When affable everyman Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) is given a second-hand detective novel - The Number 23 - for his birthday, he soon becomes obsessed with the parallels he sees between his life and that of the book's protagonist. When the fictional Fingerling commits a horrific murder, Walter is terrified that he is fated to do the same. Can wife Agatha (Virginia Madsen) drag him back to reality? And is the recurrence of the number 23 in all aspects of his life really just a bizarre coincidence?
Released in 2006, this fast-paced psychological thriller, directed by Joel Schumacher, had a mixed reception from the critics. Despite plenty of visual tricks, numerological nonsense and a schizophrenic performance from Carrey, the plot is a bit routine and doesn't always work.
Did you know? There are numerous instances of the number 23 within the film, some more tenuous than others. What is known is that the film was the 23rd project that Joel Schumacher directed. The DVD contains 23 chapters. And lead character Walter is obsessed by the saxophone (pictured). By coincidence, saxophones normally have between 20 and 23 tone holes on the instrument.
(3 Star)
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