Delivers some thought-provoking questions about our digital age, numerology, and the hubris involved in all projects designed to decode the mystery of the universe.
Comment
03/02/02
Pi (1997)
84
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:41
Rotten:8
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Dramatically gripping and frighteningly smart, this Lynchian thriller does wonders with its unlikely subject and shoestring budget.
Runtime: 85 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Low-budget film that won Darren Aronofsky "Best Director" at 1998's Sundance Film Festival. Gritty, inventive black-and-white photography drives this story of genius mathematician Max Cohen who is... [More]
Starring: Sean Gullette, Ben Shenkman, Mark Margolis, Pamela Hart
Director: Darren Aronofsky
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Reviews for Pi
The movie's low-budget look neatly matches the claustrophobia of Max's life, but the filmmakers have also devised some special shooting methods for certain scenes. These sequences -- breathless and jangly chases, for the most part -- look terrific.
12/19/01
...like the value for pi, which has been calculated to one billion decimal places and counting, it does not fail to generate curiosity and speculation.
05/07/01
Pi is a lesson to aspiring film makers everywhere: perfect your skills, be original, be bold. It's a pity young British directors aren't making films as unique and imaginative as this. Startlingly good cinema.
04/17/01
Features too many half-formed ideas to live up to its potential.
02/27/01
I found Cohen's quest to be interesting, but it sure made me uncomfortable to watch him writing around and screaming in pain every few minutes. Then again, then the search for truth is often painful, and so is math, for some of us.
01/01/01
That anyone is out there sweating to make movies (and this one's budget was only $60,000!) about mathematical theories, philosophy and other exertions of the mind would be great news all by itself. That the movie is also good is even better.
01/01/00
Pi turns what should be a metaphoric relationship into a stupefyingly literal-minded thriller.
01/01/00
It all leads to a very strange place, and I'm particularly impressed with the economical means, both financially and artistically, by which Aronofsky gets there.
01/01/00
Top CriticThis is a film that gives off a rich aroma of intellectual pursuit, but cannot digest the full intellectual and mystical meal it has cooked.
01/01/00
Perhaps as a short, Pi could have proved engaging, but stretched to feature length it becomes repetitive and unwieldy.
01/01/00
…an opiate-induced, caffeinated, super-octane trip.
01/01/00
Eureka! This movie is the ultimate portrayal of the numbers racket -- a slice of pi that as sci-fi fantasy really does cut it and makes us hunger fort desserts in store as a sequel to this promising debut by Mr. Aronofsky.
01/01/00
Transports us to a world that is like yet unlike our own, and, in its mysterious familiarity, is eerie, intense, and compelling.
01/01/00
Top CriticWhat is difficult is to view this film without a mind seeking to be intrigued, because, if you don't want intrigue, you shouldn't be watching Pi.
01/01/00
Even if you're the type who are intimidated by maths like me (to this day I insist that my high school maths teacher arrived at class on a broomstick!), then don't fret: adeptness at mathematics isn't a prerequisite for enjoying Pi.
01/01/00
Who knew mathematics and numerology could be so engrossing?
01/01/00
Shot in grainy, high-contrast black-and-white with a lot of simple but effective optical and aural tricks to suggest the workings of Max's unusual mind, this is one of the most intimate movies in recent memory.
01/01/00
The cinematic equivalent of a full-bore panic attack, sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, and all.
01/01/00
Ventures into challenging, intelligent subject matter that few other films dare to.
01/01/00
Latest News for Pi
March 28, 2007:
Aronofsky to "Fight" with Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon
Last seen together in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg will reunite for Paramount's period piece boxing drama "The Fighter,"... More...
November 06, 2006:
Aronofsky to Go Biblical for His Next Movie
With "The Fountain" finally finished and ready for consumption, director Darren Aronofsky can turn his attentions toward a new project. And no, it's not that... More...
July 24, 2006:
Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz Get Real Close in a New Trailer for "The Fountain"
Armed with a love story taking place at three times over a thousand years, flawless special effects, and more period costumes than you can shake a stick at, the man who brought... More...
November 10, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: The Fountain
OK, so it's more of a Teaser Bulletin than a Trailer, but there's still a promotional clip to be enjoyed, and this time it's for Darren Aronofsky's highly-anticipated sci-fi... More...
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