Are you obsessed with numbers?

I know I am, and that’s partially why I defied the critics and decided to give Jim Carrey’s new film a try. The word was that it was a very mediocre psychological thriller and that not seeing it wouldn’t impact your life in any other way than the fact that you’d have more money left then if you rented it. But I didn’t care, ’cause I saw something of myself in this film.

Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) doesn’t believe in destiny, but he can’t help thinking what would have happened if he hadn’t been delayed to that birthday date with his wife. If he hadn’t gotten called away at the last second, his wife wouldn’t have gone into that bookstore and bought the book that would ruin him completely. The book’s name was “The Number 23 - A novel about obsession” and it deals with how Fingerling’s life becomes haunted with the that dreaded number. He sees it everywhere, and soon that is also the case with Walter, who finds the tale a little to reminiscent of his own life. Soon he believes that the fictional character’s fate will be his own. The number is in his name, in his address, in the colors of his wall and even the degrees of the worlds rotation (23, 5 degrees, and 5 is 2+3…).

As a thriller and a mystery movie, I thought “The Number 23″ worked very well. Jim Carrey portrays a man who is obsessed with something with his usual class and the supporting cast is at the least very adequate. I felt that they could easily have cut away some of the more freakier things that slowed the film down, but aside from that I can’t see much to criticize.

This may have something to do with the fact that I’m an easily impressionable person when it comes to numerology. It’s not that I actually believe in number magic, lucky sevens and unlucky thirteens - I’m not that crazy - but I always feel a chill run down my spine when I see that my customer at the gas station has tanked gasoline for the hellish price of 666 kroner and 66 øre. Other events I don’t particularly like is when the clock is 22.22, 11.11, 13.13 or 17.17. That last one there has something to do with my very own “number 23″. Just like Walter Sparrow in the film sees his number everywhere he looks, I find seventeens everywhere. I haven’t decided whether or not seventeen is a lucky or unlucky number for me yet. If I live to see eighteen come a-rolling then I guess I will have an answer…

If you watch the extra material of the DVD, you will find a very interesting documentary on the Number 23 Enigma. Appartenly, being obsessed with such numbers are very common, and if you’re that kind of human you will be creeped out by this film. If you aren’t a crazy person like me, then you should at least enjoy it good enough. “The Number 23″ is a good film, but not great by any means; 7/10.