Close but No Cigar

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 2011)

Despite an intriguing premise, I found this an unsatisfying movie. All that information about math and patterns was supposed to amount to what? There was no payoff, nothing to reward me for paying attention. The movie didn't spend much energy exploring relationships or developing its main character. Because it's a concept movie.
But high concept or not, I need to see real people dealing with real problems. I didn't see the hero pursue a goal. I saw him cope with headaches, ward off neighbors and escape villains. But I didn't know what he was after, and therefore couldn't identify with him. I lost interest two thirds of the way in.
Pi is a smart, unrealized movie that hasn't figured out what it wants to say to the viewer.