Numb (2007/I)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Harris Goldberg

Writer:

Harris Goldberg (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Love is better unmedicated.

Plot:

A chronically depressed screenwriter desperately tries to cure his condition when he meets the girl of his dreams.

Plot Keywords:

Leg Spreading | Female Nudity | Mental Illness | Pharmacist | Depression

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Matthew Perry	...	Hudson
Lynn Collins	...	Sara
Kevin Pollak	...	Tom
Bob Gunton	...	Dr. Townsend
Helen Shaver	...	Audrey
William B. Davis	...	Peter
Mary Steenburgen	...	Dr. Cheryl Blaine
Benjamin Ratner	...	Stan (as Ben Ratner)
Noah Danby	...	Tim
Monique Ganderton	...	Debra
Mark Acheson	...	Homeless Guy
Patricia Harras	...	Dr. Simon
Brad Ganes	...	John
Ingrid Torrance	...	Female Psychologist
Brian George	...	Dr. Richmond

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug use and sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | USA:R | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Insight Film & Proud Mary Entertainment Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hudson and Sara argue outside the grocery store, the woman in red passes them twice, then an older man with sunglasses passes them twice.

Quotes:

Hudson: You don't have to save me, Sara. But I am going to love you for the rest of my life, so things would be a lot better if you were around.

Soundtrack:

Thinking about you

Delightful, Clever, Incredibly Written and So Well Acted!!

Just saw "Numb" tonight at the Ojai Film Festival. The whole audience laughed and stayed "in" the movie the entire time. There was not a break in continuity or a weak moment in the film.

Now there is stillness and quiet and depth at times which some might interpret as "slow moving" but it is real. And the depth allows for the audience to slow down enough to really see the motivation in a character's eyes.

It is an uncomfortable film at times. You want the main character to "snap out of it" or "do the right thing" at moments but he is real. You want it all sewn up at times it isn't. But that is what makes for good writing and good films to me-- when you actually go within the movie and want to motivate the characters. Just remember that when you see Steenburgen's character in the restaurant scene!

This film works well to show a form of mental illness that isn't overt and is so hard, so subtle to understand. It also is delightful because it is an autobiographical account of much of what the writer/director himself faced. I loved that the main character keeps going back to how/if he caused this to happen. I also like that Hudson (Perry's Character) keeps chasing the cure in spite of dealing with so many doctors who cannot help or therapists who are unprofessional. I think that's the story of so many who deal with personality disorders.

The quiet Perry assumes in this role is much like the odd sadness of Murray in "Broken Flowers" and the madness of the psychologists and psychiatrists involved reminded me a touch of "Running with Sissors".

I hope this film gets good distribution because so many will benefit from seeing it. I look forward to seeing how Matthew Perry's career is changed as he can obviously play a very serious leading role with much depth. He is no longer just a "friend".