Once again straying from his comedic roots, Jim Carrey comes back to the big screen with a bang in the new psychological thriller, “The Number 23.”
As if the title didn’t give you enough of a hint, the movie revolves around the obsession with the number 23 and the power that some believe it carries.
Carrey plays the role of Walter Sparrow, an animal control worker who stumbles upon a mysterious book titled, “The Number 23.” At first just reading the book to relieve himself from boredom, Sparrow begins to be drawn to the book as he realizes that the main character’s life is almost identical to his own.
His interest in the book soon becomes obsession, and he realizes that the book forecasts disastrous consequences for his life and those around him.
I’ll admit, about halfway through the movie I was getting pretty tired of watching Carrey run around franticly, trying to find new ways to use the number in the most bizarre situations.
I’m sure everyone else will feel the same way, but it’s in their best interest to stick around until the end, which reveals one massive plot twist that will come as much of a surprise as “The Sixth Sense” did.
It’s no “Ace Ventura,” but that doesn’t mean Carrey doesn’t find ways to show his quirky sense of humor in “The Number 23.”
But I wouldn’t categorize it as a comedy, either.
“The Number 23” is definitely Carrey’s darkest and most violent film yet. It was nice to see that Carrey can pull off any role thrown at him, and not just the typical funny man that he normally portrays.
A warning: before going to see this movie, just remember that it’s only fiction.
After leaving the theater, I had to spend the rest of the day listening to my friend make numerous absurd attempts to connect the number 23 to his own life.
Don’t start counting the number of peas on your dinner plate or amount of yellow stripes on your new penguin polo shirt. If you do, all that shows is that you learned nothing from the movie and have a few loose screws in your head.
Or maybe it will show that you truly are possessed by the devil, and I need to keep my distance.
Yes, the 23rd word of this review is “thriller,” but, really, that’s just coincidence … or is it?
Anyway, if you can manage to look past the man who once starred in “Dumb and Dumber” to see the true acting genius of Carrey it will be much easier to appreciate his craft And if you’re into suspense films, plot twists or just movies with Jim Carrey, I suggest you go see “The Number 23.”
Just remember to be patient; it will all come together the end.
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