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Movies / On DVD / Pi
Pi

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Pi (1997)

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83 %
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Reviews Counted: 42

Fresh: 35

Rotten:7

Average Rating: 7.2/10

Consensus: Dramatically gripping and frighteningly smart, this Lynchian thriller does wonders with its unlikely subject and shoestring budget.

Runtime: 85 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: Low-budget film that won Darren Aronofsky "Best Director" at 1998's Sundance Film Festival. Gritty, inventive black-and-white photography drives this story of genius mathematician Max Cohen who is exploring the possible existence... Low-budget film that won Darren Aronofsky "Best Director" at 1998's Sundance Film Festival. Gritty, inventive black-and-white photography drives this story of genius mathematician Max Cohen who is exploring the possible existence of discernible patterns in the stock market. With the aid of Euclid, his home grown supercomputer, Max stumbles upon a bug that crashes his system and spits out a seemingly meaningless number. A knowledgeable friend gives him insight using the ancient game of Go and warns of the spiritual ramifications of powerful numbers. A Hasidic cabalistic sect and representatives from an extremely powerful Wall Street firm then attempt to extract the number from him, by whatever means necessary, for their own ill-gotten gains. [More]

Starring: Sean Gullette, Ben Shenkman, Mark Margolis, Pamela Hart

Starring: Sean Gullette, Ben Shenkman, Mark Margolis, Pamela Hart, Lauren Fox, Ajay Naidu, Clint Mansell, Samia Shoaib, Kristyn Anne-Marie Lao, Espher Lao Nieves, Joanne Gordon, Stanley Herman, Stephen Pearlman

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenwriter: Darren Aronofsky
Producer: Eric Watson, Scott Vogel
Composer: Clint Mansell

[See More Credits]

DVD Info

 
 
 
 
Release:

Jan 12, 1999

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Letterboxed - 1.66

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 2.0 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - 1. Darren Aronofsky - Director
  • Bonus Footage - 1. Behind-the-Scenes
  • 2. Lost Scenes
  • Music Video
  • Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Access

Text/Photo Galleries:

  • Production Notes
  • Biographies - 1. Cast & Crew

Reviews for Pi

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Ratings Image

A compelling and, most importantly, original science-fiction film which has that rare ability to also be believable.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/29/08
Time Out
Ratings Image

It's remarkable to what extent Aronofsky has rendered the cerebral kinetically intense. The film's imaginative, diverse images create a mind's-eye urban claustrophobia.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/06/07
Dennis Harvey
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Clever and creepy as hell.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/06/07
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Ratings Image

...a frustrating and maddeningly confounding piece of work...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment 3 Comments
11/23/06
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Ratings Image

Director Darren Aronofsky creates an eerie Eraserhead-like world that keeps the film compelling.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Tom Meek
Film Threat
Ratings Image

An ambitious, stylish and intriguing first effort by Aronofsky and director of photography Matthew Libatique. If you're of a mind for an offbeat but fascinating film, give it a shot.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
Ratings Image

Pi is an interesting film. Not a particularly good one, but interesting nonetheless.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment 3 Comments
05/09/04
Guy MacPherson
Apollo Guide
Ratings Image

Embora Aronofsky cometa excessos visuais em alguns momentos (tendência comprovada em seu trabalho seguinte, Réquiem para um Sonho), sua eficiente direção, a ótima edição e o inteligente roteiro transformam Pi em um filme singular.

comment Comment
08/07/03
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
Ratings Image

Shot in blotchy, grimy black-and-white and edited in a style almost reminiscent of the French New Wave, 'Pi' is as jarring to the eye as it is enticing to the mind.

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
07/31/03
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette
Ratings Image

Destined to pick up a cult following.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
01/17/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image

Pi is like a Cronenberg film of the mind, where the unsettling images and lusts are driven by a desire for knowledge, not flesh.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
Netflix
Ratings Image

Film fans who long for intellectual muscle have reason to hail Mr. Aronofsky for plunging into the mysteries of knowledge, power and the nature of God.

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment 1 Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
09/03/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Ratings Image

Audacious and bursting with ideas.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
07/12/02
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
Ratings Image

Delivers some thought-provoking questions about our digital age, numerology, and the hubris involved in all projects designed to decode the mystery of the universe.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/02/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
Ratings Image

The movie's low-budget look neatly matches the claustrophobia of Max's life, but the filmmakers have also devised some special shooting methods for certain scenes. These sequences -- breathless and jangly chases, for the most part -- look terrific.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
12/19/01
Laura Miller
Salon.com
Ratings Image

...like the value for pi, which has been calculated to one billion decimal places and counting, it does not fail to generate curiosity and speculation.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/07/01
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image

Pi is a lesson to aspiring film makers everywhere: perfect your skills, be original, be bold. It's a pity young British directors aren't making films as unique and imaginative as this. Startlingly good cinema.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
Martyn Glanville
BBC
Ratings Image

Features too many half-formed ideas to live up to its potential.

Full Review Source: Mike Bracken's Horror Films | comment 1 Comment
02/27/01
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken's Horror Films
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Pi

March 28, 2007: Aronofsky to "Fight" with Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon
Last seen together in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg will reunite for Paramount's period piece boxing drama "The Fighter,"... More...

November 06, 2006: Aronofsky to Go Biblical for His Next Movie
With "The Fountain" finally finished and ready for consumption, director Darren Aronofsky can turn his attentions toward a new project. And no, it's not that... More...

July 24, 2006: Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz Get Real Close in a New Trailer for "The Fountain"
Armed with a love story taking place at three times over a thousand years, flawless special effects, and more period costumes than you can shake a stick at, the man who brought... More...

November 10, 2005: Trailer Bulletin: The Fountain
OK, so it's more of a Teaser Bulletin than a Trailer, but there's still a promotional clip to be enjoyed, and this time it's for Darren Aronofsky's highly-anticipated sci-fi... More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Pi

Film review: Confusing, thoughtful, and great!
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Genius, Madness, Aronofsky: Pi.
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New Aronofsky Site
by: White_Cracker 11/21/01
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