An interesting portrait of insanity.

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 1999)

This movie was an incredible and intense portrait of a man balancing on the brink of insanity. It centers on Max, a mathematics and computer type who is obsessed with finding a mathematical expression for the stock market. Max has some sort of medical condition which leads him to have tremors, blackouts, and violent outbursts. He is a very private person who doesn't really enjoy personal interaction (probably because of his illness) . The only person he interacts with in a semi-normal way is his mentor and former teacher who also shares a love for numbers.
There are a few problems with the script but they are all excusable. For example, at one point, there is a discussion of turning a 216 digit number into a 216 letter word but clearly that would not be possible under the circumstances. I'm probably being picky but that was a little silly considering that Max is supposed to be a mathematical genius. Plus, there are some sub-plots that never really go anywhere. The girl next door seems to like Max and he seems to go into his blackouts when she is with other men but the romance is never fully explored.
These types of inconsistencies keep it from being a 10/10 film but they are actually pretty minor when compared to the rest of the film. The scenes where Max has tremors and goes into his blackouts are intense and show a man truly on the edge of sanity. His obsession with solving the "pi" project and its effect on the frequency and intensity of his episodes is acted out and timed to perfection bringing the whole story to an mind blowing finale.
This movie is more of a portrait of insanity rather than a "thriller" but probably of interest to the same audience. Definitely worth renting.