Review: Life of Pi

I’ve always said that movies can be classified into two groups: ones you can catch on Starz in a few months, and the ones you absolutely must watch in a theater. Life of Pi is most assuredly the latter, and should be classified as an experience as much as it is a film. Every line of dialogue is quotable, and every shot is a postcard. I found myself forgetting about the $4.50 Coke stuck to the floor in front of me, and could have sworn I was fighting to survive alongside Suraj Sharma’s Pi. This is not a film you will soon forget, and no matter your views on religion, it’s hard for the spiritual overtones to not affect you.

Before filming began, a solid foundation was already set in the form of Yann Martel’s novel of the same name.  The survival tale of a young boy who loses his family (and more than a few exotic animals) in a shipwreck on their voyage to a new life captivated readers back in 2001, and the filmmakers took advantage of what was given to them. Ang Lee and co. overcame what may have seen like a daunting task and have brought Pi’s heart wrenching story to life with beauty, wonder, and no lack of amazement. Sharma’s teenage Pi works perfectly in tandem with Irrfan Khan’s adult version, and not once does the viewer doubt that the two are operating from the same emotional core. This is especially impressive when considering the fact that Life of Pi represents Sharma’s feature film debut. He takes command of his dialogue, but his expressions and actions speak just as loudly. In the film, Pi’s father notes that animals do not possess human emotion, and that what you see in their eyes is simply a reflection of your own. While this may be true for Bengal tigers, the same can’t be said for Suraj Sharma, whose onscreen presence reflected my own emotions but returned them with a faith-filled, thought-provoking spin. 

In essence, Life of Pi is a movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat with straight up adventure, while simultaneously giving your mind a workout with brilliant dialogue and allegory.  While not as culturally groundbreaking as Brokeback Mountain or as stylistic as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi has very few flaws, and is my favorite of Ang Lee’s films to date.

Score: 5/5