Ang Lee has created a masterpiece in the world of cinema and this film will long be a very-memorable film due to the breathtaking cinematography and beautiful scenery.

Rating: 10/10 (15 January 2013)

Read my full review (thoughts on the film, what I liked about it, the plot etc.) at: http://miloponsford.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kill-list-2011.html
...Normally I don't like 3-D films; I hate the cheap, uncomfortable glasses, I hate how you have to look directly at the center of the screen all the time, and they make me feel dizzy. However, the visually-stunning masterpiece that was up on the screen completely took me away and I was completely engaged with the bright colours and amazing imagery. I've heard it's amazing in 2-D, though, and I'm sure it is. There aren't really any exclusive 3-D scenes (such as subjects coming towards the camera), but there is so much more depth in 3-D films, which really brings out how amazing the cinematography was. The composition in every scenic shot was brilliant, and there were some really-amazing scenes and random events that occur with Pi out at sea. The book challenges the idea of reliability, as the imagery could be made-up due to Pi loosing his mind when he's at sea, but we see this vivid imagery ourselves which makes us lean towards the crazier story about the animals on the boat, not the people...
...I first read the book, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, in 2009. I also read it in 2011. I've always loved the book as it too has very powerful imagery (especially for a book), and I was hoping that the film wouldn't let down the book like most film-adaptations seem to do these days. I really wasn't expecting Ang Lee to direct it well as his previous films have been nothing like Life of Pi. However, the film was exactly like the book (besides a few little differences), and I was more than satisfied. I'm not sure whether I prefer the original book or the film; they're both brilliant...
...The story leaves the audience with a question: which of Pi's stories is the truth? I believe the second story to be true. I would like the first story to be true, with it's incredible sequence of random events that haven't been experienced or discovered, but it's unlikely. Why? Because Pi was stranded for a very long time and after seeing nothing but sea and having a bad diet, lack of sleep and suffering from the heat and the pressure he faces, he probably went crazy. We see how exhausted he is when he arrives on the shores of Mexico; he cries and cries until he is in hospital. Also, the island has never been discovered and there is no evidence of any of the animals or events that happened. I also struggle to see how a young man survives that long at sea on a raft with a very hungry Benga tiger, even if he trained it; as Pi's father says earlier on in the story, "you think tiger is your friend, he is an animal, not a playmate". The whole movie is about knowledge versus faith; Pi questions and tries different religions and throughout the film these beliefs are questioned with knowledge. What the audience has to decide is whether or not they believe in knowledge of faith, just like Pi did earlier on. I believe in knowledge...
...In conclusion, Life of Pi is an absolutely brilliant film. Ang Lee has created a masterpiece in the world of cinema and this film will long be a very-memorable film due to the breathtaking cinematography and beautiful scenery. The film is far from a let down to the book, and in my opinion actually excels. 10/10, because it's exactly like the book, not a typical Hollywood adventure and I honestly can't flaw it.