PI - A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM - A hypnotic tale of four human beings doing their best to succeed in the world, but fail... more »ing miserably. Four people get hooked on various drugs. Despite their aspirations of greatness, they succumb to their addictions. Watching the addicts spiral out of control, we bear witness to the dirtiest, ugliest portions of the underworld addicts reside in.« less
Jeff V. (burielofmel) from HARRIMAN, TN Reviewed on 10/25/2008...
This is a great collection.
Requiem is a very dark movie about drug addiction. It doesn't glamourize addiction like some movies. Even the great film Drugstore Cowboy makes it seem like it wouldn't be all that bad to be addicted to drugs. When I watched this movie I kind of had a creepy feeling after it was over. Kind of like that was a slimey film on my mind that needed washing away.
PI is about a mathematician obsessed with PI. He obsesses over finding patterns in the stock market and searches for an elusive 216 digit number which is also of special interest to a group of religious Jews who believe the number is proof of the existance of God. Or, at least, that was my understanding of that aspect of the movie. This one is in in black and white.
2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Both are great
wrestlingwriter | PA, USA | 02/01/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These are both fabulous movies giving us the world on drugs and the mathematical thriller. Both by Darren Aronofsky, these films rank on my top ten of greatest. Pi, filmed in black and white, explores the world of Max Cohen and his knowledge of the 216 digit number everyone wants. The ending is quite a shocker and wil stay in your head for days. The music accompanied by the movie is also quite powerful. Requiem for a Dream explores the rise and fall of four very similar people on drugs. Ellen Burstyn, who takes diet pills not knowing they are drugs, gives a knock out preformance and should have won best actress. Jared Leto i very real and powerful. Jennifer Connely bares from waist to bottom in an inspiring scene and also gives a powerful preformance. Marlon Wayans gives one if on his only great acting display. The quick cut shots and the fifteen minute ending, will also stay in your head. But the both of them. You will not regret it."
Buy it
James L. Tape | MD | 03/09/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"my brother bought requiem for a dream a while ago and i watched it for the fourth time today. instead of just watching, i really thought about what was happening during the movie and i have never been as shocked by a movie as this one. requiem for a dream shows in plain reality what heroin and amphetamines can do to people and others around them, without glorifying them like trainspotting does. What makes this movie even more powerful is the fact that it can happen to anyone. this movie is like a scared-straight video."
Absolutely fabulous movies.
Scott Trenda | Minneapolis, MN United States | 05/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I simply love this director. His style is so intense and forward that it's almost scary, but with each film here, he leaves you with a movie so powerful and unafraid of itself that you will never forget a single minute of it. They may shock you, they may frighten you, they may nauseate you, but they're never indulging, only giving you the truth. The descent of each movie is not glamorous, but it's bound to impact you. I recommend that even if you have never even heard of either of these, you should buy them both site-unseen. A great deal for such great movies!"
One masterpiece, one flawed sign of future brilliance
S. Schonberger | near Seattle, WA, USA | 12/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Requiem for a Dream is a directing masterpiece, and all four lead actors give impressive performances. Often directors make their movies confusing with too-frequent cuts, or distract from the emotional impact. But in this case the rapid cuts strengthen the emotional power of the movie, showing the parallel course of the four lead characters' stories, without creating any confusion.Pi had elements of greatness, particularly in the directing. The paranoia, madness, and mathematical mumbo-jumbo in the story might not appeal to all viewers. (And some people just don't care for black and white.) But the real point isn't the story, it's the emotional effect of the directing. One thing that makes it an important movie is that it shows director Aronofsky's skill almost full-grown. The dirt-cheap credit card budget limited the director to a small story, but didn't keep him from showing directorial greatness. No wonder he got a real budget for his next film."
Wow.
Murl J. Sprout Jr. | Bradenton, FL | 02/01/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yes, yes it's uncut and whatnot. The important part here (besides the incredible price - I got mine at Best Buy for $9.99!) is the quantity and quality of special features included for both films. Great special features for a SINGLE film are worth a $20 price tag and you get two awesome movies, both packed with great bonus features for under $10. Dang."