Murder by Numbers (2002)

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

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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:

The old lodge on the bluff was constructed especially for the movie and was torn down after filming was completed. The interior scenes were shot on a set.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Cassie picks up the envelope from the Correctional Center, there is no mailed to address on the front of the envelope. When she opens the envelope, the front of the envelope is facing the camera and the front of the envelope is blank except for the return address.

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 Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do)

Well executed formulaistic movie.

This is a typical soft spoken rental movie for an slow sunday afternoon with your boyfriend/girlfriend :)

It does all the standard moves according to the crime/suspense genre when the detective, (the miscast Sandra Bullock) and her partner tries to capture the two killers, both rich and blasé but highly intelligent school kids.

The scenes in the film are well managed, all the angles correct as we slowly learn how the murder was done. Thankfully, this movie does not contain the ordinary huge fireworks/special FX/audio FX budget. And there is no need for such audio/visual effects either.

But why must

1) The detective be tortured by his/her past?

2) The storyline use the most predictable path?

3) The detective/protagonist alienate the freshman partner, and have a boss that misunderstands her?

4) The protagonist always face danger without backup?

5) The protagonist risk her job due to zealousness?

There are many more examples but you can find out yourselves if you have a couple of hours to spend watching this movie. 6/10.