As I walked into a dark movie theatre showing “Life of Pi,” I was nervous.  Yann Martel’s book, upon which the movie is based, is one of my favorites, and the trailers I had seen for Ang Lee’s adaptation seemed to me as straying from the plot and overdone.
After seeing Lee’s creation, however, my fears and misconceptions were swept away.
The 127 minute movie is a visual masterpiece from the start, so much so that the opening credits themselves could be displayed independently as art.  The narrative of the story is equally rewarding, and the film rarely strays from the plot presented in Martel’s novel.
“Life of Pi†tells the story of 16-year-old Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma), the son of a zookeeper (Adil Hussain) living in Pondicherry, India.  The beginning of the movie describes Pi’s childhood introductions to religion.  Born a Hindu, Pi also becomes a Christian and later a Muslim, and his devout and pious nature helps Pi to survive the trials which he faces throughout the film.
When Pi’s father decides to sell the family zoo and move to Canada to escape the failing economy in their town, Pi’s family must board the Tsimtsum, a Japanese freighter which also carries their zoo animals.  The ship sinks in a tragic storm en route, and Pi escapes on a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, a rat, and an adult Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
After all the animals but Richard Parker are killed by one another, Pi is left fighting for his life against the ocean and his feral shipmate.  While the beginning of the movie focuses on Pi’s religion and family relationships, the middle of the film gives the audience a fascinating epic of survival at sea.
Meanwhile, the movie’s narrative jumps back and forth between Pi’s aquatic struggles and an adult Pi (Irrfan Khan), living in Canada, who is being interviewed by a writer (Rafe Spall) looking for a story that will make him “believe in God.†These interludes help to comfort the audience of Pi’s survival, and because of their careful placement in the action they don’t detract from the flow of the story.
While excellently relating the terror that life at sea inspires, Sharma gives a stirring performance that constantly reminds the audience of Pi’s unwavering belief in God.
The movie’s stunning visual effects further add to the other-worldy nature of this brilliant film, and the 3D filming (which can be distracting in other movies) only adds to the beauty.
Not only did Rhythm & Hues Studios (the company which created the visual effects) create many of the breathtaking sea creatures which fill the movie, but they also took on the challenge of creating the Bengal tiger who costars with Suraj Sharma. Â While a real tiger was used for a handful of scenes, the majority of shots were digitized, taking visual effects to a realm of reality seldom reached.
The filming for the movie, which took place in India, Canada and Taiwan as well as its beautiful Indian-dominated soundtrack also help the audience to become submerged in Pi’s home’s culture and way of life, and further endear Pi to the audience.
Compelling performances, breathtaking visual effects and an enthralling plot make “Life of Pi†a must-see in a season filled with fantastic movies, and it promises important lessons of life and religion fitting to the start of a new year.
