(2012 - November 21)
Adventure | Drama
2 hr. 5 min.
Rated: PG-13 Some scary action, emotional thematic content and peril
Grade: A
Director: Ang Lee
Writers: David Magee (screenplay), Yann Martel (novel)
Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Adil Hussain | See full cast and crew
Director Ang Lee creates a groundbreaking movie event about a young man who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with another survivor...a fearsome Bengal tiger. -- (C) Official Site
Life of Pi is a beautiful film. This
novel that was supposedly impossible to bring to the screen has been
done in a masterful way. I attended the 3D version. Ang Lee has crafted
an incredible piece of cinematic wonder. Life of Pi is most certainly
one of the best 3D films ever made. Lee's expert use of the 3D
technology leaves you forgetting that you are wearing those clunky
glasses.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. New comer Suraj Sharma, as Pi, carries the load of the film on his young shoulders and it is a lot to carry. His performance is genuine, believable, engaging and sympathetic. You are drawn into his story right from the start. I do wonder if younger viewers might get a little bored at times, especially during the setup of the story in Pondicherry and the conversations between the older Pi and the writer, and I think for the very young some of the images and situations might be a tiny bit too frightening, but in the end it is all worth it. There are valuable lessons to be learned.
When the political uncertainty brings changes to the region, Pi's father decides to sell their zoo in
India and move to Canada. Santosh and Gita Patel board a Japanese freighter with
their two sons and a few remaining animals. After several days at sea tragedy strikes when a violent
storm sinks the ship during the darkness of night. The Patels' teenage son, Pi, is the only human survivor. But Pi is not alone; finding refuge aboard the lifeboat is a zebra with a broken leg, a hyena, an orangutang and a ferocious Bengal tiger named Robert Parker. Days
turn into weeks and weeks drag into months, drifting alone in the middle of the vast Pacific ocean. If they are to survive, Pi and the tiger, must learn
to trust each other.
Life of Pi is a film that the entire family can enjoy together. Ang Lee has managed to tell Pi's story free of sex, nudity and profanity, truly a remarkable feat these days, thank you so much Mr. Lee. Life of Pi is very much recommended.
Plot
Life of Pi is basically divided into three sections. In the first part of the film, the main character, Pi, an adult, reminisces about his childhood. He was named Piscine Molitor Patel after a swimming pool in France. When he begins secondary school, he changes his name to "Pi" due to being tormented with the nickname "Pissing Patel". His father, Santosh Patel, owns a zoo in Pondicherry, India which has provided Pi with an affluent lifestyle. His father has taught him some understanding of animal psychology.
Pi
was raised Hindu, but at fourteen he is introduced to both Christianity
and Islam, and starts to follow all three religions. He tells his
parents he "just wants to love God." He tries to understand God through
the lens of each religion and comes to recognize benefits in each one. Due to political concerns in India his father decides to sell their zoo animals and move to Canada.
In the second part of the film, Pi's family boards a Japanese freighter with some of the animals from their zoo. After several days at sea, east of the Philippines, the ship encounters a violent storm and sinks. After the storm, Pi regains consciousness in a small lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, a spotted hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan. Pi instinctively assigns each animal its own personality, based upon his own observations of the animals in his parents' zoo, and the characteristics of the people in his life.
In the third part of the film, two officials from the Maritime Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport come to Pi's hospital bed to interview Pi and ascertain why the ship sank, but they don't believe his story. Pi then tells a similar story, but this time without animals. Instead, he recounts a story of human brutality, being adrift on a lifeboat with his mother, a sailor with a broken leg, and the ship's cook, who killed the sailor and Pi's mother and cut them up to use as bait and food. Parallels to Pi's first story lead the Japanese officials to believe that the orangutan represents his mother, the zebra represents the sailor, the hyena represents the cook, and Richard Parker is Pi himself. Pi asks if this new story is acceptable, or if he should change any parts that are still too unbelievable; the officials change the subject back to the sinking of the ship. Pi asks which of the two stories they prefer. Since the officials cannot prove which story is true and neither is relevant to the reasons behind the shipwreck, they choose the story with the animals. Pi thanks them and says, "and so it goes with God".
Pi is determined to survive among the animals, but the hyena soon gives in to his hunger, and begins to eat the injured zebra alive, eventually killing it. Pi is distraught but is further frustrated when the hyena also kills the orangutan. At this point the Bengal tiger, who is named Richard Parker, kills and eats the hyena. Pi and Richard Parker are now the only survivors. Pi finds food and water supplies on the boat, but as they grow scarce. Pi knows he must feed Richard Parker so that the hungry tiger will not kill him so he begins fishing, not just to feed himself but to keep Richard Parker's hunger in check. Pi setts out to show the tiger that he is the alpha animal ensuring that the tiger will refrain from attacking him.
After an indeterminate time at sea and all but dead, Pi recounts, that the pair encountered a mysterious island that seems to consist of edible algae supporting a forest and a huge population of friendly meerkats. Pi and Richard Parker over time recoup their strength, but Pi becomes afraid of the island after discovering that the algae is carnivorous. If he and the tiger are to survive they must leave the island. He prepares the boat with as much food and water as possible and calls out to Richard Parker, the tiger appears and joins him in the boat and they cast off into the unknown.
After an indeterminate time at sea and all but dead, Pi recounts, that the pair encountered a mysterious island that seems to consist of edible algae supporting a forest and a huge population of friendly meerkats. Pi and Richard Parker over time recoup their strength, but Pi becomes afraid of the island after discovering that the algae is carnivorous. If he and the tiger are to survive they must leave the island. He prepares the boat with as much food and water as possible and calls out to Richard Parker, the tiger appears and joins him in the boat and they cast off into the unknown.
In all, Pi survives 227 days in the lifeboat, often half delusional with thirst and hunger. The lifeboat reaches the coast of Mexico and Richard Parker escapes into the nearby jungle, so that rescuers find only Pi.
In the third part of the film, two officials from the Maritime Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport come to Pi's hospital bed to interview Pi and ascertain why the ship sank, but they don't believe his story. Pi then tells a similar story, but this time without animals. Instead, he recounts a story of human brutality, being adrift on a lifeboat with his mother, a sailor with a broken leg, and the ship's cook, who killed the sailor and Pi's mother and cut them up to use as bait and food. Parallels to Pi's first story lead the Japanese officials to believe that the orangutan represents his mother, the zebra represents the sailor, the hyena represents the cook, and Richard Parker is Pi himself. Pi asks if this new story is acceptable, or if he should change any parts that are still too unbelievable; the officials change the subject back to the sinking of the ship. Pi asks which of the two stories they prefer. Since the officials cannot prove which story is true and neither is relevant to the reasons behind the shipwreck, they choose the story with the animals. Pi thanks them and says, "and so it goes with God".
Cast
Pi Patel (older) Pi Patel Pi Patel (5 yrs. old)
The Writer The Cook
Pi's Mother, Gita Pi's Father, Santosh
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