Pi
Pi
R | 10 July 1998 (USA)
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A mathematical genius discovers a link between numbers and reality, and thus believes he can predict the future.

Reviews
Solemplex

To me, this movie is perfection.

AniInterview

Sorry, this movie sucks

Nessieldwi

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

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Guillelmina

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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ben hibburd

I didn't really want to review this film as there's not a great deal to say about it that people haven't already. Darren Aronofsky's debut film is a bizarre, surreal, intelligent, paranoia fuelled film about a mathematician who's trying to uncover the patterns of the universe.The main reason I wanted to talk about this film, is that Clint Mansell's incredible score is in my opinion one of the best scores I've heard in any film. It's an expertly constructed piece of work that helps to elevate every aspect of this film. The score is perfectly intertwined with the central character of the film, and works as his inner monologue to reflect his different mental states throughout the film. From being eerie to panic ridden to sheer mania it's a bold piece of work. That when I found myself drifting from the film it was the score that kept sucking me back in with it's intoxicating atmosphere.The film on the whole is pretty good, but without the score I don't think this film would've worked nearly as well as it did. I would recommend watching this film for the soundtrack alone.

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rod-ruger

For people who know little about numbers, this might be an interesting sci-fi movie. It is not. Pi tries to make mathematical patterns interesting. Patterns can be interesting, of course, but not mind-bending. This movie panders to pseudo-intellectuals/mathematicians. Watch it a pretend you get some subtle message. By doing so, you become a genius, supposedly. If you like to identify with smarties, you might better watch Good Will Hunting. Pi is a composite of weird sounds, funky camera shots, and B.S. that, to some, might make it appear deep. It is pap.

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elliott-40332

I love how this film makes you feel frantic. The black and white is darker than usual. The sounds are glaring sometimes. The pace that everything happens, makes you feel insane. This film is a masterpiece and shining star to what indie films can be if pushed to the extreme. One of my favorite films and love the story of the insane mathematician. Beautifully told.

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thor-teague

Darren Aronofsky's first feature, Pi, is an overly ambitious undertaking suffering fatally from a number of different problems. Pi is more a psychological character portrait than anything--it fails as a thriller. The narrative overall is barely enough to keep me interested--and has little to no replay value for me.Max, a paranoid mathematician, is searching for a numerical formula that will express all the patterns of life and seeks to 'crack the code' of the universe. It is, in so many words, a quest for the Ark of the Covenant. It is not impossible to do this film, I don't think, but I do think Pi has failed.I did enjoy the style and felt it worked well. Stark lighting, manic cuts and camera operation, and surreal audio all add to the psycho paranoia that could have made this a great movie. It doesn't have a whole lot of technical flaws, in fact outside of the acting probably none.But the flaws are dealbreakers. The film's Achilles's heel is definitely its delusions of grandeur. Perhaps I've misinterpreted something--but the film seems to think its correct?! The Grand Unifying Theory of Everything? Nobody knows (yet), but I promise you it is not an inexplicable 216 digit integer. You are thinly veiling mysticism and numerology as science. The easiest way to solve this problem in the context of Pi, drop the bubblegum pop pseudoscience and, if you want to pretend that he found the correct Grand Unifying Theory of Everything, just leave it to the imagination. It should have been a complete MacGuffin. Or, make it clearer that Max is just plain bonkers. The film seems to believe its own drivel. Make it about Max's descent into insanity, and you've got a potentially good story. It may be successfully arguable that the film doesn't believe itself and is trying to portray Max as insane, but that's looking like a stretch from where I stand.The next thing is the bad acting from the supporting cast. Everything was at least working for me until the conspirators' trap was sprung, at which point I had to start wondering, "Are you kidding?" Overall my suspension of disbelief just fell like a house of cards at this point. Please note that I do however feel that Sean Gullette's performance was quite convincing and worked well throughout.And finally, I didn't care for the soundtrack. It hasn't aged as well as other successful electronica soundtracks of its day. Overall I have to describe Pi as being both self-righteous and pretentious.

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