‘Pi’ A Mathematical Thriller

Of course Max is paranoid. He’s on a million medications, he’s a genius, and he lives in New York.

On top of that, he’s close to stumbling upon the secret of life, and he’s being pursued by pushy Wall Street traders and even pushier Hasidic Jews. A mathematician, Max is the central character in “Pi, ‘ a tight, exciting drama about a guy losing his grip just when he’s finding the truth.

Shot in grainy, beautiful black-and-white that mirrors Max’s disturbed mental state, it’s a thriller of the mind (never before have I been to a movie where I thought it was helpful knowing who Euclid was). Max’s obsessive search for the patterns that rule life is bad for his health - he’s isolated from the few friends he has, he’s having trouble separating fantasy and reality and, if he ever eats or sleeps, we don’t see it. But Max is close to the truth, and he continues his risky search because, as he says, “I am on the edge, and that’s where it happens.”

“Pi” is an astonishingly assured debut from writer/director Darren Aronofsky, whose only big error is a pointless scene in which Max confronts an elderly rabbi. Not only is “Pi” visually striking - it has the look of a nightmare that you want to finish, even though it’s creepy - but it has a compelling, ambitious theme. “Pi” wants to get at what makes human beings tick, and it asks profound questions about the consequences of arrogant intellectualism. Even the music - a jumpy jumble of electronic beats - feels perfect.

Shot for next to nothing, “Pi” is an exhilarating reminder that it doesn’t take deep pockets to make a good movie. All it takes is a great idea and someone who can tell it in a way that feels fresh, inventive and forward-thinking. “Pi” is a movie that is on the edge. And that is where it happens.

“Pi” Location: Lincoln Heights Cinema Art Credits: Directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Sean Gullette Running time: 2:05 Rating: R