The Number 23 (2007)

Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him. As his obsession increases, more and more similarities seem to arise.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer:

Fernley Phillips

Stars:

Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Carrey	...	Walter Sparrow / Fingerling
Virginia Madsen	...	Agatha Sparrow / Fabrizia
Logan Lerman	...	Robin Sparrow
Danny Huston	...	Isaac French / Dr. Miles Phoenix
Lynn Collins	...	Suicide Blonde / Mrs. Dobkins / Young Fingerling's Mother
Rhona Mitra	...	Laura Tollins
Michelle Arthur	...	Sybil
Mark Pellegrino	...	Kyle Flinch
Paul Butcher	...	Young Fingerling / Young Walter
David Stifel	...	Hotel Clerk
Corey Stoll	...	Sergeant Burns
Ed Lauter	...	Father Sebastian
Troy Kotsur	...	Barnaby
Walter Soo Hoo	...	Chinese Restaurant Owner
Patricia Belcher	...	Dr. Alice Mortimer

Storyline

On his birthday, Walter Sparrow, an amiable dog-catcher, takes a call that leaves him dog bit and late to pick up his wife. She's browsed in a bookstore, finding a blood-red-covered novel, a murder mystery with numerology that loops constantly around the number 23. The story captivates Walter: he dreams it, he notices aspects of his life that can be rendered by "23," he searches for the author, he stays in the hotel (in room 23) where events in the novel took place, and he begins to believe it was no novel. His wife and son try to help him, sometimes in sympathy, sometimes to protect him. Slowly, with danger to himself and to his family, he closes in on the truth.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | obsession | murder | flashback | book | 

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Taglines:

First it takes hold of your mind...then it takes hold of your life.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Chinese

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Número 23

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,602,867, 25 February 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$35,193,167

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,566,815

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Contrafilm, Firm Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 101 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(at around 32 mins) Walter Sparrow asks his wife why she choose that specific color of red to paint the wall. The color is RED #5: R=18, E=5, D=4, 18+5+4 = 27 + 5 = 32, which is 23 backwards. He goes on to make other connections to the numbers 23 and 32 during that minute of the movie.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 1 min) When Walter Sparrow enters in the post office while Dr. Sirius Leary is opening the boxes, we can clearly see sheets of Neutral Density filters placed on the windows behind Walter Sparrow.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Walter Sparrow: A week ago, the only thing I thought was out of the ordinary was that it was my birthday.

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Alternate Versions

Unrated version runs 3-4 minutes longer.

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Connections

Referenced in Monster (2008)

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Soundtracks

Tear You Apart
Written by Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin
Performed by She Wants Revenge
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Watchable, not Wonderful

There has been a great deal of critical scorn directed at 'The Number 23', which almost made me rethink my decision to see it, despite finding the concept very enticing, being impressed by the promotional materials, and generally liking Joel Schumacher as a director (yes, Batman and Robin was awful, but he's directing some very good films like The Client, Phone Booth and The Lost Boys) And after seeing the finished product, I find myself asking why the knives are out for the film. Now, I'm not saying this is a brilliant film, because it isn't. It's rather easy to guess the plot twists, the script does tend to patronise the viewer and the final segment of the film casually abandons the central premise in favour of a more generic 'mystery' storyline. But I found quite a few things to like about the movie, such as strong performances from Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen, very stylish direction and (for most of the movie)a genuine undercurrent of tension as the events unfold. It's not going to be remembered as a highlight on the careers of anyone involved, but if you enjoyed conspiracy theory novels such as The Da Vinci Code or shows like the X-Files, you are more likely to see past the critics and enjoy this film.

Final Score 6 (which is 2x3)/10