Based on the best selling novel by Yann Martel, Academy Award Winning Director Ang Lee brings the story Life of Pi to the big screen. Pi is the son of an Indian Zoo Keeper who's family has decided to take their trade to Canada and has hitched a ride on a Pacific tanker ship to do so. Tragedy strikes when the ship goes down leaving the 16 year old Pi to fend for his life adrift in the ocean with his fellow survivors: a Bengal tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, and a zebra.
Ang Lee is best known for his works directing such films as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Lee has enlisted unknown actor Suraj Sharma to play the principal role of Pi. Quite the opportunity for a young actor's first role. And he nailed the role, and Ang Lee nailed this film. Every shot of film in this movie could be clipped from the reel and blown up to a poster sized print and sold as art is was that beautiful, that breath-taking. And that's exactly what the preview leads you to believe it will be. However, unless you read the book, you wouldn't know from the preview that this isn't just a survivor story; but it's also a story of identity, discovery and doubt. Young Pi is a smart and inquisitive boy, qualities that both get him into trouble, and ultimately save his life. Some of the biggest questions he has are about religion. Instead of rejecting anything, Pi seems to find the best of every religion to which he is introduced and ultimately becomes a devout Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim. While his family is looking to start a new life in Canada, a tragic shipwreck and an unfortunately crew of co-survivors, Pi finds himself looking to not only survive with his castaway crew, but also survive from his castaway crew. As if that wasn't enough to worry about every day, he was also looking for answers to his questions about God.
Along the lines of other best-selling spiritually reflective books like The Shack, Tuesdays with Maurie and The Alchemist, Life of Pi is a beautiful albeit familiar story, but it's told in such a beautiful way through the artful direction of Ang Lee. This was a solid movie that completely accomplished what it set out to do and was quite accurately portrayed in its preview. 4.5 stars and I can't wait to see this again, and most likely add to my home collection. So what movie will be on my mind next? We shall see.
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