[ MOVIES ]
Ever wondered how Darren Aronovsky's Pi might have been different had its main character not been a delusional mathematician but a delusional, say, Ben Gibbard? And had taken the form of an X-Files episode directed by David Cronenberg? Rohit Colin Rao's debut feature isn't quite that film, but it's close enough to put such odd speculation to rest. Shot in D.C., Ultrasonic's thin storyline follows the frontman of a struggling indie-rock band as he's driven around the bend by a constant droning hum. His wife assumes tinnitus, but her conspiracy-crazed brother is convinced it's the result of a clandestine government plot involving "psychotropic acoustics." That concept promises something more Videodromian than musician-turned-director (and software engineer) Rao can deliver, and the result is competently stylish but ultimately a pale echo of its sources.
Opens Fri., June 8, Cinema 16:9, 35 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, 484-461-7676, cinema169.com.
