***SPOILER*** ***SPOILER*** ***SPOILER****
If you haven't seen the movie, skip this post. I'm not sure there will be spoilers, but just to be on the safe side. I don't want to cencor myself right now.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.
Just coming back from the theater. Saw the movie with both of my daughters (Hannah and her whole group accidently went into the wrong movie last week, can you imagine?
).
I've read your review again after seeing the movie and must say it's excellent!
Compliments to all my Brokie buds, you have a fine reception when it comes to movies (which doesn't come as a surprise of course).
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?
Oh yes, Paul and Mouk. Totally, totally made me think of the Twist house. And as second thought, I remembered that you both mentioned the same.
I loved the ambituity of the ending. Also a familiar Ang Lee trademark, as well as the beyond beautiful pictures.
I even greeted the cat with "Hello, Richard Parker" this morning.
You landed a good one with this comment with my daughters! When we came home the cat sat in the kitchen and I bent down, petted him and said exactly the same thing, thinking of you. "Hallo Richard Parker"
The girls laughed and I credited you for the joke.
All in all I'm sure I will watch the movie again once it's on DVD. I don't have the desire to see it again in theater, but I've only had that once in my life. Other than BBM, I never go to the theater twice for the same movie (not to mention six or so times
).
One thing I also liked, but haven't seen mentioned so far (didn't read the whole thread) is the humor in it. Even if it's not much, it stood out for me. I have a thing for the absurd, and for absurd names and thus liked that the tiger was named Richard Parker and why.
And Gerad Depardieu as the cook! Even if he's a mean character, I absolutely loved how he reacted when being told Pi's family was vegetarian. Putting a snipped of green on the plate "Oh yes, vegetarian, I understand - here ya go" LOL. Yeah, what an asshole, but I loved the whole exchange.