Breathtaking, beautiful, symbolic and very deep

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2012)

The trailers I saw for Life of Pi did nothing to explain what the movie was at all and I had not read the book nor heard of it. But I decided to give it a try. I don't like 3D, never have, it's always unimpressive. Well guess what? Ang Lee did it. I saw this in 3D and it literally is the first 3D film that made me go WOW!! The visuals are just absolutely amazing, some of the best effects I have ever seen. Fortunately this is not where the films ends it impressive streak. The story is just lovely, riveting, and so emotionally and spiritually deep. A philosophy class could talk about this movie for an entire year and still have more to say. The film doesn't even begin to try to give you a philosophy or way of life but rather is all about exploring the world and exploring the philosophies of life. As a lover of animals you will look for how all the animals in the film play a role but there are truly just animals and important lessons are learned through them. It was perhaps one of the most symbolic and deeply philosophical films I have ever seen and because of that it was incredibly entertaining and beautifully shot.
While a few actors play Pi throughout various stages of his life, only one leaves an indelible and brilliant impression. Suraj Sharma at least deserves an Oscar nomination for making you feel so connected to him and displaying a brilliant display of courage and depth to his character. While he doesn't get as much screen time Irrfan Khan puts incredible emotion into his performance as adult Pi. Both Sharma and Khan bring to life a great adventurer and philosopher in the form of Pi. The supporting cast performs their parts perfectly. No one person really stands out because their goal it to get Pi into his adventure but they are still great. Adil Hussain and and Tabu are particularly good as Pi's parents.
Ang Lee without a doubt must receive an Oscar nod for this film. The cinematography, the special effects, and most importantly the use of those special effects are nothing short of revolutionary. The animals are so brilliantly done and the character of the tiger (Richard Parker...love how he got his name too) is so vital to the entire story and by the time the film ends you will ache for the tiger as much as Pi does so you will feel his emotions. The film won't be for everyone. Certainly its just too intense for children with a lot of animal deaths and I can see the mainstream movie goers accusing it of being "slow" or "boring" but for anyone looking for something unique and outstanding, Life of Pi is it. I hope the critics feel the same way because this one is a home run in my books!! 9/10