In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Good plot, good cast, good location. I was expecting more character development throughout the movie, which ended like a Wes Craven's classic: bloody.

This could have been very good. Good actors, an exciting plot, quite uorginal script etc etc. The movie also starts well. Two students with sociopathic characters agree to commit the perfect murder. They then conduct a killing and the investigation is under way. All of this is presented to us. To make the film work after this, we depend on a good direction and surprises. This does not happen. However a lot of unlikely, silly things happen. We are being presented to an investigator who suddenly has major social problems, without this having any significance or adding anything to the film. There are also strange things, such as the investigator taking revealing pictures of the suspects, and then being harassed by one of them. Something that results in some kind of breakdown. Very strange. When this happens in the movie, I lose the last lasting interest. Too bad. A lost opportunity. A better script would certainly have helped

Murder by Numbers starring Sandra Bullock (Cassie Mayweather), a homicide detective accompanied by a wet-behind-the-ears rookie (Ben Chaplin). The moment she's misty-eyed over the victim, you know there's a back story we're inclined to visit, presumably to give Bullock something meaty to contend with.But the spotlight remains elsewhere. Michael Pitt (Justin) is an encyclopedia of forensics, displays an uneasiness that suggests his underlying desire to be embraced by the more confident, cocky Richard. Ryan Gosling is effectively smarmy and has better chemistry with Bullock than Chaplin does. Murder by numbers works as a solid character study and a decent time watching thriller. Despite average reviews and a disappointing box office record, this film does have a place and audience for the CSI type fans.

I was amazed to find that this particular picture had induced no fewer than 300 user reviews when I looked it up on IMDb. I find that really astonishing, particularly as the theme has been used before and – despite its top-scale budget – this movie was obviously designed for a TV rather than a theatrical presentation. The director loves close-ups. Even minor characters get the close-up treatment. Mind you, production values are more than TV can afford, although a vital special effects scene at the climax is so shoddily done, it must have seriously undermined the audience's reaction when projected on a cinema's huge screen. Nevertheless, although it could stand a little trimming, the movie does come across effectively thanks to very convincing acting from everyone in the cast from the leads to the minor players and even to the extras. Available on an excellent Warner DVD.