'Drowning by numbers', like the other Greenway films, is stuffed with symbols, which meaning is sometimes hard to decipher. Without getting into much detail (unjustifiedly so), I'll summarize the film as a film on the uprise of femininity and the emasculinity and helplessness of the male gender. This film shows women to be more sophisticated, albeit cruel, beings; Women are more competent for the GAME- and indeed, this film, turns the gender table all the way around. I've liked this film very much but, no doubt Greenway masterpiece is really 'the pillow book' which i recommend to anyone.