Pi (1998)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Darren Aronofsky

Writers:

Darren Aronofsky (written by)
Darren Aronofsky (story) ...

Release Date:

10 July 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

faith in chaos

Plot:

A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature.

Plot Keywords:

Mathematician | Headache | Stock Market | Computer | Mathematics

Awards:

9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Sean Gullette	...	Maximillian Cohen
Mark Margolis	...	Sol Robeson
Ben Shenkman	...	Lenny Meyer
Pamela Hart	...	Marcy Dawson
Stephen Pearlman	...	Rabbi Cohen
Samia Shoaib	...	Devi
Ajay Naidu	...	Farrouhk
Kristyn Mae-Anne Lao	...	Jenna
Espher Lao Nieves	...	Jenna's Mom
Joanne Gordon	...	Mrs. Ovadia
Lauren Fox	...	Jenny Robeson
Stanley Herman	...	Moustacheless Man
Clint Mansell	...	Photographer
Tom Tumminello	...	Ephraim
Henri Falconi	...	Kaballah Scholar

Also Known As:

3,14159265358 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Hungary:16 | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Harvest Filmworks

Trivia:

Pi cost only $60,000 to make, most of which was raised in the form of individual $100 contributions from the director's friends and family. When it was later bought by Artisan Entertainment, each contributor got back a $150 return on their investment.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Max mentions that the Golden Mean is represented by the Greek letter theta. In fact, it is phi or tau.

Quotes:

Maximillian Cohen: If the number's there I'll find it!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005)

Soundtrack:

I Only Have Eyes For You

Hard To Add Up....But An Intriguing Curiosity Piece

Now here'a film that is "not for all tastes," as the cliché goes.

"Strange" doesn't quite cover it but it is not that bizarre that you can't figure out what's happening. Director-writer Darren Arokofsky made a name for himself with his second movie, Requiem For A Dream, and this was the young filmmakers' first effort. It was made a tight budget since he was an unknown, but that's part of the attraction. This is grainy black-and-white, and so is the gritty story and most of the characters. The unique look fits the story.

It's not a story that is going to please a lot of people - an almost-demented math wizard trying to figure out stock market codes and two groups hounding him trying to cash in on his brainpower. One is trying to use him to make big money in the market and the other is trying to decipher ancient Jewish texts and thinks our mathematician can help. Meanwhile, he wants no part of any of these people.

Our hero, the numbers freak, thinks the entire world revolves around numbers. Everything in the universe, he thinks, can be figured out through number codes. Not only is he wacked and paranoid but so is about everyone in here. They all have strange ideas. Innovative camera-work makes the story even stranger. In fact, it's that photography that makes this DVD a part of my collection

If you're looking for something different here and there, I would give this curiosity piece a quick look. (It's not a long movie.) Overall, I thought this "added up" to an intriguing film, but if you give it a try and hate it, don't blame me.