The Number 23 (2007)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer (WGA):

Fernley Phillips (written by)

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The truth will find you.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Knife | Psychological Thriller | Shower | Number 23 | Nightmare

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

98 min | USA:95 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Germany:16 | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13 | Spain:13 | Australia:MA | Malaysia:18PL | Portugal:M/16 | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Norway:15 | Denmark:15 | Sweden:15 | South Africa:16 | France:U (with warning) | Hong Kong:IIB | Philippines:R-13 | USA:R (certificate #43185) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

In several countries this movie premiered 23 of March 2007.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Walter is first trying to catch Ned (the dog) behind the Chinese restaurant, the way that his stick-thing is positioned changes from the shots in front and behind him.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Worst of 2007" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Banality of Evil

WOW! OMG! This is an awesome movie!

I just saw a sneak peek of this movie at the mall yesterday and I couldn't believe it. I thought this would be an awesome movie since the first time I saw the trailer, but I was wrong. The Number 23 was not an awesome movie...IT WAS UTTERLY FANTASTIC! And it was scary, too. The plot line is very well thought out and unsettling, and the characters are very complex in their own ways.

The Number 23 is about an animal control officer named Walter Sparrow, that receives a birthday gift from his wife, Agatha Sparrow. The birthday gift is a book that's called, 'The Number 23'. But the first word he reads from the book changes his once placid existence into a whirlpool of psychological torture and mayhem that could possibly lead him to his own death and the deaths of his loved ones. 'The Number 23' book Walter receives is a chilling murder mystery that seems to mirror Walter's life in dark and uncontrollable ways. The life of the book's main character, a brooding detective named Fingerling (also played by Jim Carrey), is filled with moments that copy Walter's own history. And as the world of the book starts to come alive, Walter becomes infected by the most frightening part of it: Fingerling's dark obsession with the number 23. This obsession permeates the book, and soon the book begins to control Walter in dark ways. He soon starts to see the number everywhere in his own life and becomes haunted by the fact that he is damned to commit the same horrific crime as Fingerling--murder. Now Walter is on a dangerous quest to understand the mysteries of the book. If he can unlock the dark power of the number 23, he may just be able to change his future.

Anyway, this movie is awesome. The use of colors: reds, browns, and blacks really set the hazy and unsettling tone of the movie. Also, the Fingerling sequences were really hazy and dark and they make you seem as though you're floating in the depths of hell.

Joel Schumacher, the director, finally did something original, and this is a movie that is way better than his badly directed, 'Batman and Robin'. He finally made an improvement. And this is his 23rd project...just wanted to say.

Virginia Madsen (Agatha Sparrow, Fabrizia) got better than her parts in Firewall and Candyman. Her acting in Firewall was better than in Candyman, and her acting in The Number 23 was better than both movies.

Everyone else was quite good, too.

Oh, and, the opening credits were unbelievably unforgettable! The music is so unsettling and creative. The opening credits for 'The Number 23' is the brother of the opening credits of 'Se7en'. Absolutely awesome!

All in all, a really creepy and unsettling (and funny, for the first half of the movie) that gives you the chills after you walk out of the theater.

Official MPAA rating: R: Violence, Disturbing Images, Sexuality, and Language

My MPAA rating: R: Violence, Disturbing Images, Sexuality, and Some Strong Language

My Canadian rating: 14A: Violence, Mature Theme, Sexually Suggestive Scenes