Ang Lee’s
masterful new film centers on a teenager who is adrift at sea on a lifeboat for
227 days, with a fierce Bengal tiger. Riveting and breathtaking, “Life of
Pi” is an edge-of-your-seat 3D adventure starring newcomer Suraj Sharma taking
on the lead role as Pi.
Based on
Yann Martel’s best-selling, award-winning novel, the movie tells a deeply
inspiring story about hope, courage and the strength of the human spirit.
Piscine Patel, (known as Pi) lives with his zoo keeping family in
Pondicherry, India. They decide to emigrate to Canada, taking their animals
along with them and set off on a huge freighter ship, steaming from India
across the Pacific with plans to sell their other animals to Manila Zoo along
their journey. But a terrible storm destroys the ship. The family and most of
the animals perish. Pi survives, stranded on a lifeboat with several animals.
Sharma dominates
the film but there is a diverse and impressively strong supporting cast
including French actor Gérard Depardieu and Indian actor Irrfan Khan who plays
the older Pi, settled in Canada later in life. Indian actors Tabu and Adil
Hussain play Pi’s parents. British actor Rafe Spall plays the writer who
is interviewing Pi about his life-changing voyage.
Irrfan Khan
who plays the grown up Pi is India’s recent Padma Shri awardee recognizing his
contributions to the Indian Cinema. Khan has recently appeared in
“Partition,” “A Mighty Heart” and “The Amazing Spiderman.” Also a Padma
Shri awardee, Tabu who plays Gita Patel, the mother of Pi is widely considered
one of the finest and most versatile actresses in the Indian film industry who
has appeared in over 70 films. She holds the record for the most
wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with six.
Tabu received worldwide recognition and widespread critical acclaim for her
leading role in Mira Nair's American film “The Namesake.” Known to be selective
about her film roles, Tabu has said, “I do films which move me and most of all,
the unit and the director should appeal to me.”
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| Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox |
Rafe Spall
who portrays the writer in the movie who interviews the grown up Pi is one of
Britain’s rising stars. Recently seen in Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus,” he
has also appeared in “One Day” and “Anonymous.” Gerard Depardieu who
plays the ship’s cook is widely renowned for his versatility and his unique
combination of gentleness and brutish physicality. The award-winning
actor has enjoyed a film career spanning more than four decades, and has
appeared in over 170 films.
Ang
Lee has in fact created a film that is powerful, engrossing and visually
stunning. “It is about overcoming adversity and that speaks to a lot of people
because in a sense, life is adversity,” says 20th Century Fox’s
Elizabeth Gabler, discussing the life-affirming movie. “Finding ways to
overcome that adversity is what makes life not only easier, but more
meaningful. The film transcends language barriers and age barriers; this is a
movie that people of all ages, all nationalities and cultures can watch and
enjoy. Hopefully you will come away with a great feeling about the spirit of
mankind that will inspire you. It is about having faith in your own strength
and how your inner character pulls you through life.”
“If you can
dance instead of just walking, if you can splash your walls with color instead
of painting them white or beige, that’s good,” muses Yann Martel. “It makes
your life richer, more meaningful. We’re only here for a brief time, we have
seventy, eighty years, which go by so quickly, and that being the case, why not
make more of it?”. . .which in essence is what LIFE OF PI is all about.
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