Writer: Pamela June

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Watch this if you liked: "Perfume: The Story of A Murderer", any Jim Carrey film

"All the characters in this book are fictitious, and anyone finding a resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, should proceed no further..." - A warning from the author of novel "Number 23".

A movie about the "23 Enigma", where everything in the world somehow or other seems to be able to add up to or has connections with the number 23. The movie starts off with Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) who is a dog-catcher who was late to pick his wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen) because he was assigned to catch a particular dog one minute before he was to get off work.

She wanders into a novel shop while waiting for him, and this is when she spots the book 'Number 23' and decides to buy it for him as a birthday present. What she does not know is how the book is going to change the lives of her entire family.

When Walter begins to read the book, he finds that the main character, Fingerling (played also by Carrey) seems to resemble him in many ways and he begins having an obsession towards the hidden mystery of the number 23. The book depicts a chilling murder mystery and it seems to mirror Walter's life in a dark and uncontrollable way.

Though the particular warning stated above is written on the first page of the book, Walter cannot stop himself from reading the book even when he starts to feel that the book is about him. With this, he gets more and more compelled to go on with it.

As he gets on with the book, he tries to convince Agatha and their teenage son, Robin (Logan Lerman) that the book is about his life. Eventually, he starts to fall for the mystery itself where he soon comes closer to the mysterious author of the book, Topsy Kretts (which when pronounced, sounds like 'top secrets').

After watching Carey in tons of movies, especially in comedies playing different roles, it seems very strange to be watching him play a serious character. However, he plays it convincingly and does not disappoint his fans. The cast also manages to support him well.

For an original screenplay by first-time screenwriter Fernley Phillips, "Number 23" looks like a good job done. The plot of the movie is good as it is able to thrill the audience, and actually it was so intriguing that I found myself counting all the dates and time related to me just to see if it adds to 23!

The movie moves smoothly and shows how one thing leads to another, even if it starts off innocently. Then the details fall into place like a puzzle that has been neatly completed. Towards the end, the movie has a twist and that explains everything that has happened from the beginning.

"Number 23" is a movie not to be missed by Jim Carrey fans and also by fans of thrillers. Just remember, do not go on watching if you find a similarity in yourself to the character, or else...

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008