Going inside their heads

Rating: Null/10 (30 December 2000)

After seeing Requiem for a Dream, I rented Pi and was not disappointed. For me, the most impressive thing about the films was that the viewer was taken inside the characters' heads, on both physical and emotional levels. The viewer doesn't need to like or relate to the character as is true with many movies that become emotionally involving. While the film's intensity was sometimes uncomfortable, it was very involving and effective. The plot details - whether addiction or the compulsion to quest for an answer - set the stage for a roller coaster ride. In some ways, Pi was more interesting (although obviously much rougher) because it played with more ideas. I'm looking forward to his next film and wonder if it will bear the same brand.