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Title: Murder by Numbers (2002)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Sandra Bullock | ... | Cassie Mayweather / Jessica Marie Hudson | |
| Ben Chaplin | ... | Sam Kennedy | |
| Ryan Gosling | ... | Richard Haywood | |
| Michael Pitt | ... | Justin Pendleton | |
| Agnes Bruckner | ... | Lisa Mills | |
| Chris Penn | ... | Ray Feathers | |
| R.D. Call | ... | Captain Rod Cody | |
| Tom Verica | ... | Asst. D.A. Al Swanson | |
 |
Janni Brenn | ... | Ms. Elder |
| John Vickery | ... | Restaurant Manager | |
| Michael Canavan | ... | Mr. Chechi | |
| Krista Carpenter | ... | Olivia Lake, the Victim | |
| Neal Matarazzo | ... | Male Officer in Flashback | |
| Adilah Barnes | ... | Lab Technician | |
| Jim Jansen | ... | Lawyer | |
Richard Haywood, a Californian high school's coolest kid, secretly teams up with another rich kid in his class, brilliant nerd Justin 'Bonaparte' Pendleton, whose erudition, specially in forensic matters, allows them to plan elaborately perfect murders, just for the kick, for which they set up Richard's marijuana supplier, their school's janitor Ray Feathers, as a psychotic serial killer. The case is assigned to detectives Cassie 'the hyena' Mayweather, who carries a sequoia-size chip on the shoulder from her previous life, and her brilliant new partner, Sam Kennedy, who just transferred from the vice squad; they can work together very well, and even fit romantically, but fall out over different professional attitudes towards the investigation, which Captain Rod Cody and her understandably vindictive abused ex, Assistant D.A. Al Swanson, soon ban her from when she disobeys instructions and hand to him. When the plotting boys both dig class-mate Lisa Mills, their unnatural bond comes ... Written by KGF Vissers
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There's something frustrating about watching a movie like 'Murder By Numers' because somewhere inside that Hollywood formula is a good movie trying to pop out. However, by the time the credits roll, there's no saving it. The whole thing is pretty much blown by the "cop side" of the story, where Sandra Bullock and Ben Chaplin's homicide detective characters muddle through an awkward sexual affair that becomes more and more trivialized the longer the movie goes on. Although Bullock is strong in her role, it's not enough to save the lackluster script and lazy pacing. Ben Chaplin's talents are wasted in a forgettable role (he did much better earlier in the year in the underrated 'Birthday Girl') as well as Chris Penn, who has a role so thanklessly small you feel sorry for a talent like him. Anyway, the plot really isn't even a factor in this movie at all. The two teen killers played by Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt are the only real reasons to see this movie. Their talent and chemistry work pretty good and they play off of each other quite well. It's too bad they weren't in a much better all-around film. Barbet Schroeder is treading way too safe ground here for such a seasoned filmmaker. Bottom Line: it's worth a rent if you're a genre fan, but everyone else will live a fulfilled life without ever seeing it, except maybe on network TV with convenient commercial breaks.