Visually astonishing

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2012)

Young Indian lad Pi (telling his story in flashback) finds himself stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger in the middle of the Pacific.
The book simply didn't appeal to me. The trailers did, however, so off I went to take in Ang Lee's latest offering, a strange affair telling a story which falls midway between mythology, Baron Munchausen, and a Reader's Digest True-Life Adventure.
To be honest, the story, such as it is, is almost inconsequential, albeit quite enough to hold the interest throughout, and certainly sufficient to hang the stunning visuals on. I think the author may well have been aiming to stimulate some sort of spiritual or philosophical musings in his audience. This film never achieved that with me - I am simply too shallow and rooted in material reality - but I was blown away by how visually stunning this film is, and I recommend it heartily on that basis alone. There came a point when I - quite literally - suddenly became aware that my mouth was hanging open.
Also, see this in 3D. It is one of a handful of films where 3D is an essential part of the experience of appreciating the movie.