A beautiful and enthralling tale that explores and displays the wonders of life

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2013)

I wasn't sure what to expect going into Life of Pi. I had never read Yann Martel's 2001 novel and decided to see it based on the content of the trailer alone. I was expecting something good, but I was certainly not prepared for this. The story centres around an Indian boy called Piscine (known to most as Pi) who is confused and unsure about his spiritual beliefs and his faith. He is taken with his family across the sea to find a new home- but after the ship sinks he is left alone, the only survivor, in a lifeboat, accompanied by a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and a tiger, Richard Parker. As he tries to survive and create a bond with Richard Parker he is forced to explore his spiritual beliefs even further, and prompts the viewer to do the same. It is this thought-provocation that makes this film so excellent- the viewer, even if adamant about their faith or lack of it, can't help but stop and think as the film goes on, as well as be amazed by the natural beauty of the world that becomes Pi's home as he battles against the forces of nature and is also amazed by them. The performances are excellent from all involved. Irrfan Khan is superb as the older Pi, delivering his wise lines with serenity mixed with seriousness. Suraj Sharma also delivers a fine debut performance as Pi's 16-year-old self. The script is very good indeed, with some lines taken almost directly from Martel's novel (which of course I went on to read). Watch and prepare to have all you believe in challenged, but also accepted. And any movie that can thrill and excite, provoke thought, entice emotion and create both scenes of beauty and scenes of horror can only be worthy of a 10/10.