Pi

Pi



Darren Aronofsky is about to be famous in the mainstream for his reimagining of Robocop, but movie fans will know him for instant classics like Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain. But Aronofsky is held more dear to our die hard movie-loving hearts for his dark and brooding debut, Pi.

Released in 1998, the story focuses on Maximillian Cohen(Sean Gullette), a mathematical genius who can add faster than the Idiot Savant in Rainman and doesn't suffer from the idiot part. Every day he locks himself into his flat, away from the outside world, while he tries to figure out a pattern to the Stock Exchange. Ultimately, Max believes there are patterns existing everywhere, even in the perceived chaos of life.

Max's coda is (1) Mathematics is the language of nature; (2) Everything around us can be represented and understood from numbers; (3) If you graph the numbers in any systems, patterns emerge.

There are shadowy organisations around every corner who wish to use Max's brilliance for their own gain. Some who pose as friends and appear to help him are plotting to exploit him. Once Max discovers a long string of code that is the answer to every pattern in existence, he has to fend against devout Jews and Wall street bankers.
Shot in high contrast Black and White, the film is at once surreal and threatening. Shadows move across the screen, heightening the sense of looming danger. The tension is cranked up further by Max's paraonia, which, as I say, is not completely unfounded.

There are some graphic scenes that will make you wince, such as the trepanning incident in the subway. The brain doesn't look real, but the clever use of sound and jump-cuts catches you off guard.

This is very much a definitive Indie movie where everyone involved collaborated to their full extent. Sean Gullette and Aronofsky have devised a brilliant script with a thoroughly researched plot and believable characters.

It's a shame to have to let Aronofsky become a mainstream player, much like when Sam Raimi left Evil Dead behind for the Spiderman franchise. Unless of course we get a full screen image of Robocop drilling a brain on a plate.

Verdict 10/10
Rough and ready around the edges, but the story blows you away.