The Number 23

I've said it before, I love it when comedians do serious and Jim Carrey does an amazing turn in The Number 23, the new drama/mystery from director Joel Schumacher.
Carrey plays Walter Sparrow, an everyday husband and father whose life revolves around his family and his work with the animal retrieval service. He's good at his job and he generally likes his life, though he gets bored from time to time.
On his birthday Walter's wife Agatha (Virginia Marsden), while waiting for him to meet her, sees a book called `The Number 23' in a used bookstore and after flipping through it decides Walter would enjoy reading it.
Walter doesn't so much enjoy reading the book rather he becomes obsessed with it and the number 23 which seems to dominate his life once he goes looking for it.
My bias towards Jim Carrey and serious roles (eg. The Truman Show, The Cable Guy, The Magestic, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) aside this is a very impressive performance from him. There is little if no sign of the rubber faced comic of his more famous roles.
The Number 23 is a very watchable film and as it goes on it draws you in (or it did me) to a point where it had me guessing for a while. There are probably better mystery/thrillers out there but this is a good one, because if you're partial to conspiracies like everything being related to a number then it will interest you.
I'm going to give it an 8.5 out of 10. Carrey is excellent and it is his film, but he is ably supported by a solid cast and some of the camera work is very surreal, adding to the overall feel.
An interesting footnote. At the end of the film Numbers 32:23 is flashed on the screen. It reads: `But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.' Interesting.