- published: 30 Dec 2009
- views: 373775
Murder by Numbers is a 2002 psychological thriller film produced and directed by Barbet Schroeder. It stars Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt. It is loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb case.
The film was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Richard Haywood, a wealthy and popular high-schooler, secretly teams up with another rich kid in his class, brilliant nerd Justin 'Bonaparte' Pendleton. His erudition, especially in forensic matters, allows them to plan elaborately perfect murders as a perverse form of entertainment. Meeting in a deserted resort, they drink absinthe, smoke, and joke around, but pretend to have an adversarial relationship while at school. Justin in particular behaves strangely, writing a paper about how crime is freedom and vice versa, and creating a composite photograph of himself and Richard.
The young men kill a woman and set up Richard's marijuana supplier, janitor Ray Feathers, as a psychotic serial killer. They then incinerate all evidence. The case is assigned to Detective Cassie Mayweather and her new partner, Sam Kennedy, who just transferred from the vice squad. They work together well, and begin a romantic relationship very early on in their partnership. Footprints found at the crime scene lead to Richard Haywood, who has an alibi. Cassie becomes seemingly obsessed with the idea that Richard is guilty, and refuses to pursue the case from other angles. This displeases Captain Rod Cody and Cassie's vindictive ex, Assistant D.A. Al Swanson, who becomes nervous due to the clout held by Richard's parents.
Written by Sting & Andy Summers
Once that you've decided on a killing
First you make a stone of your heart
And if you find that your hands are still willing
Then you can turn a murder into art
There really isn't any need for bloodshed
You just do it with a little more finesse
If you can slip a tablet into someone's coffee
Then it avoids an awful lot of mess
It's murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your ABC
Murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your ABC
Now if you have a taste for this experience
And you're flushed with your very first success
Then you must try a twosome or a threesome
And you'll find your conscience bothers you much less
Because murder is like anything you take to
It's a habit-forming need for more and more
You can bump off every member of your family
And anybody else you find a bore
Because it's murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your ABC
Murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your ABC
Now you can join the ranks of the illustrious
In history's great dark hall of fame
All our greatest killers were industrious
At least the ones that we all know by name
But you can reach the top of your profession
If you become the leader of the land
For murder is the sport of the elected
And you don't need to lift a finger of your hand
Because it's murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your ABC
Murder by numbers, one, two, three
It's as easy to learn as your A, B, C, D, E