Murder by Numbers

Directed by Barbet Schroeder, Murder by Numbers follows a grizzled cop (Sandra Bullock’s Cassie Mayweather) as she begins investigating two high schoolers (Ryan Gosling’s Richard Haywood and Michael Pitt’s Justin Pendleton) accused of murder. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to watchable yet entirely forgettable effect by Schroeder, as the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by Tony Gayton, delivers a meandering, sluggishly-paced drama that contains few scenes and episodes of a standout variety – with the movie’s entertaining-enough atmosphere, then, perpetuated by the strong work of its talented roster of performers. (Bullock’s good but not-entirely-convincing turn is eclipsed on a fairly regular basis by Pitt and especially Gosling’s magnetic efforts.) And while the picture’s twists and turns ensure that it never quite fizzles out, Murder by Numbers, saddled with a palpably overlong running time, is ultimately unable to become even partially as electrifying or engrossing as its premise might’ve promised – which is a shame, certainly, given the intensity of Gosling’s star-making performance here.

**1/2 out of ****