John Michael Casin

Ang Lee's film adaptation of Yann Martel's novel, "Life of Pi," is both enormously ambitious and breathtakingly beautiful. Following the sinking of the cargo ship transporting Pi Patel's family and their zoo animals, a young man is stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Ang Lee does an excellent job of portraying Pi Patel's life in three stages: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Pi's adult period is very emotional. The images are fantastic and greatly help the tale. The digital renderings of animals, including Richard Parker, the Bengal Tiger, are stunning. The night passages are breathtakingly lovely. The spiritual framework is so rich that the film deserves many viewings. The acting is excellent. Suraj Sharma played teenage Pi Patel with great skill and perfection. Irrfan Khan delivered a solid performance as mature Pi Patel. Adil Hussain gives an excellent portrayal as Pi's father, Santosh Patel. The animators did a wonderful job of bringing Richard Parker to life and making the tiger a dynamic and vibrant character. The friendship between Pi and Richard Parker is nicely depicted. The artwork, photography, and colors are amazing.