Pi (1998)

In preparation for ‘Caught Stealing’, I’m deciding to basically binge all of Darren Aronofsky’s films. There’s only nine, but I’m still very excited. So, starting off, we have his directorial debut, ‘Pi’, which was remastered by A24 a couple years ago. All I have to say is this: if the rest of his films have the same style and tone as this one, then I’m in for a real treat. I know not all of them will, but still, it’s such a riveting feeling that this gave me. At only 84 minutes in length, it’s fast paced and brisk, but doesn’t feel rushed or crammed. Never in my life would I have thought that a black and white film about math would’ve been fun or entertaining, but I was proven wrong. Using math to demonstrate human curiosity, and relating it to the economy, religion, and the universe, was a great concept that had me hooked. Now, there were definitely a couple moments where I had to take a second to figure out what was happening. As I said, it was very fast paced. But by the end, it all falls together, and you’re left….wondering. Not about anything in particular. Just about life and its meaning. This film felt similar to ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ in terms of atmosphere and tone. With both films, I was left questioning life, truth, and general beliefs. That’s how you know this is a good film. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but definitely a new concept that really sticks out as being original, at least to me. The acting was pretty good with a memorable main character, the editing is fantastic, and as a whole, it’s just very unique and at times, very Lynchian. I would recommend it to all sci-fi/thriller fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!