Review of Pi (1998) by Kylie P — 05 Feb 2010

From March 17, 2008:

Pi was complex and intellectually stimulating. The use of a 16 mm camera was a brilliant way to film it, lending to the surrealist atmosphere of it all. Pi gets major points (like, at least 3.1415926) for originality and effort. This movie is not some popcorn-flick to numb the mind. The intensely smart plot line resonates a little like Kafka.

On the other hand, it is difficult to work through how blurry the line between Max's hallucinations and his work becomes. A true answer or resolution is not needed - what is real and what isn't and did Max really stumble upon some answer to the mysteries of the universe need not be clarified. It's more effective not to be given an answer that neither Max nor the filmmaker truly has. The viewer is following the decay of Max's mind as the disorder and the restorative drugs he is taking seem to worsen his condition, and to that end, the movie transforms into the visual equivalent of his mental downward spiral. Yet, the film exclusively follows Max around but fails, really, to develop this character in any meaningful way, which results in a sizable disconnect to the viewer. One is left to spend a large part of the film puzzling over why numbers should be so cool to Max even if nature could be expressed in numerical sequences, why he wanted to figure out the stock market, and why he seemed to succumb to the persuasion of the Hasidic sect when he was so clearly against religion and religious tenets at the start of the film. The only time any want of a connection is actively piqued is when Max seemed to have moments of clarity.

While the film inspires comparisons to Eraserhead, in more mainstream rather than midnight movie fare terms, this movie feels like a rough draft of A Beautiful Mind. The score was quite trippy; it feels like the audio equivalent of walking through a hall of mirrors or a carnival fun house while under the influence of something, which lent the movie a certain level of disturbed-ness and also inspired nausea. The performance by Sean Gullette as Max was pretty daring but not necessarily believable, and the supporting cast was B or C level at best.

Pi's level of originality and the direction, which alone was brilliant, and its intelligent storyline with many complex levels, give it points for sheer intrigue. As for Pi, the movie and the number are quite the mystery, and if you go in for that sort of thing, this movie is worth your watch.