9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In for a rare treat, July 25, 2001
This review is from: Indie Collector's Pack: Pi, Permanent Midnight (DVD)
How do I judge movies? I wait until about an hour has gone by and then I try and reckon on how much is left or rather, how much I want to be left of the film. These are two films that I just didn't want to end and once they had finished I could have just pressed play again.
Pi, to begin with, is not a piece of unwatchable trash. It is an acute psychological thriller which has blah blah blah... You get the picture and at some point you have probably read what it says on the box. However, it seems to be so rare to find an 'intelligent' film around that Pi is an opportunity not to be passed upon. It combines the perfect schizophrenic/paranoid acting by Sean Gullette and having watched it several times I have difficulty in imagining anyone playing that role better. The direction is frantic but at times it can be said that it may seem a little tedious. However, the underlying theme and the general nature of the film give Arronofsky some leeway in the way that he shoots the film. This is not an 'acute psychological thriller...' so don't see it for that reason. Instead, see it for the reason that it is a genuinely good (and for once well-researched) film that will leave you uncannily shaken.
As for Permanent Midnight. I just finished watching this film and so came here to see how much the DVD cost. To find that this film is combined with Pi seems absolutely fantastic. Never has Ben Stiller acted so well and with such credulity than here. His ability to forget himself and just become the role (which is even harder considering the fact that it is someone who is still very much alive) leaves you wincing, laughing and finding yourself empathise with Jerry Stahl that you just wouldn't do if someone said "Oh, hey - You know the story about Jerry Stahl?" I didn't know who he was and if someone had told me that he used to be a heroin junkie I probably wouldn't have cared that much either. However, this is the thing. You do care becasue the film is so engrossing that you feel as though you are genuinely there with him living through those same moments. As one of the previous reviewers put it, you wonder why he keeps going back to the needle. You not only wonder but you care, and you care doubly considering the fact that he is a real person. Of course, this effect is largely down to Veloz's direction. He manages to get inside the mind of all the roles but most decidedly the one of the addict and he brings to light with both a sensitive and a hard angle. However, just as it may seem that you are getting in too deep and it is becoming too uncomfortable to watch, we pull back to an 'After' situation which always provides the saving grace from the sliding slope downwards. All in all, a good movie with some stellar (no pun intended) performances so if you haven't already - SEE IT!!!
Don't miss out on this - You're being given two great movies for the price of one and if you don't think it's worth the price of admission wait until you've got through your first beer, you won't be getting up to grab a second.
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