Daring, Different, Brilliant, Flawed

Rating: 9/10 (18 August 1999)

Pi is a portrait of Obsession with a capital O. Max is obsessed with finding patterns in the numbers and the nature all around us. He braves the wrath of his landlord, the scorn of his mentor, alienation from his fellow man, the rebellion of his own body and mind, even the possibility of his own destruction in pursuit of The Answer. I found the portrait of this young recluse's obsession and drive to be the most compelling aspect of the movie.
It does have flaws. As others have noted, Max's character is a little on the shallow side. That's not the actor's fault, it's the script's fault. The actor (Sean Gullette) shows promise, I think, but this movie seems to strain his range slightly. Mathematicians will whine that the math stuff is fantasy. Computer techies will whine that Max's computer, though undeniably cool-looking, is a junkyard fantasy. Other nitpicks fall in a similar vein.
Despite the flaws, I bought a copy of this movie the first time I had the chance. I liked the totality of Max's obsession with The Answer that much. I can't wait for the director's (Darren Aronofsky) next movie.
9/10