Numb is a film that stars Matthew Perry as screenwriter Hudson Milbank, a man who suffers from acute depersonalization disorder. This is an illness in which affected people feel disconnected from their bodies, and have difficulty relating to reality. The film starts with Milbank taking too many hits of marijuana and having a massive panic attack. He then starts to spiral out of control; his doctor suggests psychiatric treatment, which leads him to seeing a string of therapists which doesn’t really do much for him except prescribe him various drugs.
However he meets Sara (Lynn Collins) who seems to be drawn to guys with problems, and Hudson fits that bill in spades. Now that he’s met Sara she actually becomes a symbol of hope in his withdrawn life, but what’s life without conflict, and his quirks and behavior drive her away. What then follows is Hudson’s attempt to recover and reconnect with Sara.
The most touching moments of Numb is when Hudson and Sara are together. She accepts him for who he is and they do a lot of things at his place so he doesn’t have to face the outside world, but also realizes that he needs to reconnect with the outside world in order to get better and forces him outside of his comfort zone. While the funniest moments are Hudson’s sessions with the various therapists and each has a unique method for curing his disorder, including one therapist played by Mary Steenburgen having an affair with Hudson.
I enjoyed this film as it was a departure from what the roles we usually see Matthew Perry’s in. As the sole featurette "Numb – An Inside Look" states Hudson is the complete antithesis of Chandler Bing from Friends and that is a very appropriate description. You would think a movie with Matthew Perry in it would be a comedy, but it’s more of a dark comedy, or dramedy if you will, and Perry excels at making this character his own and having you care what happens to him.
"Numb – An Inside Look" has interviews with most of the cast and the producers, and it also reveals that Numb is based on writer/director Harris Goldberg’s own experience with depersonalization that was caused by smoking pot. I wish there were more extras on this DVD like a commentary with the cast, or producers, deleted scenes or something else; while "Numb – An Inside Look" does provide some insight to what went into the making of the movie, I just would like there to be more.
Grade B+
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