Reviewed by Janina Conboye
Stars Matthew Perry, Lynn Collins, Kevin Pollak, Bob Gunton, Helen Shaver, William B Davis,
Mary Steenburgen, Noah Danby, Ben Ratner, Monique Ganderton, Brian George | Written by Harris Goldberg
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £15.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 90 minutes | Directed by Harris Goldberg
Perry plays 30-something screenwriter Hudson Millbank, who suffers from some serious mental issues — obsessive-compulsive disorder, kleptomania, constant negative thoughts — which he blames on his pretty terrible relationship with his mother. But things take a turn for the worse after a marijuana binge that triggers a depersonalisation disorder. Hudson begins to feel completely disconnected from reality, nothing seems real and he seeks relief by watching golf for days on end and going to various therapists, who don't really help.
Quite randomly he meets Sara (Collins) who is pretty and quirky. She is understanding and encourages him to be himself, but his weird habits take their toll and an episode of Kleptomania sees the relationship end. Hudson seeks help from yet another therapist, Doctor Cheryl Blane (Steenburgen). She appears to be the super-psychologist with all the answers, but it turns out she is fact completely nuts. So, Hudson decides he has to fight for Sara and accepts he has to bite the bullet and do as his father says: "Just pull your socks up sport."
Numb is an interesting insight into how romance can survive the obstacles of dealing with mental illness, but I didn't find it as emotionally provoking as one might expect from a film dealing with these issues, which in real life would be very emotionally charged. One thing that did spark attention was the relationship between Hudson and his mother, and I think the film could have been a lot more interesting had there been more insight to this. I can't say the film was all that funny, but credit goes to Perry, Collins and Steenburgen who made the most of a mediocre script. Goldberg's direction isn't bad, but should he decide to write again on serious issues coupled with comedy, then I'll be expecting more from his future screenplays.
EXTRAS ** There is audio commentary by Harris Goldberg and Numb: an Inside Look that features interviews with Matthew Perry, Lynn Collins, Mary Steenburgen, Kevin Pollack and the director/writer Goldberg.