Life of Pi
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Rafe Spall
Directed by: Ang Lee
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
2012
Times Seen:
Tim: 2
Summary: A young man (Suraj Sharma) is stranded on a life raft with a large Bengal tiger, and must fight to survive.
Review:
Tim: I read "Life of Pi" several years before the movie came out, so I'm not sure exactly how that impacted my view of this film. I believe Ang Lee created a visually stunning, entertaining movie. I really, really liked this film. And yet, I was a bit perplexed that so many people had it on their end-of-the-year "Best of 2012" lists. I thought it was really good, but a long way from great. That bothers me a little, because I wanted to love this movie as much as a lot of people apparently did. Unfortunately, I could not.
Let's start with the positives. The best aspect of this film involves the visual effects. Ang Lee created a truly marvelous movie to behold. The special effects are jaw-dropping. I know movies are called "beautiful" all the time, but this is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. There are so many moments throughout Pi's ordeal that Lee brings to vivid, unforgettable life. There's one moment where Lee is using oranges and yellows to paint this image, and it's almost like a painting. It was incredible. The island, the shipwreck, Richard Parker, all of these different elements are captured wonderfully on screen. Lee delivered one of the most lush, visually stunning movies I've ever seen. It's no surprise that two of this film's four Academy Awards were for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography- you will certainly love the way this movie looks.
I really believe that the technical side of the work is what led to Ang Lee winning the Academy Award for Best Director. Life of Pi is certainly not the best movie of 2012, nor the most powerful, nor the most entertaining. And yet, it's memorable, and a large part of that is due to the way Lee envisioned the film unfolding on screen. While I personally would not have awarded him the Oscar, I can see how the Academy was swayed- this is a gorgeous film, and it was not easy to translate all of this on screen. For that reason, I suppose Lee deserves his win.
The film does a very good job of closely following the book. The story is engaging and exciting- we watch as young Pi struggles to survive the elements and the open ocean while sharing a lifeboat with a very large, dangerous tiger named Richard Parker. The survival aspects of the film were incredible, and I was drawn into the story of whether Pi could survive, and what exactly was he doing to do about the tiger (even though from the novel, I already knew how it ended). Those aspects are wonderful, and yet, that is only part of the story. The story is also about religion, and faith, and what we believe in. This deeper meaning and exploration is what sets the film apart. I do wish Lee had spent a little more time focusing on these aspects, but the fact that they are in this film is wonderful.
The one aspect of this film that prevented it from achieving greatness is that while my eyes were stunned beyond belief, the film wasn't able to reach my heart. I just never felt much emotional attachment to Pi or his plight. Maybe this is because I knew how it ended, but I wanted more of an attempt by Lee to connect with the audience. I wanted to feel something deeper than visual awe.
Like I said, technically, this film is incredible. I did thoroughly enjoy it, and it's a stunning achievement. However, I personally wouldn't consider this on my Top 10 of 2012 list, although I can't fault anyone who did. This is a really good movie any way you look at it.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Brokeback Mountain, Lifeboat