"Life of Pi" Review

"Life of Pi"

Directed by Ang Lee

Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Adil Hussain, Tabu

 

RATING

9/10

Tom Hanks in "Cast Away" spoke to a volleyball. Suraj Sharma in "Life of Pi" tamed a tiger. I'll let you decide who's the bigger badass... "Life of Pi" was a film I was very anxious to see. I've read the book, and hoped it would be as great as I imagined it in my head. And it exceeded my expectations by a mile. Or many miles. The film was directed by Ang Lee, and I also hoped it wouldn't be created with a "give me some Oscars!" vibe, and thankfully it wasn't. This was a very heartfelt, sincere, and very thrilling adaptation.

 

So, 'Pi', who changed it for obvious and much needed reasons due to his birth name being 'Piscine' (pronounced 'pissing'), is an indian guy who grew up as somewhat of a mathematical genius. The entire film is actually told in flashbacks, so the primary timeline of the film is Pi when he is an elderly man telling the story to an aspiring writer hoping to find inspiration. Pi then boards a ship with his family along with his fathers collection of animals from a zoo he owned to move from India to Canada. However, a freak storm topples the ship, killing everyone on board, and Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger.

 

And the film was freaking fantastic. The first point I'd very much like to talk about is the visuals, which are breathtaking. The film was made to be seen in 3D, and this might possibly be the best 3D film I have ever seen (suck it, Avatar, you overrated trash). It's a visceral masterpiece with an uncompromising and eye-opening style. There are a few meditative scenes of Pi stranded on a self-made raft with the tiger on the lifeboat marking his territory, and the shots are very wide and distant as to capture the vastness of the ocean. Ang Lee does some stellar camera work organizing these beautiful sequences, and with the 3D it enhances the experience so much more. There's an effortless blend of CGI and practical imagery at work, and I admire that so much. One of my favorite and striking scenes involves a group of glowing jellyfish that surround Pi. Suddenly, a whale begins to swallow the glowing jellyfish, in turn making the whale glow and providing a dazzling effect. I cannot give enough praise to the visual effects department for this. I'm gonna go ahead and say it's in the Top 5 most beautiful-looking films ever made. And it's not just the visuals that carry the story: it's the extraordinary tale.

 

Pi and the tiger, named Richard Parker, and there conflict is the heart and soul of the story. Pi attempts to mark his territory by taming Richard Parker, and his efforts to train the tiger are very thrilling to watch. It leaves you on the edge of your seat and just stunned. The taming also builds this subtle relationship between the two, making for an odd but really effective pairing of buddies. The film also has quite a bit of philosophical ideas that are translated very well across the scope and visuals of the story. Pi is in search of a chance encounter with God, and he gets it in more ways than one through his amazing survival tale. A great and dedicated performance from Suraj Sharma also elevates the films emotional side to incredible and intense heights. The ending almost left me in tears.

 

"Life of Pi" is not only one of the best films to come out this year, it's also a visual masterpiece. With insanely precise and stylish direction, a solid performance from Suraj Sharma (and the tiger), and a moving and gripping story, "Life of Pi" is my favorite Ang Lee film and an experience unlike any other, quite literally. Go see it, please!