Ang Lee's Life of Pi opens 21 November 2012: USA, Canada, and--Taiwan

[Penthesilea]

I saw this last night with Lynne and her cousin Chris.  It's showing in both 2-D and 3-D and we chose the latter.  I'm not really a big fan of 3-D and I'm not sure it added that much, except near-seasickness.  

Very true to the novel, which I had read this past summer.  Of course, it's visually stunning, but also emotionally compelling, even exhausting.  I jumped out of my seat more than once.  There are some brutal details in the novel, and the film, rated PG, doesn't dwell on these, thankfully.  Still, there are some very intense moments.  I noticed a few people walked out of the theatre.

The performances of the three Pis are nothing short of wondrous.  I still can't believe that the tiger--named Richard Parker--wasn't real.  

Lynne remarked on Ang's love of ambiguity, and it's no different in this film.  The ending is just like in the book (don't let anyone spoil it for you), and includes a scene filmed in a stark white background.  Sound familiar?  

This film stays with you.  I even greeted the cat with "Hello, Richard Parker" this morning.

Now I want to see it. In 3D. And feel like I'm stoned, lol.
It will come out on Dec. 26th in Germany, so it's not a long wait this time.

[Meryl]

I just saw on Life of Pi's Facebook page that Ang will be hosting a discussion of the movie at the Apple Store on Prince Street in Soho tomorrow night, December 7, at 7:00 p.m.  I have theater tickets, but tell any Brokies you know in the area. 

apple.com/soho

[Front-Ranger]

Congratulations to Ang Lee and Life of Pi on the Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture! Do we know how to pick them, or what?

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Congratulations to Ang Lee and Life of Pi on the Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture! Do we know how to pick them, or what?

Ha! Also: Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables” (Do we know how to pick them, or what?)

 

[Meryl]

Also saw Anna Faris on "Top Chef" with her fiance.  She knows how to pick them, too.    BTW, she's preggers. 

I saw "Life of Pi" last night.  Beautiful film!  And in proper Ang fashion, it leaves you with more questions than it does answers.  The tiger is gorgeous.  Surely tigers are the most beautiful creatures ever made. 

[Front-Ranger]

This film stays with you.  I even greeted the cat with "Hello, Richard Parker" this morning.

When I got home from seeing the movie I told my cat, Diva "Hey we just saw a movie about your big brother!"

[Front-Ranger]

I agree with you in part, Meryl. Tigers have the most exquisite fierce beauty. But for overall perfection, I would go with the ruby throated hummingbird or some fish or insect. They can be beautiful like a precious jewel. Even some snakes like the coral snake, are very beautiful. And then there's the horse. What could be more beautiful than a magnificent horse at full gallop? Tigers and lions, though regal, have a tendency to rest a lot unless they are pursuing their prey. Give me a horse or a pronghorn, springing over the prairie. I'd better stop here because I keep thinking of more animals I want to mention!

[Penthesilea]

I agree with you in part, Meryl. Tigers have the most exquisite fierce beauty. But for overall perfection, I would go with the ruby throated hummingbird or some fish or insect. They can be beautiful like a precious jewel. Even some snakes like the coral snake, are very beautiful. And then there's the horse. What could be more beautiful than a magnificent horse at full gallop? Tigers and lions, though regal, have a tendency to rest a lot unless they are pursuing their prey. Give me a horse or a pronghorn, springing over the prairie. I'd better stop here because I keep thinking of more animals I want to mention!

You say horse, I say Arabians.
Both tigers and Arabians make my personal top-list of most beautiful animals.

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

I love that poem. It was in a book about tigers I read as a teenager, both original and translated version. One of my first encounters with the beauty of the English language.


Back to the movie:
Guess who's seeing Life of Pi right now? My daughter. I wanted to go to the movie together with her. Since Kerstin moved away, my daughter is my movie-partner. Today she visited a friend, then called in she will be late, they're seeing Life of Pi. I hope she likes it enough to see it a second time. Can't wait to hear her opinion.

[Front-Ranger]

I feel hopelessly inadequate to review this movie after seeing it yesterday, but I will plough forward anyway. I'm going to try to avoid spoilers as much as possible. The first question is, with the plethora of good movies out there right now, why choose Life of Pi? I'm sure Brokies can answer that quite easily, but I'll give some other more general reasons. First and foremost, Pi is a beautiful movie, revealing our watery Earth in all its glory as well as the full range of animals, fish and the single solitary man who becomes Adam in the story. (He also refers to himself as a modern-day Noah in his ark).

Secondly, Pi is a very satisfying adventure story with a bit of morality and spiritualism gently sprinkled in. It seems like the screenplay is hinting that Pi's early religious training and character development bolstered his inner strength, allowing him to survive in a boat with a tiger. That may be so, but I believe, and Pi also wrote in his journal that having a tiger as his travelling companion kept him alert and was the source of his strength as much as anything. There are many references to gods, symbols and events in various different religions, but they are not done in a heavyhanded way.

I'm told the movie respects and follows the story closely. Based on our experience with Lee's previous films, I beleive it. I once picked up the book and made it about a third of the way, but then I got distracted and never finished it. I will certainly do so now. However, I suspect the plot is rather straightforward in the story as it was in the book and the strengths lie in the character development. The movie also has the sheer spectacle of the ocean, the shipwreck, the special effects (including the tiger), and it will be interesting to see if the book conveys these as well.

One aside, the Bengal tiger is rendered mostly through CGI technology. I read that a real tiger was used for the swimming scenes. This made me laugh because the tiger in the water scenes were my favorite! The face of that big kitty as it paddled towards Pi was adorable, and yet terrifying as well. Could Richard Parker be the new jaws, LOL? It was ingenious to see how and whether Pi outwitted the swimming tiger and how or whether he safely got the tiger back in the boat.

I'll write more later and I also will write some of my more personal reactions in my blog, again trying to avoid spoilers other than what's in the trailer.

[Penthesilea]

Thanks for your review. I haven't seen the movie, but knowing your abilities to dissect movies I'm sure it's anything but inadequate!