Life of Pi

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Life of Pi
Released 11/21/12, now in theaters

Ang Lee directs the adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 novel, Life of Pi.  The film stars Irrfan Kahn, Gerard Depardieu, Tabu, Suraj Sharma, and Adil Hussain. 

Pi was born “Piscine Molitor” Patel, named after a swimming pool in France as the adult Pi retells his story to a reporter.  His parents owned a zoo in India as he grew up.  Due to growing political concerns in the country, the family decides to journey to Canada on a Japanese freighter with some of  their zoo animals to start over.  Pi is a teenager at this time.  A few days into the journey, a fierce storm arises and Pi hears an explosion on the freighter.  Through luck and accident, Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with four of the zoo animals:  a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.  The freighter, it’s human occupants, and the remainder of the animals sink into the ocean and either drown or become meals for sharks near the sinking ship. 

As the storm subsides, Pi believes only the zebra and orangutan are on the boat with him.  To his surprise, the hungry hyena emerges from a tarp it had used as protection from the storm.  Pi is barely able to keep it at bay with an oar.  An undisclosed amount of time passes and the hyena succumbs to its hunger and attacks and kills the zebra.  Not satisfied with only this meal, it attacks the orangutan as well.  After a fierce fight, the hyena is again victorious.  The victory is short-lived as Richard Parker leaps from the tarp he was also using for shelter and kills the hyena. Pi is only able to survive because the tiger is unable to get a foothold (clawhold?) on top of the tarp where the boy is located.  Pi is able to build a makeshift raft out of supplies under the tarp to keep a safe distance from the boat’s striped occupant.

Through a survival book that was placed among the boat’s supplies, Pi is able to survive the rigors of the ocean and the sheer panic of being stranded for an undisclosed amount of time.  He resorts to catching fish so the tiger has something to eat succumbing to eating some of the raw fish as well (he’s vegan).  He even comes to somewhat train Richard Parker not to attack him every time he comes to the boat for supplies.

The boat/raft combo eventually touches land on an unknown island whose only inhabitants seem to be thousands of meerkats.  Pi and the tiger leave the island after a couple days recuperation as Pi discovers a deadly secret.  The boat washes up next on the coastline of Mexico where Pi is found facedown on the beach by sailors.  Before he drifts out of consciousness he sees the tiger run into the nearby forest never looking back.

Investigators from the freighter’s company interview Pi in the hospital and don’t quite believe his fantastic story.  So Pi tells another tale equally fantastic in its own right.  But which one is the actual truth?  As the adult Pi asks the reporter interviewing him, which story do you prefer?

I went into this movie with very few expectations that I would like it and I found it to be pretty decent.  Granted the film is a bit slow until the shipwreck.  Granted the whole thing does start to feel a bit like Cast Away.  I half expected Pi to call Richard Parker “Wilson” a couple of times.  It is a harrowing tale of survival against impossible odds and a test of one’s faith under terrible circumstances.  In this sense, Life of Pi is an interesting character study of a boy who is forced to grow up very quickly.  The film also provides a dark twist as Pi’s original story may not quite be the truth of what happened after the shipwreck which provided the type of shocker element I usually find pleasing.  And for all the literary buffs out there, there’s a good deal of symbolism to whet your appetite.

Life of Pi is decently acted although much of the action takes place between a teenager and a tiger.  The CG on the tiger is good as it depicts a robust animal slowly becoming emaciated through the lack of food on the lifeboat.  The film also does a very good job of reminding the audience of the constant danger that Pi faces on the water.  He’s really not safe anywhere he stays whether it’s on the boat or his makeshift raft.  He’s got the snarling hyena and ravenous Richard Parker to contend with on the boat and hungry sharks constantly circling in the water.  Nature is not kind to him.

Life of Pi is an entertaining enough film that deserves one viewing.  More viewings will be up to the individual.  I’m good with one.

 The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

*** stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.