, and it details the seemingly supernatural aura surround the number 23. Through his reading, Walter begins to obsess over 23. The plot makes more than a few major leaps in logic in order to spice up Walter descent into madness. I won't say these logical forgivings are deal breakers. In fact, there are some neat ideas in The Number 23 (The hook about the titular number is at least mildly intriguing), but Schumacher and company don't do enough to mold these ideas into something entertaining.Jim Carey is the main attraction here, turning in a rare dramatic performance. Carrey has an excellent track record with dramatic material (The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but here the focus of those three wonderful movies is not there. Walter as a character has no defining character traits beyond obsessive or psychotic. Carrey tries his best to energize the role, and he is the most interesting part of the film, but his performance is really nothing special and it certainly doesn't make the plot any less silly.I think Joel Schumacher is often unfairly criticized for directing the worst film interpretation of one of the most popular superheroes ever. Schumacher is a competent director and he can (and has) done great things when paired with good material. In The Number 23, he is lost. This film treads just too close to Lifetime movie territory. The emotional beats never quite hit, the story is clumsy, and the characters are foggy archetypes. The Number 23 has an interesting Jim Carrey performance and it made me look at 23 in a new way (which is something), but there is not much to recommend with this messy thriller.35/100

I think that most people will find this movie very interesting. Jim Carey really puts on a really good performance in this particular film, seeing how he rarely ever does anything except comedy or drama. He pulled off the part as a typical husband and father pretty well. Wait, or was that what he was? This movie is a huge twister.All these stories are twisted up into one plot. They're all about the same man, and they all come from this book, written by some guy that used the alias "Topsey Crets." Laaaaammme. In this novel, Jim Carey's character becomes more and more obsessed with the number 23. He starts to see it everywhere and in everything. It slowly drives him into insanity. The movie has really good all around acting and will sit good as a descent horror/mystery film. It gets predictable at the end, but Jim Carey becomes bad-ass in this movie. It really bring out the nut job in him, and he fits it well. This movie will blow your mind. You haven't seen obsession until you've seen this movie.

An Off-Beat, Stylish, and Engaging Mystery-Thriller that was Universally Panned and Gutted by Most Critics. But it Contains so Much in such a Flashy Template that the Artistic Flourishes almost Dominate the Proceedings. Almost.The Numerological Mystique is Debated in Egghead and Supernatural Circles and the Number 23 is often Cited as a Recurring "Coincidence" that can't be Ignored. William S. Burroughs, the "Beat" Author was Fascinated by it.Jim Carrey is quite Good and Director Joel Schumacher is in His Cranked Up Mode, and some of His Work Reminds of Brian De Palma. Both go to Unusual Heights to make Movies that are Beautifully Bizarre the way They use the Tools of the Medium to Entertain Visually, sometimes it's Overwhelming but Artistic. This is a Sleeper of a Movie that Invites Multiple Viewings to fully Wrap Your Head around all the References concerning Numerology, specifically the Number 23. The Film's Modern Style is Dreamlike and Surreal, Exploiting the Garish "Primitive Art" of those Detective Mags and Paperbacks often containing Lurid and Brightly Colored Covers that Matches the Seedy Contents.A Good Supporting Cast all Help bring this one Home and the Journey getting there is a lot of Guilty Pleasure Fun. The Film is Thought Provoking and Interesting in its Fringe Inclusions, but not without Contrivances.Neo-Noir Fans will Admire its Gritty Surroundings and Crazy Conceits. It's a Film that Explores the Underbelly with Gloomy Atmosphere and Jim Carrey's unusual use of Underplaying the Comedic Lines add some Relief to the Bleak Storyline of Conspiracies, Murder, and a World that Exists on the Edge of the Everyday.