Paranoid, mathematical genius tries to unlock the power of Pi. Loses mind. A typical love story.

Rating: 7/10 (24 May 1999)

I've always been terrible at math. It is easily my weakest suit. I have always suspected it would become one of my greatest downfalls. That is, before I saw this movie. Now I can see that being a mathematical genius isn't what it's cracked up to be. (What with the limousines and paparazzi) It's much better being stupid. But as dense as I am, I'm still fairly adept at using power tools in the fashion recommended by the manufacturer, unlike our so-called genius.
This film was a favourite at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the Director's award. It's shot in grainy black and white, on a super low budget in the neighbourhood of $35,000 if I remember correctly. All funds were raised by cast and crew, and the director's mother was part of the catering services. Despite my phobias about math, and therefore an inherent lack of knowledge about it, I still found the film intriguing and innovative. Sometimes the camera angles can create an unpleasant disorienting effect, but not too often, for not too long, and not without good reason.
The story's protagonist, Max, is not likely someone you can relate to, but rather empathize with. We all sometimes want to be left alone; Max always wants to be left alone. He is a man without peace, who's being watched and with an obsession of Pi to work out. It is a very dark film, that grows darker with each passing minute. Not for your happy-ending kind of target audience. It should be interesting to see what the makers of "Pi" do next with the attention they received for this film.