Murder by Numbers (2002)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Barbet Schroeder

Writer (WGA):

Tony Gayton (written by)

Release Date:

19 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Justice will be served

Plot:

Two gifted high school students execute a "perfect" murder - then become engaged in an intellectual contest with a seasoned homicide detective.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | High School | Investigation | FBI | Psycho Thriller

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 17

12:05 AM

HBO

Cast

Sandra Bullock	...	Cassie Mayweather / Jessica Marie Hudson
Ben Chaplin	...	Sam Kennedy
Ryan Gosling	...	Richard Haywood
Michael Pitt	...	Justin Pendleton
Agnes Bruckner	...	Lisa Mills
Chris Penn	...	Ray Feathers
R.D. Call	...	Captain Rod Cody
Tom Verica	...	Asst. D.A. Al Swanson
Janni Brenn	...	Ms. Elder
John Vickery	...	Restaurant Manager
Michael Canavan	...	Mr. Chechi
Krista Carpenter	...	Olivia Lake, the Victim
Neal Matarazzo	...	Male Officer in Flashback
Adilah Barnes	...	Lab Technician
Jim Jansen	...	Lawyer

Also Known As:

Foolproof (USA) (working title)
Murd3r 8y Num8ers (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, a sex scene and brief drug use.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut) | France:U (with warning) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (Certifitcate #38866) | Portugal:M/16 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Altadena, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Henry Bean, who also directed Ryan Gosling in The Believer (2001), did several uncredited re-writes on this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cassie first gets her ex-husbands file, it has a rubber band around it, but when she goes to open it the rubber band is gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Richard: Shall we say the words one last time?
Justin: One cannot live fully without embracing suicide in crime.
Richard: Say it.
Justin: A pact made with relentless fire that requires that, while some live, others die.
Richard: On three...
in unison: One, two, three
[gun shot]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Six Feet Under: I'll Take You (#2.12)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Goldberg Variations

Worth Watching Despite Irksome Plotting

Two rich, bored high school boys (Justin and Richard) enter into a demonic pact, which leads to a battle of wits between them and a smart, determined female detective (Cassie) who is haunted by her own demons. The film's underlying premise is certainly relevant to contemporary American culture, but the story is poorly plotted. The POV keeps shifting back and forth between the two boys and Cassie.

I was not interested in Cassie's tortured past, nor did I care about her relationship with her assistant, Sam. These plot points interfered with the more compelling story of two young men hypnotized by the "philosophy" of crime.

Indeed, the film works when it focuses on Justin and Richard, and their efforts to second-guess, initially the cops and then later, each other. Michael Pitt (as Justin) gives an adequate performance, and Ryan Gosling (as Richard) is more than convincing. I would have reduced the time spent on Cassie and Sam, and added some back story about Justin and Richard to give viewers more insight into the boys' motivation.

The film's visuals are adequate. There's some good camera work in the film's first and last twenty minutes. In keeping with the film's many cinematic clichés, the climax is a melodramatic cliffhanger ... so to speak. Still, the suspense was gripping. It kept me guessing as to who was going to do what to whom.

Despite a convoluted and, at times, confusing plot, "Murder By Numbers" is worth watching for its provocative premise, its suspense, and the acting of Ryan Gosling.