A bona fide masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2013)

A gorgeous motion picture that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve, this epic survival tale is sweet, poignant and thought-provoking. As castaway Pi (played in adolescent form capably by Suraj Sharma and as an adult by the phenomenal Irffan Khan) defies death whilst stranded on a boat with a ferocious Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, themes such as religion, faith, companionship and solitude are all explored. The beauty in David Magee's screenplay (adapted from Yann Martel's best-selling novel) is that each audience member will walk away with their own opinions and feelings on the aforementioned themes, depending on intelligence, maturity and cultural upbringing. This is not a film about religion in itself, but the context is there if you wish to acknowledge it. Otherwise it's a movie about belief, and having the strength of conviction in whatever it is you do choose to believe in.
If the story wasn't impressive enough, then Life of Pi also serves as a breathtaking display of visual splendour and wonderment. From the sweet opening credits to the majestic island that is inhabited by an untold number of meerkats in the final act, Ang Lee has put every ounce of effort behind the camera (and with his computer effects team) to create an awe-inspiring landscape, in 3D no less, for Pi to exist in. This is our world to be sure, but rarely has it been seen like this. Glowing jellyfish lighting up the way for a whale to jump out of the water at night, a sunrise mirrored in perfect symmetry by the still ocean or a gigantic freighter sinking to the plumbs of the Pacific; every shot is one of glorious realisation that could easily be photographed and hung on a wall. Most importantly, Richard Parker is rendered utterly believable thanks to the seamless combination of a real tiger and flawless CGI.
A bona fide masterpiece.