‘Life of Pi’ is a visual delight

Life of Pi is a luscious and visually-stunning film.

Directed by master filmmaker Ang Lee and based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Yann Martel, Life of Pi is a truly lovely movie. Crafted with broad visual and emotional strokes, the film manages to tap into universal themes, while telling a distinctive story that never loses sight of its own identity.

Life of Pi tells the story Piscine “Pi” Molitor (portrayed by Suraj Sharma, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur and Irfan Khan). Growing up in the Pondicherry region of India, Pi is the youngest son of the owners of the local zoo. Having developed an interest in spirituality at a young age, Pi studies Hinduism, Christianity and Islam as a boy and begins to follow all three.

Pi’s life is disrupted when his parents decide to move the family, along with the zoo animals, to Canada. But, when the ship carrying Pi and his family sinks in a fierce storm, Pi must fight for survival on a lifeboat, which he shares with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Life of Pi is one of those films that really hammers home the importance of a good director.

The movie’s story is framed through the adult Pi (Irfan Khan) telling his story to a visiting writer (Rafe Spall). This device helps inform Life of Pi with a distinct awareness of space and time, and much of the movie has the feel of a good story one retells long after one first hears it.

Indeed, the sense of wonder permeating Life of Pi, from intimate moments from Pi’s childhood to gorgeous oceanic set pieces, is one of its most enduring features.

Life of Pi is also a visual marvel.

It is a 3D film, and it’s worth every extra penny of the 3D ticket price to see it as such, as the film’s use of 3D, most notably in its ocean segments, is marvelous and imaginative. While many 3D movies focus on utilizing 3D technology to make more engaging action, Life of Pi uses the possibilities of 3D chiefly to linger.

Extensive sections of Life of Pi consist of the camera doing all the talking, as it explores the inner and outer world in which the story is taking place. It’s movies like this that really show us the diversity of stories that can be told with this new technology, and I hope to see more like it in the future.

Life of Pi’s acting is quite good. In particular, Khan, as the adult Pi, and Sharma, as his teenaged self, do excellent work providing the framework around which the rest of the story is woven. This is also Sharma’s first acting role, and I expect we will see a lot more of his talents in the future.

Spall, who plays the writer, does a fine job, and the quality of the acting coming from even the smallest of roles, and how each of these parts add to the central story, is impressive in and of itself.

It should also be noted that Life of Pi is a family-friendly film. Although the shipwreck and some of the scenes with the tiger may be too scary for young children, there is nothing remotely corrupting about this film. If your child can handle some frightening action, then I would definitely recommend taking him/her to this movie, as it is both exciting and moving.

Life of Pi may not be the best film I’ve seen this year, but it is very good. If you’re in the mood for seeing a beautiful movie that tackles timeless themes in a rich, stimulating and meaningful way, then go out and buy a ticket for Life of Pi. You’re certain to leave satisfied.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on December 6, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Columns,Movie Reviews,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry