Film Review: Life of Pi
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Life of Pi can be summed up by a list of synonyms: magical, captivating, breathtaking, spellbinding. Entering the cinema with a preconception of the film being cinematically spectacular in all it's 3D glory, but weak plot and storywise, I couldn't have been more wrong. 30 minutes in, I sat and wept and quietly sobbed my socks off until 30 minutes after the final credits had rolled. Both the plot and the visual masterpiece held me in a tear-stained vice. Even at home, I could not stop marvelling at what a beautiful film it had been and I'll tell you why...
The beauty of the film lies in the storytelling. Narrated by an adult Pi (short for Piscine Patel - the story behind this is a funny one), the audience knows the outcome before the film even begins: he lives to tell the tale. Ok, so we knew that already, but we have no idea what happened, except that it involved a boat, the sea, and a tiger. The narrative, following a style reminiscent of Forrest Gump and Titanic, is a conversation between Pi and The Writer (Rafe Spall). It provides the speech aspects of the film, as there is only so much communication between a teenage boy and a tiger in the flashbacks. Every scene is linked effortlessly and whilst I would usually get irritated by constant narrative, it brings a warming, personal touch to it all. Over 2 hours pass by unnoticed, even though there isn't a whole lot of action (how much could you fit into a boat anyway?), because the story is so delicate and intricate.
The storytelling is continued by a clever summary of Pi's life; from his childhood tales, his search for a God, his following of numerous religions, his first encounter with Richard Parker the tiger, and the events which lead to him and Richard Parker being stranded in the middle of the ocean. Every emotion is acted out powerfully by Suraj Sharma, who has never been in a single movie before this. Considering all his scenes were filmed sans tiger, the interaction was particularly impressive. I cried when he cried, laughed when he laughed. He shows raw talent which so many actors with years of Hollywood experience wouldn't be able to muster. Pi is a peculiar character, with his curiosity, defiance and sense of adventure appearing from his childhood days and proving to save his life at times. It's all done in a way that makes us, the viewers, feel for him at every stage of his staggering journey. He's clever, too, and that accounts for very interesting viewing when you might otherwise have thought that nothing interesting can happen on the same boat in the same spot of water.
The other star of the show is the tiger. The CGI is eerily realistic, successfully building a complete character of it's own out of a wild, untamed animal. The tiger is as much a part of the story of Pi's survival as Pi himself. I mean, how can a teenage boy survive within a few feet of a man-eating scary creature? It's a strange relationship indeed - Tom Hanks had Wilson for company in Castaway, and Pi has Richard Parker. The special digital effects and whatever went into the process of creating a lifelike tiger is incredibly impressive, with impressive detail right down to each whisker.
Speaking of special effects, onto the cinematic side of Life of Pi. The stars in the sky, the stillness of the ocean water, the wildlife of the water, the island (I shan't ruin anything) - everything has "wow" written all over it. If it doesn't win the Oscar for Best Cinematography I'll eat my foot. The 3D paints a vivid and exciting picture and works extremely well within the film - it doesn't need action and car chases and superheroes. It's not just stunning cinematography, but an actual piece of art. Over the years, Yann Martel's novel was deemed "unfilmable" but having watched an interview with director Ang Lee, he proclaimed: "nothing is unfilmable". And he's proved his point rather well. His direction and dedication will, no doubt, win awards.
This is usually the point where I say something less positive about the film but I honestly cannot think of any. Sitting in the cinema seat, I was probably too overwhelmed by tears (or confusion over why I was actually crying that much) to notice anything I didn't like. Actually, I didn't like that I hadn't packed tissues. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy the film as much as I did, and apart from the whole "boy and tiger in the sea" plot, I had little idea of what to expect anyway. There's also an intriguing plot twist which made me wonder/ponder for days after watching it (again, I shan't ruin anything).
Ultimately, it is a moving story of survival, strength and hope. It's littered with funny laugh-out-loud moments even in desperate situations, so yes, it is a depressing topic, but it's not depressing. If you're going to watch it - and I think that you should - I really would urge you to see it in the cinema whilst you still can. I simply can't imagine that a DVD would ever provide the same kind of magic I was transfixed by! And I'll leave you with one line (repeated a few times but entirely appropriate and not as cheesy as I make it sound) which you and I can take away from it all: "Above all, do not lose hope."
Bev x
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