Interesting ideas but otherwise middle-of-the-road. Best scenes are the ones on the raft with Richard Parker.

Rating: 6/10 (26 June 2013)

Life of Pi is one of those books that I distinctly remember looking at the book cover on the floor and thinking "I'll wait for the film." So, 10 years later, here I am, and now I'm actually quite interested in the book. Ang Lee is one of those directors who I always seem to have a strong yet divided opinion about. He's made some of my favourite films and some I've loathed so I'm really surprised that Life of Pi is so middle of the road for me. While it does have some great ideas that are very thought-provoking, particularly in how the protagonist has many religions, Lee's execution isn't as strong as it could have been. Its main weaknesses are the introduction and ending, particularly with the use of a very weak and tired framing device of the older version of the character telling a journalist or writer their story. However, it must be noted that I am big fan of Irrfan Khan's subtle and emotional performance as older Pi, which was a great surprise as I disliked him in Slumdog Millionaire for his wooden deliveries, ironically as a character in a similar style framing device.
It's one of those films that's been hyped for its great use of 3D so I decided to indulge and try it out. I really don't think I'm one for 3D. Unless the director thinks out every single shot of the film, the 3D holds it back. It especially betrays simple medium shots of people where they're the only thing in focus because it makes it look so unorganised and sloppy. Perhaps I should rewatch the film in 2D as I didn't feel as though the 3D added anything to the scenes where it was clearly intended for. However, these scenes, where Pi is alone on the boat with the Tiger, remain the film's strongest and most focused moments. Post-crash scene, Life of Pi finally came into its own with fascinating, sometimes funny and really beautiful scenes of simple survival. Unfortunately, Suraj Sharma, who plays teenage Pi, isn't a strong enough actor to hit his big emotional scenes and they come off and false and contrived. The film does have its merits and mostly on a technical level (forgetting the 3D), but the third act is really messy and doesn't climax in a satisfying way, cinematically or emotionally. I understand its final note on its themes regarding faith and beliefs but the execution doesn't do the idea of it justice. How anyone could gain a faith in God after a story like that is beyond me. It's an enjoyable and watchable film, but quite underwhelming.
7/10