One of the last big movies to be released this year (on this side of the pond at least) has arrived into cinemas and it is one of the movies that will complete 2012 on a high.
Life Of Pi tells the story of a young man and his family who decide to move to America with their Zoo animals in tow, or more so in the cargo hold of a ship. Said ship sinks in a terrible storm and Pi finds himself a drift at sea with nothing but a Bengal Tiger for company in his battle for survival. And survive they do (this is in the trailers so STOP screaming spoiler) as an older Pi recounts his magnificent tale to a writer many years later.
And what a magnificent tale it is. With a number of breath taking set pieces including Whales, Flying Fish and Meerkats Life Of Pi is visually spectacular. Even the opening 5 minutes let you know your if for something special as every shot here is superbly composed. Those of you who are aware of the rule of thirds for composition, let this be a benchmark. And while some of the CGi effects fall a little flat on occasion with some of the animals been a bit unconvincing and unbeliveable, it still never ceases to impress and more importantly completely draws you into the film.
Where the CGi doesn’t fall flat is with Richard Parker, the aforementioned Bengal Tiger. And yes thats his name! The tiger is brilliantly realised and is brimming with personality and character in quite an organic way which really convinces that this isn’t a piece of CG but more an expertly trained animal, which of course it’s not, but you get the point.
The cast include Suraj Sharma as Pi and Irrfan Khan as the older, adult Pi and all are very likeable and have a rock solid presence on screen, especially Suraj Sharma as much of the movie lies on his shoulders.
As impressive as the life boat scenes are, at times they seem to drag on a little bit and while they don’t “sink” the movie, they are noticeable. And while these scenes do expand the story, you wonder how much they could have shaved off here and there. But that’s the only gripe I have with this. And while not without the occasional fault, Life of Pi is visually stunning and has a fantastically realised story. As well as being quite profound and thought provoking at times, this is also a very decent slice of Pi! Check it out.