Life of Pi

Anyone that thinks that Life of Pi is nothing but a movie about an angry tiger and a young boy on a boat will be taken for a ride. Life of Pi is not only visual stimulation for the eyes but it's also mental stimulation for the brain and the heart. Ang Lee once again strikes gold with Life of Pi, one of the best movies of the year.

Life of Pi stars Irrfan Khan as Pi Patel, an Indian storyteller being interviewed by a writer about his immensely difficult, 227 day journey to survival after escaping a sinking boat that killed just about nearly everyone on board, minus a young Pi, a tiger, a hyena, a monkey, and an injured zebra. Survival of the fittest comes into play, as Pi and the tiger battle it out with each other and mother nature as they struggle to survive on limited safety, food, and rest.

Life of Pi's visuals are truly astounding. Every scene is breathtaking, it's such a difficult task deciding which scene is the most attractive. The tiger is easily one of the best visual creations of 2012, I would have never imagined that the tiger was anything less than real. The boat sinking scene is horrifying in its' realistic depiction. Even scenes with flying fish and other animals popping out of the water are truly astounding, taking the viewer on the ride for themselves.

Life of Pi also hits the heart as well. Pi's story isn't the the lightest story in the book and the way the movie is created makes you feel the pain the main characters do when tragedy strikes. You really feel the sting when characters pass away and it's seeming to be a rare feature in movies these days to really give a shit with who lives or dies.

Debate is easily going to be stirred over Life of Pi's controversial ending. Personally, I loved it. Life of Pi does have a conclusion but it's not nearly as black and white as the viewer would imagine. It's something that makes you question everything you had just watched. Question what Pi's journey really meant to him and how it really happened. Question what you believe in. There may be a few things that are still left up to question, but for me, Life of Pi is easily one of the most enjoyable movies of 2012, no doubt about it.

4/4