Python Hyena Murder by Numbers (2002): Dir: Barbet Schroeder / Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Chris Penn: Clever psychological thriller about the planning and dispatching of murder. The killers in question are two high school students who are at the top of their education yet they share a bond that has them kidnap a young woman. Her body is found the following day and Sandra Bullock is assigned to the case along with her by-the-book partner played by Ben Chaplin. She is known for her instincts in solving cases but she is burdened by a past incident. Effective and provocative setup travels by formula until it hits a surprising conclusion. Director Barbet Schroeder details the film with information. He previously made another superb thriller called Single White Female. Excellent work by Bullock as a troubled police woman who ultimately brings down the case with grim discoveries. Chaplin is merely there for romantic possibilities in a role that is complete cardboard. Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt steal the film as the teenage suspects whose highlights comes at the conclusion where information takes an interesting turn and in unexpected ways. Chris Penn also shows up but he has been more interesting in other films. Well made thriller that tackles issues regarding teenagers and media influence that seem to be increasing by the numbers. Score: 8 ½ / 10

gavin6942 Two gifted high school students execute a "perfect" murder - then become engaged in an intellectual contest with a seasoned homicide detective (Sandra Bullock).Basing the story very loosely on Leopold and Loeb, and also very loosely on Hitchcock's "Rope", we have the tale of two kids who think they can get away with murder. Now, could they? Is a "perfect murder" actually possible? With so many unsolved crimes out there, maybe it is...Great casting with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling, who is equally charming and disturbing. Sort of odd to think the two had a relationship stemming from this film (with a 16-year age difference), but that takes nothing away from the film itself, which is quite clever. Sandra, you cradle-robber!

seymourblack-1 A random murder, a secret friendship and a detective with an attitude problem are just three of the interesting ingredients of this absorbing psychological thriller. "Murder By Numbers" entertains and intrigues its audience, not by posing the question "who did it?" but instead by following the progress of a detective's search for the evidence she needs to support her theory about who was responsible for committing a brutal murder. The fact that her task is made more difficult by her personal demons, her clever adversaries and obstacles created by her superiors, only makes things more difficult and adds to the story's already tense atmosphere.Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt) are a couple of high school seniors who, despite their very different personalities, are secretly close friends. They meet regularly at a deserted house overlooking the ocean, drink absinthe and are excited by the idea of carrying out the perfect murder as a means of proving their superiority over the police. They're both from rich families, very bright but also bored and the closeness of their bond is symbolised by the presence of a photograph which is actually a composite of photos of both of them.By having no apparent relationship with each other, selecting a random victim and planting misleading evidence at the site where the body's found, Richard and Justin succeed in concealing their own connection with the murder of a young woman and also ensure that the school janitor, Ray Feathers (Chris Penn) appears to be the culprit. Richard subsequently shoots the janitor in a manner that makes it appear that Feathers had, in fact, committed suicide.Experienced homicide detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) is assigned to the case together with her new partner, Sam Kennedy (Ben Chaplin). When her investigation brings her into contact with Richard, her instincts immediately tell her that there's something suspicious about him but she's prevented from pursuing her interest in his connection with the crime by the intervention of Captain Rod Cody (R.D. Call) who takes her off the case.Cassie's a troubled character who still bears the physical and psychological scars of a traumatic incident in her past and tries to find solace in casual sex, drinking alone and listening to Sheryl Crow songs on her houseboat. She has an unpleasant personality, a reputation for being difficult to work with and a history of not following the rules and so her determination to follow her instincts and ignore the instructions of her superiors is regarded as reprehensible by everyone involved, including her partner. Soon after, however, Cassie sees Richard and Justin together and becomes even more convinced that she's on the right track.The two detectives in "Murder By Numbers" are so different from each other that they make an uncomfortable partnership. From the dramatic standpoint however, their juxtaposition is very effective in highlighting how mismatched they are. Sam Kennedy is a decent guy who's well-trained and methodical but also too inexperienced to have developed the instincts that Cassie possesses or to have acquired the kind of insight that enables an investigator to see beyond what the evidence superficially seems to show. Ben Chaplin and Sandra Bullock both make their characters believable and their interactions are important to the development of the story. Inevitably though, it's the performances of Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt that stand out most as they make their characters both fascinating and disturbing and show convincingly how Richard and Julian's personalities complement each other.Justin is the movie's most interesting character because his brilliance enabled him to acquire the expert knowledge of forensics and police profiling which was vital for attempting to carry out the perfect murder and also his preoccupation with Nietzsche's doctrine of the superman was a key component of the motivation for the crime."Murder By Numbers" is strong on atmosphere, rich in complex characters and entertaining in the way in which the investigation of the murder develops.

OllieSuave-007 Murder by Numbers is a mesmerizing crime thriller about detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) and new partner Sam Kennedy (Ben Chaplin) are pitted against two malevolent high school students (Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt), who execute a perfect murder.This movie cuts to the chase with story elements that grab your attention at certain times with its riveting acting, from Gosling playing mind games with Bullock to the detectives attempting to outwit the two crooked geniuses to solve the case.It's a murder-mystery movie with plenty of twists and turns, but has a plot which can wear you out a bit as I've found it to be a little slow at times as it dwells on unnecessary characters' past and drama a lot and has limited action. It's not great, it's not bad, but an average crime thriller.Grade C+