Fascinating Survival Tale

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2012)

Ang Lee's "Life Of Pi" is a remarkable film. Adapted from Yann Martel's book it tells a story of an idealistic young man who finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger after the ship carrying him and his family sinks in a storm. Like Ernest Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" it is an allegorical tale that wrestles with some of the most fundamental issues confronting mankind. Suraj Sharma is excellent as the titled character. Beginning life as "Piscine Molitor" he shortens his name to simply "Pi" after the other schoolchildren start referring to him as "Pissing". He frustrates his Hindu father by professing a belief in Christianity and Islam as well as Hinduism despite his father's protests that it is irrational to do so. When the father decides that their future financial prospects in India are not good the family packs up and sets sail for Canada and a new life. Following a catastrophic storm Pi is forced to reconcile his idealism with the primal desire for self-preservation. This is a gorgeous looking picture thanks to Claudio Miranda's cinematography and the 3D is outstanding. "Life Of Pi" is a triumph and one of the best films of 2012.