|
|
Chad
|
Posted: June 20, 2004 at 12:00am
Max is a genius when it comes to numbers, and believes that everything can be broken down into one single number; that is, that everything on this planet could be represented with one single number. He also believes that there is numerical patterns to everything, and if you can figure out the pattern, you can predict what's going to happen in the future with whatever it is that you've found the pattern for. So with these beliefs, Max is setting out to try and figure out the pattern behind the stock market, so that he would be able to predict the numbers before they come out. While in the process of studying all this, Max is being hounded by a stock market analyst who wants him to come work for them and share his knowledge, as well as a set of Jewish fellows who want him to help them figure up something... and to top it all off, he suffers from paranoia and hallucinations. Max is quite determined, however, and eventually makes a startling find; a 216-digit number that represents.... what? As Max tries to figure this up, quite a few other people want to get this number from him for their own reasons...
I realize that the above plot description may be a bit confusing, but that's how the movie itself plays out. Things are quite confusing in the beginning, but it eventually ends up all fitting together and making sense, and even throws out some very interesting twists. However, this isn't the type of movie that you'd want to watch with friends, or only half-watch while doing something else... the storyline is quite complex and played out in a very subtle manner, so if you miss much, you'll be completely clueless as to what's going on. Almost every theory and idea in the movie are either based on facts, or popular numerical theories; I'm no expert on such things, but from the little I do know, they were quite accurate in the way they were shown, and weren't glammed up for the movie. Does that mean that I believe that what happened here could really happen? I personally don't believe it, but a good number of people do... but either way, it makes for quite the entertaining film.
Sean Gullette (Max) is awesome in his role, and comes off very convincing as the delusional genius. Sean has only been in two other movies (a small role in "Requiem For A Dream", and some other movie entitled "Happy Accidents"); however, he really should have landed more jobs after his performance here. A crying shame, indeed. There's really not much more of a cast to be found here, as everyone else has very minor roles and have limited on-screen time, so it works out nicely that Sean can carry almost the entire movie by himself. The soundtrack is another thing that I enjoyed, as the techno beats that were chosen fit the scenes they were used in very nicely; they didn't seem like they were just tossed in to break the silence, as a good number of movies tend to do.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a "smart" film that will bring up some interesting thoughts and ideas, but if you're looking for some car-chases, killings, or loads of action, stay far away from this. 10/10 from myself.
|
.
|
Posted: September 13, 2005 at 9:00pm
Amazing film.
|
Ginose
|
Posted: April 13, 2006 at 9:38pm
This movie was some crazy shit. but what can I say? there was absolutely nothing I didn't like about it.
|
Kari Byron's Sex Cyborg
|
Posted: February 22, 2008 at 11:22pm
Apparently, much of the genius and information in this film is heavily flawed, but what can you expect when a movie deals with such heavy material and logic. Nonetheless, this movie is still beyond enthralling, just like Darren Aronofsky's other two major films. All three gave me such an enlightening sort of feeling that I don't get from most any other movie. The man is undeniably a brilliant filmmaker.
9/10
|
|
