Review- Life of Pi

At the Theater - Life of Pi - This PG-Rated adventure tale of a teenaged castaway boy sharing a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger over a span of several months at sea just might be the live-action visual treat of the year.  Directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,  The Ice Storm), the film features an abundance of vibrant cinematography, razor sharp animal FX work and an excellent performance from newcomer Suraj Sharma (as teenaged Pi). 

"Bollywood" superstar Irrfan Khan (as adult Pi) is also terrific in a limited role- he would be garnering more stateside roles in a perfect world and will probably  turn up next as a villainous sort in a large franchise.  Adil Hussain and Tabu, portraying Pi's Father and Mother, respectively, are also very good in limited screen time.  Gerard Depardieu is wasted in a brief cameo as a rather unpleasant cook, while Rafe Spall (Prometheus) is merely serviceable as the local writer interested in Pi's story.

I had zero knowledge of the Yann Martel novel from which this film is adapted going in, thus I found the experience decidedly different than expected- some might find the trailers slightly misleading.  The film is religiously and philosophically themed without being preachy, with it's "tall-tale" tone and structure often reminding me of films like Second Hand Lions (a film I enjoyed) and Big Fish (a film I did not enjoy) mixed with subject matter similar to Cast Away (one of my absolute favorites). It's a tale of hope and survival that's often exciting, touching and poignant, with several eye-catching segments that are outright beautiful.

Though I highly recommend seeing it in theaters, what could have been the clear-cut film of the year trips itself up a few times too many to seal the deal.  It's conclusion lacked the emotional impact that the vast majority of the story sets it up for while the sanitized and governing PG rating (as opposed to a PG-13) appears to be the culprit behind a number of logistical holes that will certainly nag at those with an attention to detail.  Apparently "Richard Parker" (yes, that's the name of the Tiger in the movie) was a helluva tidy big cat- 227 days at sea, yet he never left a trace of his meals on the lifeboat (blood stains, hoofs, skeletal remains, dung...).  There is a possible allegorical explanation for some of my issues with the film given at the eleventh hour that I felt only worked to cheapen the experience...

I don't believe Life of Pi works as a "kid's film" as I can't imagine smaller children being held captive by the talkative bookends while a few brief segments of animal on animal violence (although bloodless) might prove most unsettling. 

Check it out in a quality theater in 3D (it's worthwhile) and you shouldn't be disappointed.

8.0 out of 10