Flat story

Rating: 4/10 (12 May 2013)

Life of Pi was a disappointment. Framework of the story, with a reporter interviewing Pi, was totally unnecessary - it made it difficult to get involved with the fate of the main character - after all he would survive to live conventional suburban life. Story didn't move me at all. Whole time I was just wondering are the filmmakers selling this story as a real story, based on a fact, or as a fantasy film. As a 'based on a true story' it could not happen - tiger would eat a scrawny Indian boy in a heartbeat if it was truly hungry and the whole island thing didn't help the realism at all. As a fantasy film, the story needed magic carpet ride and a giant - that would do it. In the frame story the reporter said that: "You had a story that would make me believe in God." That was setting the aspiration of the story quite high. I was ready to yell "Hallelujah" or "Allah Akbar" in the moment story would do it's magic, but it really never happened. Story shouldn't promise something that it can't deliver.
Special effects were very good and actors did their job well - although I was surprised that Depardieu had so little screen time. Better survival film would be Cast away (2000) and better depiction of storm was in The Perfect Storm (2000).