Math...with a heart.

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2005)

Pi is a great success. Even without the micro-budget and slipshod filming style qualifiers, it is a fun and challenging flick. Grainy black and white pictures and a "ghost in the machine" theme give it instant context. Indeed, the premise as stated by the protagonist (life can be understood and therefore "read" in terms of a mathematical system) becomes an acute brain cancer of sorts for the guy. For, as he moves seemingly closer to being able to interpret and "read" the world around us vis a vis his "organic" data set, the stock market, things become neither controllable nor effable to him. Machinations spin scarily around and migraine headaches sound increasingly fierce warnings as he approaches the still center of understanding.
The end-game leads to intellectual brick walls for himself and to exploitation from outside corporate and religious entities. However, all are ignoring the fly in the ointment...
A well acted and paced thriller laid over an undercurrent of intellect vs. emotion, I highly recommend Pi.