Life Of Pi (DVD)

Reviews

"Life of Pi" by Micky B - 16 July 2013

WHAT A WONDERFUL FILM! Deftly directed by celebrated director Ang Leem this production has received fully justified acclaim from right around the world! The story: no doubt partly fantasy, author Yan Martel (Rafe Spall) urges a a young Indian man who calls himslf “Pi”to tell him his life story. It seems that at an early age, Pi chooses to become a vegitarian and is exposed to Hindu, Christan and Islam religeons – and grows up simply wanting to “Serve God!” (The three religeons to which he subscribes are presented in such a way as not to offend anyone.) His father is a zookeeper, and when Pi is 16, his father decides to move the family to Canada, where he intends to settle and sell the zoo animals. On the high seas, the small ship to take them across to Canada meets a violent storm in which his parents are killed, and Pi has to scramble aboard a lifeboat – which in turn is almost swamped by the giant waves. He finds that he is sharing the boat with a zebra, an orangutang, a hyena, and an enormous wild tiger that Pi calls “Richard Parker.). It is interesting that most of the animal photography was done by computer animation – down to the last hairs on the tiger's skin. Much of the film is therefore about Pi, the animals, and the storm. (Were these scenes shorten slightly, I would've given this one a five star rating!) After a few weeks at sea, it is hard to tell whether <i>Pi is keeping the <i>tiger</i> alive – or vice-versa;. They seem to come to a mutual agreement that would've made the Dog Whisperer proud! Once, safely on dry land again, the Japanese insurance claims settlers won't believe Pi's incredible story – so for their benefit he has to concoct another tale which is very much based on the first one, but has a different cast! For example: the ship's cook – who was drowned during the voyage – becomes the story's hyena that was killed and eaten by Richard Parker...and so on. A great movie, even <i>without</i> a big-name cast. Don't miss it!