Too Much Money Makes Bad Movies

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 2012)

I've had a positive opinion of Ang Lee in the past. But having seen this movie, I think his stature and the state of the financial world is ruining him. The best movie of his I've seen was Eat, Drink, Man,Woman. I found that truly original and accessible. This movie seems more influenced by things like Thor and The Avengers. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much use of special effects. Plus, the storyline is way too much like The Namesake. Both movies have Irrfan Khan telling a story, including an explanation of the name. Gogol or Pi. Tabu was the main female character in both. Both protagonists end up in North America. Mira Nair told the story of The Namesake in the same way that Ang Lee told the story of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, very personally and with some subtlety. I really prefer Mira Nair to tell Indian stories. I even prefer Danny Boyle. Ang Lee is, at best, third. He approaches it with the awkwardness of a foreigner.
Slumdog Millionaire and The Namesake didn't burst like sensations on the movie scene. But once word of mouth got around, they ran for months and months. I am skeptical that Life of Pi has that kind of legs.