Numb (2007)

In the director's commentary, Harris Goldberg says that people have responded to this movie for three reasons: 1)The Love Story. 2)The Actors' performances and/or 3)For the depiction of Depersonalization. There are a core group of people who identify with the story and are glad to see depersonalization depicted on film. As Goldberg states, it tends to help people to see this movie and realize, "Oh, I'm not the only one."

Matthew Perry performs admirably as Hudson Milbank. Hudson still knows what is real and what is not real although the whole shebang doesn't FEEL real to him anymore. He can live "as if" he is fine and in many cases people may not realize there is anything wrong with him. If anything appears odd about him it is that he seems overly anxious, overly spacey, and that he tends to tell store clerks that life feels unreal. He seems intent on figuring out what is going on with him and to find someone who knows what he is talking about. Anybody who has experienced depersonalization knows what this is like. I think Matthew Perry, as well as writer/director Harris Goldberg, were correct in playing less is more for most of this. There are also specific things in this portrayal which were particular and familiar, such as Hudson counting the number of days he'd lived and how many he was likely yet to live.

This is the first movie I recall seeing where the main character has depersonalization disorder. (this is amazing considering how many other conditions have been explored on film through the years.) I wonder if the world and others are catching up with the depersonalization experience and/or it is becoming more common and/or understood. Or perhaps it is simply that more people are now using the diagnostic name. Writers have written about unreality and the dream-like experience of life for ages, as have meditators and mystics...(see also all the movies about dreams, dream-like realities, life-being-like-a-dream) So is depersonalization a disorder, or a major factor of being human?

I think people who want a cute Matthew Perry movie that is funny and sweet may not get entirely what they expect. "Numb" could have been marketed more like another truthful and funny (as in the humor that comes from pain and from daily and mundane life as well) movie -The Savages.

In sound-bites Numb sounds like a movie about a man trying to get well in order to "win the girl" in a kind of mad dash through psychiatry-Well, it is more complicated than that, and for one thing it seems more about a man who is trying to get well so he can feel alive and experience his life. Being in love is a big part of that, but you can't feel anything when you are depersonalized, even when it is right in front of you.

Although you may not think it would be, this is a hopeful film.

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** A couple asides: there are two other books about dissociation in addition to "Feeling Unreal" -called "The Myth of Sanity" and "The Stranger in the Mirror" There may be more, but these are others I've found.

**To clarify something other reviewers mentioned, in the movie Hudson states he had a predisposition to depersonalization before he smoked marijuana, although marijuana, as well as some of the medications and antipsychotics he is prescribed later in the movie don't seem to help and/or exacerbate his sense of unreality.

**The interactions between Hudson and his parents are extraordinary. Well-written, spot on.

There are movies that, in time, garner a cult following, for reasons most people can't fathom, or don't care too. This is likely to happen with Harris Goldberg's "Numb." The scant reviews emerging from the Tribeca Film Festival thus far have pointed out that the script is pretty much autobiographical, based on Harris Goldberg's own experience with something called Depersonalization, triggered by pot. Sounds like a pretty extreme and rare reaction to weed, and a pretty weak premise on which to base an entire movie, right? No. Just the opposite. Depersonalization Disorder is something quite real, and a condition that, incredibly, affects more people than either schizophrenia or bi-polar disorders. Yet few people, even relatively few health professionals have ever heard of it. It can be triggered by various forms of stress or trauma, as well as things like LSD and marijuana. The confusion, frustration and inability to deal with "normal" life that often marks DPD is portrayed beautifully by Matthew Perry, whose eyes, at times reveal the void left behind by a soul that has simply disappeared. Lack of affect, "numbness" is just one of many symptoms of depersonalization, but it is likely the one most movie viewers can relate to, and perhaps, the simplest to portray. In this sense, Harris Goldberg has wisely avoided extensive diving into the fearfully negative and hopeless waters of DPD. Instead, he gives us important glimpses into the overall angst of the condition as well as the sufferer's desperate efforts to resume a "normal" life. And he manages to do this within a comedic context. DPD is NOT depression, you see, nor is it humorless. People with the condition are often highly intelligent, and more often than not, they can exhibit extreme insight and a biting wit, simply because their ego, or lack thereof, never stands in the way.

Ultimately, this film marks the very first mention of Depersonalization Disorder on the big screen. It is the first depiction of someone who has it. On top of it, Goldberg has generously shown Perry reading the only authoritative book on the condition "Feeling Unreal" right in the middle of the film. Creating this film, which is funny and highly entertaining by any standard, marks a singular act of courage on the part of the writer/director. According to Hollywood: Everyone knows that pot is always harmless, right? Wrong. According to the medical profession: Depersonalization is just a symptom of some other condition, right. Wrong again. Goldberg has, if nothing else, boldly stated these truths by tickling the funny bone rather than the temporal lobe. Literally millions of people already know these truths, and therein lies the film's audience, for a long long time.

Buy Numb (2007) Now

First of all, this isn't really a romantic comedy.

You might be thinking that a movie starring Matthew Perry with a personality disorder would be a funny ha-ha movie in the vein of "Friends", but you need to know that this movie is more a dramedy, with a darker type of humor.

Perry's character Hudson Milbank suffers from Depersonalization Disorder (DPD), which is a real dissociative disorder in which affected people feel disconnected from their bodies, and have difficulty relating to reality.

Brought on by overenthusiastic smoking of the funny cigarettes, Milbank's life goes into a downward spiral, and his doctor recommends psychiatric treatment. He meets a girl named Sara (Lynn Collins) who seems drawn to guys with problems, and she becomes a beacon in his disassociated life. The thing is, can he keep her?

The funniest moments occur during the sessions with the Psychiatrists, each with a unique method for curing his problem. In particular, look for Mary Steenburgen, in a small, but entertaining turn as Dr. Blaine.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1. Matthew Perry thinks he's going crazy

2. Maybe he is

Rated: 3.5 stars

Amanda Richards, April 20, 2008

Read Best Reviews of Numb (2007) Here

Synopsis: The '08 release `Numb' stars Matthew Perry in the role of Hudson Milbank a anxiety ridden loner suffering from depersonalization disorder. Despite his own efforts to sabotage every opportunity to have a meaningful relationship he nevertheless finds himself dating Sarah, a beautiful, successful and obviously love struck young woman who pursues him in spite of all his psychological shortcomings. Will Hudson continue to be his own worst enemy and find himself alone once again or will he finally pull himself together and find the happiness that has eluded him all his life?

Critique: This is a rather low budget film you've probably never heard of. You probably wouldn't consider renting this one either except for the fact that is stars the talented Matthew Perry. At least that's what attracted me to this film. I have to say I was rather pleasantly surprised and would like to say, "Thanks Matthew". `Numb' is definitely a dark comedy with a kick. It's kind of like watching a Woody Allen film without the New York accent and the Jewish affiliation. If you're familiar with Woody's body of work you know exactly what I'm talking about. You might say it's "Angst for Anglos" (is that politically incorrect?).

If you're a Matthew Perry fan you're sure to enjoy it and fan or not you'll definitely fall in love with Lynn Collins in the role of Sarah.

Want Numb (2007) Discount?

This is Matthew Perry's best movie. It shows him being a mental case that painfully goes through life looking for cures to his illness. Along the way he meets a few girls and always has his wingman but his constant struggle with his own reality is what compells this movie into greatness. It's a rare view for the movie junkie to see. It kind of does for Matthew Perry what "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" did for Jim Carrey. As much as I liked the Carrey movie, at times it was very confusing. This flick however stays with you the whole way , with laughs and new discoveries along the way. A must see for the true critic.

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