Master Filmmaking!

Rating: 10/10 (4 March 2013)

I can't express how thankful I am to Ang Lee for taking on this project, which was deemed impossible to make by many filmmakers. This is definitely the most challenging film in Lee's career since Brokeback Mountain.
One of the most beautiful films in recent time, Life of Pi is a great mix of humor, drama and adventure carried out by an incredible and original story. I never found myself rolling my eyes even though we see a boy on a small boat with a tiger for the most part. This is also the reason why this film was a big gamble. It's tough to make something eventful out of this premise without demanding a very high suspension of disbelief from the audience, which will hinder their enjoyment. Thankfully, Ang Lee and co. knew how to execute it in the best way possible. Actors did their job very well and were all believable in their roles. Suraj Sharma's performance stands out as the best. He was absolutely incredible in his first acting role ever! He can express sadness, happiness, desperation, fear, love, unsteadiness, interest etc with great prowess. His acting draws you into his character and makes him feel real. This just proves furthermore why Ang Lee is one of the best directors at the moment. Aside from knowing how to tell a story, he has an eye for talent and is able to "squeeze" that talent from actors.
The technical aspects complete the movie. The score is authentic and beautiful. The visual effects and 3D are just out of this world! Also, these aspects actually serve to enhance the experience and main themes of the movie. Effects are used perfectly at the right times and are in no way cheesy. The tiger is animated for the most of the movie and there's just no way to describe how brilliant and "alive" Richard Parker felt! It's absolutely stunning to watch him. I'm not surprised many people thought it was a real tiger the whole time.
Some people say the film is preachy, shallow, tries to make you believe in God, tries to be deep etc. I don't think it aims to do such things. It simply shows the beauty of nature and examines our love for stories, our imagination and our interest in faith. There are many metaphorical elements, which provide some interesting food for thought. There is also an angle that the whole story is actually an allegory and it's up to us to decipher it and interpret what actually happened. But even if you don't like open ended movies, if you just want to sit back and enjoy, I highly recommend this because the whole movie is a pleasure for eyes and ears. I don't think it's boring because I find the pacing surprisingly great. The exchange of drama and humor is perfect and the latter is executed very well - it provides genuine laughs.
One last thing if you decide to watch this: know what to expect. Don't expect a masterpiece in religious discussion or character exploration. Expect beautiful scenery, an engaging story that borders between reality and imagination and a magnificent Bengal tiger, all wrapped up in an adventurous journey of a young boy's life! One of my favorite films of all time - 10/10!