Life of Pi - 10 stars out of 10

Life of Pi - 10 stars out of 10
Oscar Week

"Life of Pi" is this year's Oscar Eye Candy, though its visual appeal is rivaled by its storytelling technique which is among the finest that I have ever experienced.  There is no denying that it is a great movie with its 11 Academy Award nominations, though I did feel that it tended to drag a bit.  I understand that it is necessary to devote a lot of time to mundane events in order to emphasize the period of time stranded on the boat, but I could definitely feel my interest waning.  That being said, director Ang Lee has brought this epic journey to life and does so with strategically placed (and frequent) humor to break up its intense drama.  I appreciate that, although the themes and dialogue of this film are clearly intended for adults, the entire thing is family friendly (unlike "Brokeback Mountain").  This film really transported me into another world with its unique Indian setting and creative visual imagery like the clear water at the Parisian pool and the reflection of the clouds off of the still ocean waters.  The creativity with the ever-evolving ocean actually transforms it into its own character.  Just about every scene has some creative visual effect that will make you say "Wow."  This film offers some of the greatest CGI ever imagined.  I still cannot accept that the lead actor never stepped foot on the boat at the same time as the tiger.  Not even once.  With 15 CGI artists working on just the tiger's fur, Richard Parker (the tiger) is the most amazing digital character ever created.  The impressive visuals of the boat sinking, the jellyfish, and of course the Bengal tiger, are matched by wonderful acting performances.  The stand-out performances are by Suraj Sharma (teenage Pi) and Ayush Tandon (child Pi), as well as Irfan Khan (adult Pi) and Tabu (Pi's mother).  Their accents enhance the Indian atmosphere while being easy to understand.  One of my main complaints - where was the Oscar nomination for Suraj Sharma!  This year was one of the strongest classes for the Best Actor category ever, but this kid deserved to be on that list.  Not only was he the only actor on the set, but he was constantly acting opposite of a character that he could not see.  He did all of his own stunts and literally transformed his body over four months to show his physical breakdown as he starved to death.  I understand that there were five big-name actors with great performances this year, but Sharma should have been on there too.  But everything that I have stated cannot begin to compare with the revelation at the end, which is nothing short of jaw-dropping.  Pi's story makes such a great movie on its own but once the symbolism is revealed, the entire film is transported to a level that not many stories achieve.  "Life of Pi" is just one of those films that will remain popular for decades, simply because it offers such an enormous visual and intellectual reward for two hours of your time.