A Movie Review: Pi

Pi. Max Cohen (Sean Gullette) is a mathematician, a numbers theorist. He believes that mathematics can explain nature. He also comes to the conclusion that math can predict stock market moves. To work on his theory, he spends his days inside his apartment, programming his computer to come up with a way to model stock price movements. Others become interested in his work. Marcy Dawson (Pamela Hart) who works for a Wall Street firm wants to help Max on his model  There is also Lenny Meyer (Ben Shenkman), a Hasidic Jew, who believes the Torah provides secrets hidden via numbers. Max randomly runs into Lenny at a coffee shop, but one has to wonder if it is really a random meeting.

Max is also somewhat unstable, driven by piercing migraine headaches. He takes medicine to limit these headaches though the headaches are definitely not eliminated.

During one of his programming sessions, he blows up his computer. Before his computer dies, a 216-digit number spits out. He eventually comes to realize that this 216 digit number provides him the ability to forecast stock prices and that it also represents the name of God. Both Marcy and Lenny tighten the screws on Max.

I personally didn't like this movie all that much. I appreciated it, but didn't like it. The movie is filmed in black and white. I wonder if Max was color blind due to the fact that he damaged his eyes when he was 6 due to staring at the sun for too long? The black and white does provide the perfect medium to highlight the pain that Max goes through while suffering through his headaches. I sort of appreciated Max's research into the stock market. Everyone would love to know how to perfectly determine stock price movements. Though interestingly, I think Max was more interested in the challenge versus becoming wealthy.