Review – Life of Pi

Life of Pi is a an ambitious film. Based on a book by the same name, it was repeatedly described as unfilmable. So who decided to film it? Ang Lee of course. Your average movie buff will recall that Lee has made a career out of surprising viewers with his film choices. From Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – a high-octane martial arts extravaganza, to Brokeback Mountain – a story of forbidden love between two cowboys, to Lust, Caution – a controversial espionage thriller set in WW-II era Shanghai… well, you get the idea. Basically, this guy can make a movie out of anything.

The story revolves around Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel, whose father owns a zoo in newly independent India. The family can’t afford to keep running the zoo there, so they decide to move to Canada (along with the animals) aboard a trade vessel. The ship sinks and Pi is left on a lifeboat with Richard Parker. Yes, that’s the name of a tiger. Have I given too much away? Absolutely not, this is where the movie really begins. But I can’t tell you any more, without ruining the story. What happens after is both wondrous and utterly beautiful. We learn a lot about sea-life, animals, humans and isolation.

While the film is in 3D, it doesn’t have many gimmicky shots where you have stuff flying at you. Instead, Ang Lee opts for a more subtle approach. Under his mastery, you actually forget that you’re watching a 3D movie with silly glasses on. Lee uses 3D to make everything come alive and soon you forget that you’re watching something on a screen. You’re immersed into the action and can’t take your eyes off the beautiful and dynamic images on the screen. While many people have compared the film’s effects to Avatar, I feel that Life of Pi has out-Avatared Avatar. When I was watching Avatar, I didn’t feel part of the movie’s world and hence the effects looked just that – effects. This doesn’t happen in Life of Pi.

The film is brilliant in every way. First time actor Suraj Sharma delivers an emphatic performance while Mychael Danna’s score perfectly complements Claudio Miranda’s sweeping cinematography. Life of Pi deserves to be seen on the biggest screen available in your city. Do not miss it!