Cinema Review (From Barry And District News)

Cinema Review

Murder by Numbers (15) **

ONE thing you must do when making a film is make sure your audience cares about what is happening. Did screenwriter Tony Gayton and director Barbet Schroeder follow this rule? No!

Cassie Mayweather is a tough cop who believes in justice. When a woman is killed by two high school students, she then takes on the role of proving they are guilty, but she gets into this case too deeply for the taste of her superiors.

While the film has a promising storyline, it all went wrong as soon as Tony Gayton put pen to paper. From the first 15 minutes, you just sit there wondering if it's demonstrating how good the US police force can be.

The 'twist' at the end is also pointless because it doesn't change your opinion of what happens anyway.

On the positive side, actors Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt, as the two students, are tremendous. Future stars they are certain to be and while the chemistry between them is interesting, you just can't help feeling cheated.

Sandra Bullock is excellent but again her talents are wasted. No matter how well she acts, you simply fail to care for her because her character is so cliched - a loner, macho female cop with a secret living in an isolated area.

While Schroeder does well with what she has got, the blame must be aimed directly at Gayton. He has taken this promising story and butchered it, leaving it as a 2D, unemotional, predictable, cliched mess.