Murder By Numbers
Review by Clint Morris
 Sandra
Bullock should have left Miss Congeniality to later
on in her career, if she planned on playing a deadly serious
police madam again.
From the moment that Bullock walks out of her car, and struts
over to a crime-scene, ever so seriously, you’ll overhear
a cackle from the audience.
After all, how can we take Bullock seriously as a cop, when
last year she was spoofing such a role and character?
Just one of the many reasons Murder by the Numbers
is another "movie-by-the-numbers" that just doesn’t
ring true.
With as many plot holes as it has plot twists, Murder
by Numbers is your typical 'murder mystery of the week'
feature. Two amoral high school students, brainy Justin (Michael
Pitt) and arrogant snob Richard (Ryan Gosling), think they've
gotten away with the perfect crime.
But where most police officers fail, dirt-digger Cassie Mayweather
(Sandra Bullock) succeeds. She smells trouble immediately
with the two teens, with Richard's smarmy rich-boy nature
the dead giveaway.
As good an actress as we know Sandra Bullock can be, she's
got nothing to work with here. Second that for English actor
Ben Chaplin, playing her partner/token love interest. If his
forced American accent isn't enough to put you off, the obvious
lack of chemistry between his character and Bullocks will.
Much better are the young actors, Michael Pitt (Hedwig
and the Angry Inch) and Ryan Gosling, displaying the many
layers of two confused teens border-lining on the psychotic.
Unfortunately, Pitt and Gosling are pulling out all the stops
for the wrong movie...
Murder by Numbers would have worked much better had
it stuck to it's guns and been a straight-up mystery thriller.
Instead, it tries to throw in so many extra elements that
audiences just end up losing interest by the second half.
And by the looks of Ms Bullocks face, she has too.
2.5 out of 5
Murder By Numbers
Australian release: Thursday October 31st
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Chris Penn,
Ben Chaplin.
Director: Barbet Schroeder.
Website: Click
here
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