its pi's life (and we're just visiting)

It’s closing in on Oscar time, and with two movies down we still have seven to review before the big day (so excuse the abundance of film reviews, it’s not the only thing I can write about… I think). The next movie up for the Oscar glory is Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, which has been dubbed one of the best uses of 3D film-making thus far. Yann Martel’s best-selling novel of the same name has been adapted as a visual feast in its depiction of the young Pi (Suraj Sharma) on a high-sea adventure, trapped on a small lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. As one who had read and loved Martel’s book, I was keen to see how this adaptation would fare amongst so many failed book-to-screen attempts. 

rating: ★★★★

This has got to be one of, if not THE PRETTIEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. I’m not usually one to enjoy a movie where essentially the only piece of set necessary is a green screen, but what Life of Pi managed to do with CGI is incredible, and you just lose yourself in it. The visual imagery gave the story something the book could not, and that has been vital in separating the book from the movie (and in my opinion, to succeed in an page-to-screen adaptation is to either follow the book to a T, or find a way to make the movie an entirely different experience). To top this off, the way 3D has been used only adds to the visual effect and it’s up there with James Cameron’s Avatar as one of the very few films better with 3D effects than without. Suraj Sharma gives a brave and lovable (seriously, adorable) performance as Pi, and although he might not be nominated yet, I think he has a bright future ahead of him in the biz.

I have very few issues with the film, although the ending didn’t quite carry it home the way I wanted it to. Having read the book, I am a little (a lot) biased, so I also feel they left out important plot movements of the original story and opted for a movie where not much happens for a hefty portion of its duration. I am not by any means saying it is boring – in fact, this story of a boy-stuck-at-sea happens to be one of the most captivating I have ever seen.      

Madolyn 

rating: ★★★1/2

It's been a while since I watched this one, I saw it in December at a preview screening at the Vmax cinema in the city - and if this movie isn't the perfect film for THE BIGGEST CINEMA EVER then I don't know what is. The size of the screen went hand in hand with the scale of the scenery and the story of this film. Suraj Sharma was brilliant, especially when you consider he was acting alone opposite nothing in front of a green screen for most of the film, the fact that he can't swim and the other fact that he only went along to the audition because his brother promised him a Subway. I think he deserved a nom but that's just me! I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on the page-to-screen aspect, and I can see how, for some, the film could have been quite boring and pointless, because of its stretches of seascape and loneliness, and it isn't a film packed with entertainment, but its magnificent beauty certainly makes up for all that in my eyes.