Just saw "Numb" tonight at the Ojai Film Festival. The whole audience laughed and stayed "in" the movie the entire time. There was not a break in continuity or a weak moment in the film.
Now there is stillness and quiet and depth at times which some might interpret as "slow moving" but it is real. And the depth allows for the audience to slow down enough to really see the motivation in a character's eyes.
It is an uncomfortable film at times. You want the main character to "snap out of it" or "do the right thing" at moments but he is real. You want it all sewn up at times it isn't. But that is what makes for good writing and good films to me-- when you actually go within the movie and want to motivate the characters. Just remember that when you see Steenburgen's character in the restaurant scene!
This film works well to show a form of mental illness that isn't overt and is so hard, so subtle to understand. It also is delightful because it is an autobiographical account of much of what the writer/director himself faced. I loved that the main character keeps going back to how/if he caused this to happen. I also like that Hudson (Perry's Character) keeps chasing the cure in spite of dealing with so many doctors who cannot help or therapists who are unprofessional. I think that's the story of so many who deal with personality disorders.
The quiet Perry assumes in this role is much like the odd sadness of Murray in "Broken Flowers" and the madness of the psychologists and psychiatrists involved reminded me a touch of "Running with Sissors".
I hope this film gets good distribution because so many will benefit from seeing it. I look forward to seeing how Matthew Perry's career is changed as he can obviously play a very serious leading role with much depth. He is no longer just a "friend".
Now there is stillness and quiet and depth at times which some might interpret as "slow moving" but it is real. And the depth allows for the audience to slow down enough to really see the motivation in a character's eyes.
It is an uncomfortable film at times. You want the main character to "snap out of it" or "do the right thing" at moments but he is real. You want it all sewn up at times it isn't. But that is what makes for good writing and good films to me-- when you actually go within the movie and want to motivate the characters. Just remember that when you see Steenburgen's character in the restaurant scene!
This film works well to show a form of mental illness that isn't overt and is so hard, so subtle to understand. It also is delightful because it is an autobiographical account of much of what the writer/director himself faced. I loved that the main character keeps going back to how/if he caused this to happen. I also like that Hudson (Perry's Character) keeps chasing the cure in spite of dealing with so many doctors who cannot help or therapists who are unprofessional. I think that's the story of so many who deal with personality disorders.
The quiet Perry assumes in this role is much like the odd sadness of Murray in "Broken Flowers" and the madness of the psychologists and psychiatrists involved reminded me a touch of "Running with Sissors".
I hope this film gets good distribution because so many will benefit from seeing it. I look forward to seeing how Matthew Perry's career is changed as he can obviously play a very serious leading role with much depth. He is no longer just a "friend".