Visually and mentally mesmerizing

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2012)

"Life of Pi" is unlike any other film about survival that I have ever seen. The film starts with Pi Patel, an adult who is being interviewed by a Canadian writer who wants to write a great book. Told in flashback, Pi reveals his story, starting with his family, his pursuit of studying different religions, and the animals that his father cared for, including a 450-pound Bengal tiger. His family decides to move to Canada to begin a new life. They hitch a ride on a boat that gets caught in a storm. Surviving the sinking, Pi is forced adrift on a 26-foot lifeboat—with an orangutan, a hyena, a zebra, and the Bengal tiger. While the story seems simple enough, there are many deep, religious and philosophical undertones thrown into the mix that puts the viewer in a position to think and wonder. Part of the beauty of this film, is that it can be interpreted in many ways. What I see as the underlying message or theme maybe different than someone else. It is not only a movie worth seeing, but it is also worth discussing.
With a great degree of ambiguousness and thought-provoking undercurrents, "Life of Pi" is supported by magical feats of movie-making. It is a stunning film to look at with breathtaking cinematography, visual effects that are near perfection, and an emotionally driven musical score. The cast is mostly made up of unknowns to the American audience, but they work well in their given roles, specifically Suraj Sharma as young Pi—he gives us a character to care for. However, the character I cared for the most though is the Bengal Tiger. It may seem bad to favor a CGI animal over a human actor, but the SFX geniuses of Rhythm & Hues have given us a being to admire and awe. This movie has been a privilege to see in cinema. I am afraid though that it will lose its impact once it is converted to DVD and Blu-Ray, for to truly appreciate its power, "Life of Pi" is a movie that must be seen on the big screen.