Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Life of Pi
2012
*****
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu, Vibish Sivakumar

A middle-aged Pi Patel tells an incredible story from his teenage years. His family ran a zoo in India, and as a young boy he was intrigued by religions and the question whether animals have souls. At the age of 16, his father decided to move the family and the animals to Canada, but the freighter sank in a storm and Pi was stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger. Yann Martel's 2001 novel was deemed unfilmable, and filmmakers as varied as as M. Night Shyamalan and Jean-Pierre Jeunet were attached to the project at one point or another. Ang Lee finally brings the book to the screen in a perfect blend of smart, cinematic storytelling and state-of-the-art special effects. The film's amazing visuals serve a riveting, philosophical survival story. Suraj Sharma delivers a star-turning performance in the title role. Academy Award winner for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score.