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"Jim Carrey Has
Found Something He'd Do
23 Times..." |
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Directed by Joel
Schumacher - Written by
Fernley Phillips
Starring Jim Carrey,
Virginia Madsen, Danny
Huston, Logan Lerman,
Rhona Mitra
Distributed by New Line -
2007 - 95m - Rated R |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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C |
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Remember the television remake of "The Shining" starring Steven Weber
in the title role made famous by Jack Nicholson?
OR
Remember the "Amityville Horror" remake starring Ryan Reynolds?
OR
For that matter, remember the films "Sin City" or "Brick"? |
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If you remember any of
the above four films, then you're likely to grasp exactly what's
wrong with "The Number 23," director Joel Schumacher's latest film
starring Jim Carrey as Walter Sparrow, a lonely and isolative Animal
Control Officer whose 32nd birthday is marked by a severe dog-bite
and the gift of a book, "The Number 23," from his wife (Virginia
Madsen).
As "The Number 23" spirals into a whirlwind of paranoia, both
Schumacher's direction and Carrey's performance similarly spiral
downward into a tornado of over-stylized histrionics and an emphasis
of style over substance.
Many of you are likely to chalk this up as yet further proof of
Schumacher's ineptitude behind the camera, however, I've never quite
been caught up in the Schumacher-bashing camp. While he's certainly
had his share of misses, Schumacher's hits have often resonated
deeply with me including "Falling Down," "8MM" and the vastly
underrated "Flawless."
As much as I've often found myself defending Schumacher, I can't
deny that Schumacher and screenwriter Fernley Phillips are behind
much of what's wrong with "The Number 23," along with Carrey's
overwrought, histrionic performance that had me wondering if he was
going to bring back his Fire Marshal Bill character from "In Living
Color."
While "The Number 23" starts off promisingly enough, it quickly
spirals into a film that looks far too familiar to other films we've
seen recently and that were vastly superior to this one.
My comment about Steven Weber in "The Shining?" Okay, maybe that
film wasn't vastly better than this one...but, Weber's performance
is practically a mirror to Carrey's preening, skulking performance
in going from reasonably functional to slightly askew to full-out
bonkers.
Schumacher doesn't help matters by incorporating the use of vivid
flashbacks as Walter works his way through the book, which centers
on a detective whose live seems to eerily resemble Walter's. The
film noirish take on the retro flashbacks stylistically resembles
those of "Sin City" and "Brick," minus the soul and the substance.
Carrey, who plays both Walter and the detective, has suddenly made
Bruce Willis's performance in "Sin City" look Oscar worthy.
Despite the convoluted script, Schumacher's style over substance
direction and Carrey's histrionic performance, "The Number 23"
ALMOST works.
ALMOST.
Much of the film's modest success falls squarely upon the
performance of Virginia Madsen, who proves beyond a shadow of a
doubt her performance in "Sideways" was no fluke (Madsen can also
currently be seen in the simultaneously opening "The Astronaut
Farmer"). Despite a vastly under-written role, Madsen creates an
almost amazing depth in the dual roles of Walter's wife, Agatha, and
the detective's girlfriend. While the action isn't remotely
believable, Madsen's conviction and sympathetic performance are
captivating and provide a sorely needed emotional core for the film.
Likewise, as Walter's son, Logan Lerman ("Hoot" and "Jack & Bobby")
is an almost eerily loyal son who simultaneously makes you hurt for
him while wondering if he, too, is headed down the road of being
obsessed by the numbers.
"The Number 23" nearly ended up with a "B" range rating until...IT
happened. IT is a scene that was so horrendously directed and so
horrendously photographed that any thought of a "B" range rating
immediately ended.
In what can only be described as a nearly Uwe Bollish type moment in
filmmaking, there's a film noirish scene where Carrey is running
down the alley chaotically. Somehow, in the most laughably awful
way, the camera seems to start shaking.
I'm serious. It resembled Boll's drug scenes from "Heart of
America," scenes that immediately made me also drop that film's
rating.
I expect it from Boll, but from Schumacher in a larger budget film?
It's unconscionable. If you see this film, then you will instantly
know this scene when it happens.
Supporting performances from Rhona Mitra and Danny Huston (who has
the misfortune of being in two underwritten roles) are functional,
but too underdeveloped to really add anything to the film. The
film's production values are certainly stylish (with the exception
of the awful camera shot), but oddly devoid of substance and soul
much of the time. The production design often feels like a working
version of "Sin City" that still needs its finishing touches.
Much like Schumacher's direction, the original music from Harry
Gregson-Williams vacillates between appropriately suspenseful and
almost campy.
Indeed, much of "The Number 23" plays like it could have
successfully been turned into a pulpish, nearly cartoonish film noir
that may very well have played more convincingly and, even more
importantly, to Carrey's strengths as an actor.
So, here we have it. Schumacher and Carrey do it again. They go out
on a limb, test themselves and stretch their limits. It's the
quality I admire most about both of them. Alas, it is also the
quality that keeps both of them from consistently making quality
films.
This is what they call in teaching a "teachable moment."
For Schumacher, this may well serve as a reminder that choosing
style over substance when handling deep material just isn't a good
idea.
For Carrey, this should definitely be a lesson that he should avoid
characters whose histrionic personality takes them dangerously close
to the comedic histrionics of Carrey's past films. Far too many
moments of serious intensity were hindered by Carrey's
over-expressive, natural tendency to over-emote. Quite simply,
Carrey was horribly miscast here.
Strong performances by Madsen and Lerman aren't nearly enough to
save "The Number 23" from its fated mediocrity, but they do add
enough substance to make the film a decent video once its destined
to be short run in theatres is complete.
This may be the best news of all for Schumacher. He needn't be
paranoid...nobody will be watching this film. |
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© Written by Richard Propes -
Email Me! |
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How We Rated This Film
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TC Candler -
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| Richard Propes
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C |
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Jacob Hall
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TC Candler's Comment
Some fool
will watch this film 23 times... and that fool
should be shot 23 times.
Jacob Hall's
Comment
n/a
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