Life of Pi

I remember a couple years ago while taking a needed seat of rest on my jump-seat and peering into the lap of my flight-mate. He seemed lost in ecstasy over a novel and he said when he was through he’d pass it along to me. Turned out they separated us as often times happened; the life of a flight attendant no two days the same, always an adventure, and always alone. He did however, alert me to what the book was about; he told me it was about a boy searching for God, stuck in the middle of the ocean on a small boat with a tiger. I thought, “Preposterous!” – Little did I know that a few years later, film-makers would turn this simple story into one of the best told stories of our time! J

I was mesmerized from beginning till end. The novel written by Spanish Yann Martel and screenplay adaptation by American David Magee both witnessed their marvelous story turn into a thrilling journey thanks to Taiwanese director Ang Lee. Ang Lee whom you may remember from ‘Hulk’, ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ has continued his streak of well thought-out and exceptional execution when it comes to scrupulous detail in film-making.

I know many might think it would be similar to ‘Cast Away’ starring Tom Hanks, but surprisingly 2012's 'Life of Pi' is VERY different. For starters there was adequate back-story to ground and make the audience feel closer the our main character, it is tremendously visually appealing and thirdly it is a story of survival, hope, and understanding about the love of the Universe. Let’s just say, Tom Hanks had a basket-ball as his friend, and ‘Pi’ had a stunning 450 pound Bengal Tiger. J

Many may know Indian actor Irrfan Khan whose Bollywood contribution and acting career go as far back as 1988. Some still may be familiar with Indian actress and beauty Tabu whom you may remember from 2006’s ‘The Namesake’. But no-one knows of the first-time 19 year old actor Suraj Sharma from New Delhi India. It isn’t a thing unheard of that Directors choose ‘unknown talent’ to play leading roles in films. In fact many film-makers do; and there is a certain amount of reliance and bonding with viewers that goes along with it. Suraj Sharma certainly gave an outstanding performance and we hope to see much more of him in the film world!

A little bit of ‘Cast Away’, a little bit of ‘Titanic’ and a lot of ‘Life of Pi’ splendor! It will make you laugh, perhaps cry and also have you squirming in your seats. Sheer delight, thought-provoking dialogue and story-telling with a sound-track that'll make your ears happy! Who knew, that a boy searching for God, in the middle of the ocean in a small boat with a tiger could be so good! J

I’ll leave you with some quotes from the book and movie which remind you very much of ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. ‘Life of Phi’ by Yann Martel:

“Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud…”

“Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart.”

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”

“I still can’t understand how he abandoned me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without even looking back even once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart.”

“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”