Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
Imagine being born and raised in a zoo in India. You attend an affluent school and live well. You grow up and fall in love with a beautiful Indian girl. Then, one day, everything gets taken away and you are forced to move from India, thus leaving everything behind. The zoo, the girl, and that’s just the beginning.
“Life of Pi” is a movie that leaves your mind reeling and your stomach turning (It’s a 3D movie set on the sea). The movie is narrated from Pi Patel’s point of view after a struggling writer gets a lead that Patel has a story to tell.
He tells the story of his childhood then the story shifts as he and his family are forced to move to Canada for a job opportunity his father is pursuing. They set sail on a large ship that is also carrying their zoo animals. One night, a huge storm hits. Patel leaves his room on the ship to watch the storm. Suddenly the boat begins rocking and tipping and alarms sound. Chaos ensues as the waves crash into the ship.
Patel and a few animals flee the ship on a small raft. The movie details the survival and triumph of Patel and his tiger, Richard Parker.
The movie delves deep into the distraught consciousness of Pi Patel, played by Suraj Sharma. It was Sharma’s acting debut, but his performance was as captivating as if he were a seasoned veteran.
The movie has two perspectives and allows the moviegoer to choose which one to believe in. As a teen boy who lost his family, the moviegoer is left wondering if the story with the animals on his raft is true or if the animals were really people and he invented the animal story as a way to cope due to what the story would be if the animals were actually people.
The scenery of India in the beginning, as well as the ocean scenes throughout the majority of the film are felt, especially in 3D. The sun seemed to be scorching onto my skin and the rain was too much to bear. His determination at the beginning was admirable and his sense of defeat and will to die was understood.
Additionally, the soundtrack of “Life of Pi” stayed true to its Indian roots and was mostly instrumental traditional Indian music. It followed along with the storyline perfectly and allowed the viewer to experience the movie through more than just seeing the beautiful cintematography.
Ultimately “Life of Pi” is a story about never being able to say goodbye and the way Pi Patel copes. There are many biblical references as he discovers God in his life. He follows three religions and his faith is never stirred, but only strengthened during his endeavors on the sea.
I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, especially those who like to think deeply and leave the movie questioning everything they just saw. We can all take a lesson from Pi Patel and Richard Parker in how we need to move forward without looking back; to triumph over our struggles as a means of surviving the jungle we call life, and maybe even help discover God’s role in your own life.