A PILE OF SPOILERS AHEAD
Surely HALLUCINATING should be 100%? source
I had struggled for a long time on whether I should watch Life of Pi. In the end, as I've said in my last post, I "manned up" and saw it in 3D. Now I want to see it again in IMAX.
My internal debate started because 1. I love animals, 2. apparently Life of Pi is SO good that one has to see it in theatres in 3D no matter what. I really wanted to see it through my 3D glasses, but then I feared the death of so many animals would make the situation difficult. So I got a friend and into the cinema we went.
This isn't going to be a thorough review because I don't have many opinions on the film itself. I was too carried away by my own emotions to pay attention to the details of the film. Yet, there are still something I would like to comment on:
1. Not particular a fan of the guy who plays the Canadian writer. God, is he awkward! Unless you've been living under a rock, you should know the main story of Life of Pi is a metaphor. After the adult Pi finishes telling the second story, the writer tries saying what means what flatly. That's totally unnecessary! Perhaps they're trying to explain the second story to the younger members in the audience, but that ruins the whole thing for me. I understand the writer and Pi have just met, and they shouldn't act like they've been buddies for life and etc... but the guy who plays the Canadian writer, Rafe Spall, seems so uncomfortable! On the other hand, Irrfan Khan, who plays the adult Pi, is so natural. The contrast's quite obvious and this makes the very last part of the film hard to watch... it literally ruins THE WHOLE THING, for it's a disappointing ending, and endings always account for 50% of films.
2. In Hong Kong, the film is given a I rating, i.e. according to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority, Life of Pi is "Suitable For All Ages". I read many reviews which said something along the line that adults and children could get different things from the film. Adults may get from it a great moral lesson, whereas children could see it as a big adventure of a boy and a tiger. I beg to hold a different opinion - the film's not for kids. At my screening there were lots of weeping children, weeping because of their fear for Richard Parker, the tiger. They cried and screamed at the scene in which Richard Parker first appeared, and were silent later on... Younger siblings of my friends didn't enjoy the film, as they didn't "get it". What a waste of a great film! Personally I've wasted too many good movies by seeing them too early in life, but Life of Pi shouldn't be wasted like this!!! A child-friendly rating doesn't imply a film for kids.
3. Amazing visuals. Especially love the scene that Pi looked into the ocean with Richard Parker and various images flew out.
4. It seems very childish of me, but I actually was let down by the fact that the tiger's not actually a tiger! When I saw Pi taming Richard Parker, and them eventually growing closer, I thought of my dog and me, and other human beings with animals as companions. Then WHAM BAM, Richard Parker is Pi's alter-ego... Another disappointment of mine that doesn't make sense - WHY THEY NEVER BECOME BFFs LIKE ME AND HANHAN LI? This disappointment doesn't make sense because it's already established at the beginning of the film that tigers and humans can never be friends (that was also when the goat magically passed through the gate, if you know what I mean... that still bothers me)...
5. Pi's a really religious man. Life of Pi is a very religious movie. The whole journey's possible pretty much because of God. What I like about the film is that it never preaches (at least not till the very end). Religious themes are obvious, but as someone who holds negative views towards religious elements in films, I never said "It must be God again!?". Even at times I felt that Pi is too religious, you'd accept that's the way he is, I didn't feel annoyed like I was watching The Tree of Life. Yes, I never run out of Tree of Life jokes.
PERSONAL: Sometimes I'm quite jealous of people who are religious. I was quite religious a few years ago, then I woke up one day and I didn't believe at all. At the end of the film, Pi asked "which story do you prefer?" Anyone with a heart would choose the first story, and Pi said "so it goes with God". That might well be preachy, and it reminded me of Religious Studies at school. I saw Jesus's miracles merely as stories back then, not proof that God exists. Choosing the first story means believing in it and thus committing to God? That's not right!
But still I envy those who have a God, or in Pi's case, Gods, to fall back on. When these people feel helpless, they pray and they feel better. That doesn't work for me. Perhaps I'm too scientific/mathematical/logical. Does God exist? Have you got the proof? I wish I could have faith, that might make me a happier person, and if I ever end up in a shipwreck, I might survive, just like Pi.
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同場加映：
所有想看 ∩ (上映了 ∪ 將會上映的電影)（應該沒有時間 :( ）：
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