Pi

Ok - first, how do you type the symbol for Pi? I've been looking around for keyboard shortcuts and there ain't nothing out there! (either that or I'm just too impatient) but anyway

Darren Aronofsky, writer/director. 1997 - Harverst Film Works.

I may get shot for this quote, but the only way I can describe this movie is as follows:

Ahem . . .

"Pi" is the movie that Jim Jarmusch would make if he had actual talent instead of merely having many talented friends.

Ouch! you might say, but hey, I've seen almost every Jarmusch film and they get progressively more boring each and every time, whereas the number of famous actors increases exponentially. It's fantastic.

However, this movie has the same dark feel "TONE" that Jarmusch tries to create, but Aronofsky does it almost effortlessly. This film has nobody famous, so far as I can tell, and you begin to believe that this actually can happen to a certain segment of New Yorkers. In fact, what's incredible is that you actually find yourself caught up in the action, and the action is simply a mathematician trying to compute the formula for Pi. In his small dingy apartment. Surrounded by a mish-mash of computer equipment.

Honest to goodness it sounds unbelievably dull, and I agree, but that's the amazing part: as you watch this movie it's not dull, not at all. This film is not only a great introduction to mathematics as a metaphysical exercises, but also is a great into to Basic Judaism and overall philosophy.

This is a must for any collection of DVD for those of us who like our movies both cerebral AND that cause us to veer wildly toward that sharp edge between genius and madness.

VG