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At the Movies with Jesse: “Life of Pi”

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I recently spent an evening at the Linway 14 Cinema for a screening of Life of Pi, a film based on the 2001 novel of the same name written by Yann Martel. I had finished the book only a few months earlier and was excited to see how Hollywood would adapt it. In short, I was not disappointed with the excellence that Life of Pi had to offer.

Life of Pi follows a young boy, Piscine Molitor Patel, as he grows up in Pondicherry. Pi, as he is nicknamed, develops a deep love for animals as he grows up living in a zoo that his father owns and operates. As he deals with this profound adoration, Pi also begins to explore the role of spirituality in the world he inhabits. His family’s Hindu traditions take on new meaning, but can no longer satisfy his desires to connect with a divine presence. Pi takes up Christianity and Islam, molding these three religions into an intriguing relationship with God which is put to the test when a shipwreck in the Pacific Ocean leaves him as the sole human survivor. He shares his lifeboat with Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger whose presence poses a constant threat to Pi as he struggles to survive.

At first glance, this premise seems incredibly limited. It features one character stranded in the middle of the ocean for the majority of the film’s 127 minute duration. So why does Life of Pi’s running time melt away, leaving its audience with more satisfaction than expected?

The reality of Life of Pi is that every fine detail has been attended to. Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Taking Woodstock) serves as director and once again proves to be among Hollywood’s most masterful filmmakers. The artistic design dazzles and boasts impressive Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). Tigers, elephants, zebras, and meerkats are among the digitally rendered creatures that receive a good amount of screen time. Nevertheless, these animals never seem fake and contribute heavily to the opinion that Life of Pi is the next Avatar.

This is the beauty of Lee’s work: He has created a magnificent piece of art, a product of decades of filmmaking. Technology and style from numerous films filter in, generating a near-perfect blend that works in Lee’s favor, keeping Life of Pi from becoming monotonous.
Lee is not alone in this endeavor, however. His stellar cast maximizes Life of Pi’s potential. Newcomer Suraj Sharma makes his first acting credit count, bringing incredible depth and humanity to Pi Patel. He and Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man), who portrays the middle-aged Pi in narration sequences, are finely in-tune with one another.

Life of Pi 2This isn’t to say that Life of Pi is the embodiment of perfection, though it does boast impressive visuals, direction, and cast. Viewers who have read the novel will find some of their favorite little moments missing in the cinematic retelling. A PG rating deters Yann Martel’s gruesome and gory conclusion to Pi’s tale, warranting an oral explanation of these events instead.

But Life of Pi has found success. Its “family friendly” rating and poor marketing were high contributors to initial box office disappointment, but positive word of mouth as well as overseas appeal have allowed the film to turn a profit in the past week or so. It is in a prime position to dominate the upcoming awards season. Life of Pi has been nominated for nine Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and leads the Golden Globes’ nomination list, where it will battle primarily with Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Argo and Django Unchained are also top competitors. We can expect Life of Pi to perform quite well with these nominations. This fantastic tale of heroism and hope in the face of danger is fresh and rewarding.

Life of Pi is now playing. Rated PG for emotional thematic content throughout, and some scary action sequences and peril. My rating: Eight and a half stars out of ten.

~Jesse Bontreger