On DVD (1998). R-Rated, 85 minutes.
Darren Aronofsky is a talented writer and director. I loved Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain, so I thought for sure I would love Pi. While I like the story and the soundtrack, the overall film is hard to watch and not especially interesting. The direction and cinematography is impressive and interesting, especially given that this was Aronofsky's debut film, and it was made for $60,000.
Shot entirely in grainy black and white, the film tells the story of Max Cohen, a brilliant and famous mathmetician obsessed with finding a pattern in the stock market that will allow him to predict the prices of stocks. The point of his search isn't monetary gain, but conquering the impossible. He is delusional, anti-social and obsessive, and turns to all sorts of drugs and chemical combinations to deal with his anxiety (the drug intake is stylized, similar to Requiem). He is hounded by a stock market firm and a group of Orthodox Jews obsessed with breaking a code in the Torah.
At times, I felt like I was watching a Sprockets horror film. The film switched back and forth from grainy to sharp and the score was pulsating, all to portray the paranoia in Max's head. There were interesting points made about the universe, references to Icarus, and, everyone's favorite, a drill into Max's head. I wanted to love this film, but I think I've found my indie limit.
2 comments:
The thing I liked best about Pi was the notion that any pattern (or number) you search for in your surroundings will be found only because your brain rationalizes it.
Aronofsky is definitely not for everyone. Requiem for a Dream should be required annual viewing in all junior high and high schools. It is, of course, tough to watch and Aronofsky is rightly respected for having the guts to show the effects of drug abuse.
In The Fountain, people who obviously have no medical experience cast Wolverine to play a research surgeon. The modern day medical scenes are as ludicrous as anything Dr. McCoy does in Star Trek 4. But the overall effect is hypnotic and I wish there were more films like it (B).
After the Fountain and the Prestige, I am an official Wolverine fan. The core of the Pi story is what kept me watching.
The Fountain had all the pieces of a great film, but they never got put together.
Requiem is phenomenal.
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