Life of Pi
It is not the wisest idea
to assess a movie after you have read the book it is based on, as reading a
book is far richer experience because of the time one spends with it. Moreover
every character with its setting creates a very personal image of everything
which in a way is reflection of the personality and history of the reader
himself.
The story written by Yan Martel is exceptional in its content though the
language could have generated more beauty, while the story told by Ang Lee in
the movie is more beautiful in its pictorial quality but the heart of it, which
is destitution of a teenager who has lost everything he ever had in his small
years is missing somewhere. Young actor
Suraj Sharma’s discomfort with the English tongue is jarring factor for his
expressions to be believable. I heard laughter from viewers when PI thanks Lord
Vishnu for the first fish he gets in the ocean, I am sure the director did not
want the scene to have a funny bone. Irfan Khan with his calm and confident
demeanor has performed well enough to his standards. Adil Hussain in the shoes
of Pi’s father has a job well done, He and Tabu(Pi’s mother) have little screen
time and space for anything to be proved, though the kind work they have
produced before is good enough to judge their capabilities in the bright light.
Rhythm & Hues, California based VFX studio has done the best job for
Ang Lee. “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Golden Compass” are their previous
bodies of work. No one watching the movie can prove their digital tiger as
digital. Three D glasses make everything a visual delight. Background score
which bears on Indian Classic Music is average. The depth which I expected from
the maker of Broke Back Mountain is clearly missing. This movie is worth
watching for the eccentricity of the very idea of a stranded boy on a life boat
with a royal Bengal tiger. Visual effects clinch everything for the makers and
win viewers. Watch this move before it is out of the theatres, especially if
you have not read the book. You can take your kids with you; they will
particularly enjoy the movie which does not ponder the seriousness of a “Cast
Away”.
Seven out of ten for the movie.
Seven and Half for the book if
you want to read it.
