Wow! Matthew Perry Can Act (Numb (DVD))

Member Name: spencer_hawken

Product:	Numb (DVD)
Date:	03/06/08 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, warming, tearful, a classic

Disadvantages: At times very cheap looking

Something involving Matthew Perry other than Friends is not really an amusing or even entertaining thing, doubt my word? Two titles The Whole Nine Yards, Fool's Rush In... Want a third? Three To Tango. Just when I figure that Matthew Perry is a no go area along comes the movie Numb. Numb is an incredibly low budget movie that ticks all the right boxes, is incredibly entertaining, and gives you that much desired ability to laugh out loud.

Hudson (Matthew Perry) is a screenwriter, well part of a successful screenwriting duo with Tom (Kevin Pollack). The trouble being is that while being incredibly talented, Hudson has experienced an unnerving experience while taking drugs defined by the term "Depersonalization Disorder". The result of the depersonalization disorder means that Hudson suffers all sorts of manic behaviour, from insane and involuntary mannerisms, and even theft. For Hudson things cannot get much worse, that is until Hudson meets Sarah (Lynn Collins) the woman of his dreams; can Hudson overcome his illness and win the love of this beautiful woman?

First off I need to point out that depersonalization disorder is a very real illness, although one not likely to develop from taking drugs as in the movie. Depersonalisation disorder includes bouts of manic depression, acrophobia, and the thought that you are on the outside looking in on your life. I appreciate the severity of this illness, and don't take any disrespect on my part for sufferers of this terrible illness, the reality of the movie Numb is that it displays the illness in a humorous light.

I don't know exactly what part of Numb I had reached before I realised that I had stumbled upon some sort of movie gem, though I suspect that from a subconscious level I was loving this movie from its very offset. If you know anything about Perry the actor playing the role of Hudson, you'll be aware that he suffered from a serious bout of depression after the end of popular TV comedy show Friends, and during the show's success he battled with alcohol and drug addiction. It's possibly this factor that helps Perry to cope with the role he plays here so well, and maybe why he was cast in the role. Perry spends much of the movie looking like he has literally just stepped out of the worst depression imaginable. Taking this further what's fascinating about the movie is that while Perry is involved in every single one of the movies scenes you never once see him smile during the whole movie, even when he is obviously happy; just think about that a bit, that's some tremendous feat. Imagine also delivering hysterical lines without even allowing the corner of your mouth to twitch upwards.

A big factor of the movies humour is the therapy that is associated with the illness, and the story goes far to expose the sort of charlatans that the mental health industry harbours. Hudson's first Dr. Townsend (Bob Gunton) completely blanks Hudson outside of therapy sessions and sleeps during them, charging him excessive amounts in the process. Dr. Richmond (Brian George) is an experimental enthusiast prescribing all sorts of irregular drugs using Hudson as a guinea pig. Psychiatrist number 3 is Dr Cheryl Blaine (Mary Steenburgan) turns out to be more mentally unstable than Hudson himself, almost becoming a stalker, falling apart at the seams. And then there is Dr Simon (Patricia Harras) who suggests Hudson goes on a course for people suffering with depersonalisation disorder in order to crack the disease, the result of the four day course is that Dr Simon diagnoses Hudson with depersonalisation disorder, something known from the offset. You have to ask whether there is a level of truth in this, I for one don't feel this is something held within the confines of the movie.

On the humour side Hudson seems fairly capable of encouraging those around him to be rather free with the F word, Sarah seems incapable of getting cross without using the word. While Dr Blaine after striking up an irregular relationship with Hudson screams F**k off even at a waiter trying to bring her dinner.

Despite the humour, and 80 minutes of assorted silliness Numb does have a really dark spot, a part of the movie surrounds death of a loved one, and depression so severe that death seems like the best option. It's at this point that I really found myself again re-assessing Perry as an actor, as he goes from silly to sombre I realised that this is probably the best role of the actors career, certainly the best performance I have seen of the star, its sobering stuff that will bring a tear to your eye.

There is some great support for Perry, relative newcomer Lynn Collins has an astounding beauty you might only find in a European actress, stunning in a classic sense she lights up the movie with an intense beauty. As an actress and some eye candy she is magnificent, winning you over, charming you, and seducing you with her striking eyes. The X-Files Cigarette Smoking Man William B. Davis plays Hudson's father, the sort of man who's answer to all problems is "Pull your socks up!" Meanwhile Helen Shaver an actress just over 10 years Perry's senior takes on the role of his mother, and here lies a clue as to where Hudson's mental state comes from.

The movies cheapness is reflected in movie posters and DVD's in the movie featured at a DVD library, as you glance around it becomes obvious that the library has three titles only on its extensive shelves. When Tom and Hudson go to pitch a movie, one of the posters of the earlier seen DVD case is on the wall, presumably done as part of a cost saving exercise. There are a few other moments that pull away from what is otherwise a diamond of a movie, sometimes though these little artsy pieces become firm favourites.

Numb was such a good movie that I watched it twice within a 24 hour period, and on each occasion taking something different from it, first time round I found only humour, second time round I found deeper meanings to the movie than I first saw or expected. And in an unkind judgement anything far deeper than I ever thought I see Matthew Perry involved in.

There was some mix up in releasing the movie in the UK, presumably the movies producers never felt it was up to much and arranged a DVD release for the 7th of July. However a full nationwide release of the movie is scheduled to begin on the 14th of June, so it may mean the DVD release is put back somewhat. Either way, this is a movie worth seeing.

Summary: Matthew Perry suffers from an unusual syndrome