Life of Pi review

Pi Patel: Above all: don't lose hope. 

Director: Ang Lee
(2012)

On paper, Life of Pi seems like a pretty ridiculous film that I was certain would flop under the weight of its own expectation. Even the project being helmed by the incredible Ang Lee-the man responsible for masterpieces such as Brokeback Mountain- couldn’t quell my fears. After all, Yann Martel’s book has been deemed unfilmable on numerous occasions with talented directors such as Alfonso Cuaron and Jean-Pierre Jeunet passing the film on after being attached. Making matters even grimmer was the choice to shoot in 3D; a factor that's usually a solid indication of an impending cash grab from naive filmgoers who think that viewing stuff pop out from the screen is worth the extra green. Yet these fears were never compounded throughout the 3D viewing that I attended, as Life of Pi feels like a pure piece of cinema, a blissful combination of entertainment and technical wizardry.

The story of Life of Pi is a relatively straightforward one for the most part, told using a framed narrative. Our writer (Rafe Spall) is having dinner with Pi (Irrfan Khan) after hearing that he has an amazing story to tell. We recount Pi’s childhood, from his families acquisition of a zoo to his frequent encounters with various religions and how they shape his life. Events transpire which force Pi and his family to leave India and take their zoo to Canada. It’s on this fateful voyage that a vicious storm hits, sinking the colossal vessel and leaving Pi stranded on a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, monkey and primary co star Richard Parker, a ferocious Bengal tiger. While Life of Pi is undoubtedly a story told primarily in a visual way, the framed narrative allows intervention from both Pi and The Writer in elaborating on the films more obscure aspects. Lee takes extra care here; he sheds light on the tricky aspects of the plot without ever using a paternal tone, a small success that aids the films universal appeal.

While I often berate films for excessive use of CGI, Lee’s latest may actually be one of few films that incorporate said effects so intuitively that they augment the film in almost every aspect. While some scenes have shots of blatantly fake animals that feel slightly unwarranted, for the most part things mesh successfully with live action shots to make a gorgeous meld of beauty. The choice to incorporate real animals into shots pays dividends too, on many occasions the line between fake and real is seamlessly blurred. This strong technical design is enhanced by some flawless cinematography from Claudio Miranda. Even during the more frenetic scenes- the sinking of the cargo ship for instance- shots never descend into shaking cameras or poorly framed set pieces. This discipline is what stops Life of Pi from becoming a sloppy, expensive mess.

Despite my initial groans of disappointment, Lee’s choice to shoot the film in 3D is a surprisingly good one. Unlike lesser efforts (Transformers 3 I'm looking at you) the use of the additional dimension isn’t solely for cheap gimmicks and things popping out of the screen. For the majority of the film it adds depth to the image, successfully causing a notable distinction between foreground and background. As well as creating a deeper, richer image, it also augments the more intense scenes such as the school of flying fish that barrage Pi’s raft. It’s like Lee even acknowledges the formats weaknesses-most notably how a fast moving camera will make for a horrifically blurring image- and does his best to prevent such a hideous effect from occurring. If only every director put this much care and consideration into the use of the format, it might actually become a viable way of watching cinema.

An important part of the film is Pi’s religious belief, or rather beliefs. He is a supporter of many religions, most prominently Hindu, but also Christianity and Islam. Yet despite this, Lee doesn’t ram religion down the throats of his audience. While the many beliefs of Pi are a prominent part of the story, they merely represent faith in any and all of its forms. If, like me, you’re an atheist, Life of Pi’s religious content isn’t stifling or abrasive, but rather beautiful and inspiring. It’s not what or who you believe, it’s simply about believing in something in times of need. Lee’s handling of such a fragile subject is admirable.

What is undoubtedly Life of Pi’s biggest achievement is how Martel’s tricky novel is made into an enjoyable cinematic experience. Considering a large chunk of the film is a boy and a tiger on a boat, Life of Pi is never boring, and consistently engaging. Suraj Sharma’s performance is engaging and grounded, his commitment to what must have been a tough shoot is marvellous. While the film never rises to a level that can be described as truly spectacular, Life of Pi does what many films fail to achieve by possessing both visual beauty and strong storytelling. A fine showcase for both computer generated effects and that usually useless extra dimension.

8