‘Life of Pi’ Review

• Save

I should preface this review by stating that I did not see Life of Pi in 3D. I happen to be one of those people who get sick watching images come out towards me from the movie screen, but I have heard that it is amazing in 3D. Life of Pi is Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel‘s award-winning novel of the same name which tells the story of Pi, an Indian boy who reminisces about his life, most notably surviving on a lifeboat that he shares with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The film, as does the novel obviously, deals with ideas about religion using Pi’s stories as allegory all while being a compelling adventure.

The film starts off beautifully with magnificent shots of all the animals that live on Pi Patel’s family zoo. Narration starts and Pi begins to discuss his birth, his family, his homeland, then the film cuts to a middle-aged Pi (Irrfan Khan) cooking and talking with, what turns out to be, a writer (Rafe Spall). The writer was in India working on a novel that was later abandoned with he came across Pi’s Uncle who told him to go back to Canada, for Pi has just the story he is looking for – one that will make him believe in God. Now, I knew the book and film dealt with religion but at this point I was a little worried that the film might become a bit heavy-handed and thick with religious overtones – but, it did not. Pi spends the rest of the day discussing his life with the writer – his childhood, how he got his name (his real name is Piscine Molitor, named after a public French swimming pool), the zoo, discovering and subsequently following Hinduism, Catholicism and Islam, the girl he left behind in India and then, the trip upon the Japanese freighter ship that was taking his family to Canada.

The trip and, of course, the sinking of the freighter ship along with Pi’s survival yarn make up the majority of the film’s 127 minute run time. Pi’s family decides to move to Canada due to political concerns, so Pi’s father Santosh (Adil Hussain) decides to sell the animals and ends up hitching a ride on the freighter that is transporting the animals. During a storm the ship capsizes and Pi (brilliantly played by Suraj Sharma) finds himself on a lifeboat with an injured zebra and a hyena; later, floating on a bundle of bananas, an orangutan joins the party. The filming and cinematography during the storm and capsizing of the vessel are grand and awe-inspiring, a grandiose exclamation point signifying everything that Pi has ever loved or known is gone.

Thus, Pi starts his journey of survival with an injured zebra, a hyena and an orangutan. Until, Richard Parker shows up from under the tarp. Thus, Pi starts the new journey of survival with Richard Parker, an adult Bengal tiger. The ensuing adventure Pi and Richard Parker share is, for the most part, a captivating story filmed with the natural beauty of the open sea and the creatures that inhabit it. It is also filmed with the artificial beauty of this technically engineered setting, that at times comes off as a bit too much, too saccharine. Pi learns to live with Richard Parker, although the process becomes a tad repetitive with a tiger running around a lifeboat, lunging at Pi all while incessantly growling. However, the story still remains enjoyable and slightly believable, that is, until Pi and Richard Parker find themselves on a cavernous island, heavily populated by meerkats.

The Life of Pi is an enjoyable film filled with adventure, danger, beauty and a smattering of humor. While I’m not sure as to how truthful Ang Lee was to the original source material (nor do I care because I for one believe films should be inspired by the material not word-for-word adaptations) it is a well crafted and visually striking film. The only problems I had with the film were the artificial saccharine visuals at points and the repetitive scenes with Richard Parker that made the film drag at certain spots. The Life of Pi just might be the return of Ang Lee or at least the start of one.