Max (Sean Gullette) is a paranoid math genius, who through the use of his home-brewed super-computer (named Euclid) stumbles upon a numeric sequence that may be the key to sure money in the stock market or even a means to communicate with God. Director Darren Aronofsky, creates an eerie “Eraserhead”-like world that keeps the film compelling even when it digresses into a silly cat-and-mouse psychodrama with a trio of stockbrokers and a cabalistic rabbi, seeking the contents of Max’s brain. Gillete gives an agrreable performnace in a two-dimensional role and Mark Margolis as Max’s mentor is an uproarious Einstein-esque cairicture. “PI” barely adds up as a sci-fi thriller, but Aronofsky’s moody, black-and-white visuals — which earned him the best director award at Sundance — promise future dividends.
