"LIFE OF PI" (2012) Review

  

"LIFE OF PI" (2012) Review

Every now and then, Hollywood tends to go into a tizzy over a movie directed by Ang Lee.  Back in 2012, the industry and media had focused their admiration over "LIFE OF PI", Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's 2001 fantasy-adventure novel. The movie had earned at least eleven nominations and won at least four, including a second Best Director Academy Award for Lee.

"LIFE OF PI" begins in early 21st century Canada; when a local writer is advised to interview a middle-aged immigrant from Puducherry with a very interesting story to tell. Pi Patel then proceeds to tell the writer about his family and childhood in Puducherry. According to Patel, his father owned a zoo and it was there he first met the zoo's new Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. When Patel was 16 years old, his father announces his intention to move the family to Winnipeg, Canada. There, he plans to sell the zoo animals and live. Pi, saddened by the idea of leaving his family and his new love, does not take the news very well.

The family books passage aboard a Japanese freighter called the Tzimtzum. During the voyage, the Tzimtzum begins to founder during a heavy storm, while Pi is on deck. Before he can find his family, a crew member throws him into a lifeboat. As the ship begins to sink, a zebra leaps into the lifeboat and injures himself. The rest of Pi's family along with other passengers and crewmen die as the Tzimtzum sinks. Once the storm is over, Pi discovers that other animals had made their way into the lifeboat - an orangutan and a hyena. The hyena angers Pi by killing the zebra and then the orangutan. Before he can do anything about it, the tiger Richard Parker suddenly emerges from under the lifeboat's tarp and kills the hyena. Pi is left alone with Richard Parker, in which the two continue the journey as wary adversaries. By the time their journey ends on the Mexican coastline, they have become friends before Richard Parker disappears into the jungle.

When I first saw the trailer for "LIFE OF PI", I did not want to see it. Period. Despite my knowledge that the movie had been directed by Ang Lee - of whom I am a fan - I did not want to see it. I did not want to see a movie about a boy surviving God knows how many days in a lifeboat with a tiger. End of story. When the movie was finally released in theaters, I went out of my way to avoid it . . . despite the positive press from the film critics. And even when it had accumulated so many Golden Globe and Academy Awards nominations, I still refused to see it. I finally came around and saw "LIFE OF PI" when it was finally released on DVD. Did I regret missing it while it was in the theaters? Hmmmmm . . . not really. But I must admit that it was a pretty damn good film.

One . . . it had a good story. Lee, along with screenwriter David Magee did an excellent job in setting up Martel's story on screen. The movie devoted at least a good half hour into Pi's family background and his childhood. They especially took care in revealing his parents' philosophies - something that would profoundly affect his harsh ocean journey from Puducherry to Mexico. They also did an excellent job in utilizing the literary device of the flashback, using middle-age Pi's interview with a journalist. In fact, I believe that this device, along with Pi's first-person (whether he was the 16 year-old boy or the middle-aged man) narration help keep the story alive for me.

There were other aspects of "LIFE OF PI" that impressed me. Mychael Danna won a much deserved Academy Award for writing the movie's score. Mind you, I could not remember it for the likes of me. But I do recall how perfectly it meshed with the film's narration. I also have to commend the beautiful visual effects created by the now bankrupt Rhythm & Hues Studios. Their visuals - especially of the animals featured in this movie - struck me as breathtaking. Although some of the animals, like those featured in Pi's lifeboat, seemed real; while others like the meerkats on the floating island seemed more artistic than real. I especially enjoyed the sequence in which Pi's lifeboat encountered a breaching Humpback whale and the school of dolphins.

I can see many shaking their heads over my review so far. How could I have enjoyed this movie so much, if I did not regret missing it in the theaters? Remember my reason why I originally avoided the film in the first place? I did not want to see a movie about a boy and a tiger in a lifeboat. While watching the movie, I found myself wishing that the entire sequence featuring Pi and "Richard Parker" could have been shorter. It almost seemed to go on . . . forever. This sequence also brought back some not-so-pleasant memories of Tom Hanks and a volleyball named Wilson in the 2000 film, "CASTAWAY". I felt relieved when Hanks' character was finally rescued by a freighter in that movie. While watching "LIFE OF PI", I eventually fell asleep before Pi and "Richard Parker" reached the floating island of the meerkats and Mexico. I woke up just in time to witness the escape from the meerkats island. Why did it have to take so long? I realize that the movie was about Pi's emotional and spiritual journey aboard that lifeboat.  But did it have to take so long? Oh well. It was still a damn good movie that ended on a very satisfying note.

From what I had read, Ang Lee had personally selected 17 year-old Suraj Sharma to portray the 16 year-old Pi. And I must say that Sharma gave a stupendous performance. Along with Lee's direction and the visual effects, Sharma really made that movie. He did an excellent job in conveying Pi's journey from innocence to heartbreak to spiritual maturity. And I am astounded that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had failed to nominate him for a Best Actor award. What in the hell were they thinking? I realize that the competition was pretty tough for 2012, but still . . . he should have been considered among the top three nominees.

The cast also benefited from excellent supporting performances from Irrfan Khan, who was excellent as the mature Pi. Rafe Spall was charming as the Canadian writer who interviewed Pi. Tabu gave an emotionally satisfying performance as Pi's mother Gita Pitel. And I was certainly impressed by Adil Hussain's commanding portrayal of Pi's father, Santosh Patel. Gérard Depardieu was certain memorable as the Tzimtzum's unpleasant cook. And James Saito added a great deal of intensity to the heartbreaking scene featuring an interview between Pi and the older Japanese insurance investigator. It was good to see him again.

What else can I say about "LIFE OF PI"? It was a beautiful and heartbreaking adaptation of Yann Martel's novel. Once again, Ang Lee proved to the world that when he puts his heart and soul into a film, he can create something beautiful. And he was ably supported by an excellent cast led by the very talented Suraj Sharma, Rhythm & Hues Studio's visual effects and Mychael Danna's score. I do not think I would ever love this movie. I am sorry, but I could not deal with so many minutes devoted to a boy and a tiger in a boat. But I must say that I enjoyed it very much.

"LIFE OF PI" (2012) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from "LIFE OF PI", the 2012 Oscar winning adaptation of Yann Martel's 2001 novel. Directed by Ang Lee, the movie starred Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Rafe Spall:

"LIFE OF PI" (2012) Photo Gallery

"LOST" Commentary: "Confusion Over Time Travel"

 

"LOST" COMMENTARY:  "CONFUSION OVER TIME TRAVEL"

I did a recent rewatch of the "LOST" Season Five episodes, (5.02) "The Lie" and (5.03) "Jughead".  After viewing it, I had come to a realization about the Oceanic 815 and the S.S. Kahana castaways left behind on the island, following the Oceanic Six and Ben Linus' departures.

The second half of "The Lie" featured the Oceanic castaways, former member of the Others Juliet Burke and the Kahana freighter survivors being under attack by the Others in 1954 with flaming arrows. I can recall seeing many figures attempt fleeing or attempting to into the jungle in order to survive. But now . . . I find myself wondering why did all of the remaining inhabitants at the Oceanic beach camp had skipped through time. Why all of them? And why am I questioning this writing decision?

The season's sixth episode, (5.06) "316", saw the Oceanic Six (sans Aaron Littleton), former Others leader Ben Linus, and pilot Frank Lapidus (who had been part of the Kahana crew three years earlier) return to the island on Ajira Flight 316 during the fall of 2007.  Of this group, only Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes and Sayid Jarrah had disappeared from the plane and traveled back in time to 1977.  Thanks to Frank's piloting skills; he, Sun-Hwa Kwon, Ben, and the rest of the Ajira 316 passengers and crew had landed on Hydra Island, the small island close to the main one.  At least those who had survived.  They did not time traveled back to 1977.  Instead, they had remained in 2007.

Here is another interesting tidbit.  In "The Lie", both James "Sawyer" Ford and Dr. Juliet Burke had noted that the zodiac inflatable boat that Dr. Daniel Faraday had been using to transport Neil Frogurt and other Oceanic 815 castaways from their beach camp to the S.S. Kahana during the Season Four finale, (4.12-4.14) "There's No Place Like Home", had also traveled through time with the castaways.  Even while it was beached.  Juliet had pointed out that it must have traveled along with them because Daniel and the five Oceanic castaways had been traveling toward the freighter when the time traveling began.  

I had also realized that only certain characters had played roles in the incident regarding the Dharma Initiative's drilling into the island and the detonation of the Jughead in 1977.  They included:

*John Locke

*Dr. Daniel Faraday

*Dr. Jack Shephard

*Kate Austen

*Sayid Jarrah

*James "Sawyer" Ford

*Dr. Juliet Burke

*Miles Straume

*Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

*Jin-Soo Kwon

*John Locke

*Dr. Charlotte Lewis
*Rose Nadler

*Bernard Nadler

How did they play a role? 

*Locke, with the help of his fellow castaways, had left on the island, using the Donkey Wheel and electromagnetic energy inside the Orchid Station.  He wanted to contact the Oceanic Six and convince them to return to the island in order to save those left behind.  His death in Los Angeles set in motion the events that led to "the Incident".

*Unlike her fellow time travelers, Charlotte had never ended up in the 1970s and become part of the Dharma Initiative, due to her death from the time jumps.  But her death had led Daniel to join the Dharma Initiative's scientific staff at its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan and consider the possibility of changing the timeline to save her.

*Daniel was the one who became aware of the Dharma Initiative's dangerous drilling into the island's electromagnetic energy in 1977.  He was also the one who tried to warn Dr. Pierre Chang about the dangers of this drilling.  And he was the one who came up with the idea to use an old U.S. Army hydrogen bomb named Jughead to stop the drilling and destroy the island's electromagnetic energy, in order to reset time and prevent the crash of Oceanic 815's crash in 2004 and Charlotte's death from time travel.

*Following Daniel's death at the hands of his mother, former Others leader Eloise Hawking; Jack decided to continue with Daniel's plans by contacting the Others in order to get hold of the Jughead bomb.  Like Daniel, he saw this as an opportunity to destroy the island's electromagnetic energy and prevent Oceanic 815's crash in 2004.

*At first, Kate was willing to help Daniel and Jack acquire the Jughead bomb.  Following Daniel's death, she found his idea implausible and dangerous and sought out Sawyer and Juliet's help to stop Jack's plan to detonate the bomb.  Her appearance aboard the Dharma submarine had convinced Juliet and a very reluctant Sawyer to return to the island.

*Sayid Jarrah, who had been hiding from the Dharma Initiative ever since his attempt to kill the 12 year-old Ben Linus, had appeared to help Kate break away from Jack and the paranoid members of the Others, led by Eloise Hawking.  He was also the one who had dismantled the core from the Jughead bomb and tried to rig it for detonation upon impact.

*Although Rose and Bernard Nadler had experienced the time skips during the first five episodes of Season Five, they had separated from their fellow castaways/time travelers following the Others' attack upon the castaways in 1954.  Kate, Sawyer and Juliet eventually encountered the couple in 1977, where they had established their own cabin near the beach.  A comment by Rose had produced a brief and affectionate glance between Kate and Sawyer, producing jealousy within Juliet.  This led the latter to eventually embrace Daniel and Jack's plans regarding the bomb and convince Sawyer to help Jack.  She had believed a time reset would spare her the possible pain of being rejected by Sawyer, in favor of Kate.

*Sawyer had served as the Dharma Initiative's Head of Security, until the latter discovered he was personally acquainted with the recently arrived members of the Oceanic Six.  He had made a deal for him and Juliet to leave the island by their submarine.  But Kate had convinced the couple to help her prevent Jack from detonating the bomb.  Sawyer led the group that eventually came to Jack's aid at the Swan Station construction site, when the latter found himself trapped by armed Dharma personnel.

*Miles Straume (Dr. Chang's son), Jin-Soo Kwon and "Hurley" Reyes had all joined Sawyer, Juliet and Kate in their defense of Jack at the Swan Station construction site.

*During their three years with the Dharma Initiative, Juliet and Sawyer had fallen in love.  It was not surprising Juliet had developed a fear that Sawyer would renew his romantic interest in Kate.  This fear had finally took complete hold of her when she witnessed Sawyer and Kate's exchange of affectionate smiles at the Nadlers' beach camp.  This fear had driven Juliet to finally participate in Daniel and Jack's plans to use the Jughead bomb to change the timeline.  And this fear also drove Juliet to detonate the bomb, herself, when it had failed to do so after Jack had tossed it into one of the construction site's pits.

What is the point of all of this?  The above people had played a role in the incident regarding the Dharma Initiative's drilling and the Jughead bomb's detonation at the barely constructed Swan Station.  This detonation had finally stopped Dharma's drilling into the island and prevented a world-ending event in 1977.  In other words, the above people had played roles - major or minor - in saving the island and the world during that period.  

This meant Sun, the adult Ben, Lapidus and other passengers aboard Ajira 316 did not play a role in "the Incident" in 1977.  Neither did any of the other Oceanic castaways who had been left behind at their beach camp.  Which leads me to wonder why showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had not allowed Ajira occupants Sun, Ben and Lapidus to travel back in time; but had allowed other nameless Oceanic castaways to time travel with Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Daniel, Jin, Miles.  I understand why Frogurt and the four other Oceanic castaways had traveled through time.  They had been inside the Zodiac with Daniel, when the time skips began.  And since they had played no role in "the Incident", it was not surprising that Lindelof and Cuse had allowed the Others to kill them off in 1954. 

But what about the rest of the Oceanic castaways who had been left behind on the beach?  Lindelof and Cuse should not have allowed them to experience the time skips at all.  They had played no role in "the Incident".  Nor had they been inside the Zodiac boat with Daniel.  They should have remained behind at the Oceanic beach camp, in December 2004-January 2005.

Top Five Favorite "THE AMERICANS" Season One (2013) Episodes

 

Below is a list of my five favorite episodes from Season One of FX's "THE AMERICANS". Created by Joe Weisberg, the series stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys: 




TOP FIVE FAVORITE "THE AMERICANS" SEASON ONE (2013) Episodes



1. (1.10) "Only You" - The FBI's tenacious investigation of Agent Chris Amador's death leads the KGB to frame Elizabeth Jenning's colleague and former lover, Gregory Thomas, for his murder in order to protect Elizabeth and Philip's identities.





2. (1.07) "Duty and Honor" - During a mission to discredit a Polish dissident in New York City, Philip is reunited with a former lover and fellow KGB agent named Irina. 





3. (1.13) "The Colonel" - In this tense season finale, Philip and handler Claudia proceed to meet with an Air Force colonel, who might be a new source. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sets out to retrieve a bug from Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's home, unaware that the FBI has set a trap.





4. (1.04) "In Control" - Following the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, the FBI attempt to assess whether the KGB was involved. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Philip prepare to deal with any excessive reactions from the American intelligence community.





5. (1.06) "Trust Me" - Elizabeth and Philip are abducted and brutally questioned. Their abductors turn out to be KGB agents instructed by Claudia to determine if either of them is a mole. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Stan Chambers helps his Soviet source Nina frame her embassy supervisor for treason.

"CHARMED" RETROSPECT: (2.14) "Pardon My Past"

 

"CHARMED" RETROSPECT: (2.14) "Pardon My Past"

In the "CHARMED" Season Two episode, (2.14) "Pardon My Past", one of the Charmed Ones – Phoebe Halliwell - is haunted by a spirit from her past life. The past life turned out to be one P. Russell, a first cousin of the Halliwell sisters' great-grandmother.

To find out why she is being haunted by P. Russell’s spirit, Phoebe visited 1924 and discovered that P. Russell was a pyrokinetic witch who had been romanced by a warlock named Anton. While in the past, Phoebe also acquired a glimpse into the past lives of her older sisters – Prue and Piper. She discovers that they were former relatives of P. Russell that were out to destroy her and all the latter's future lives before any of them can become completely evil. Prue and Piper must then stop their past lives' curse in the present before Phoebe falls victim to it and dies.

Did this episode sound confusing? I thought it did. "Pardon My Past" was the second episode, following Season One's (1.17) "That 70s Episode" that revealed a bit of the Charmed Ones' family past history. And like many of these type of episodes . . . it had a lot of flaws. Let us take a look at them, shall we?

Flaws in "Pardon My Past"

*Ownership of the Manor – In this episode, it was revealed that the parents of the sisters’ grandmother – Penelope Johnson Halliwell – were living in the manor in 1924. Yet, according to the Season One episode, (1.15) "Is There a Woogy in the House?", the Halliwells (which happened to be Penny Halliwell's in-laws) had purchased the manor following the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906.

*The Ages of Phoebe Halliwell and P. Russell - While perusing the Warren family tree, Phoebe had this to say about her past life:

"I think that this one is me. (She points to P. Russell) She died February 17th, 1924. The same age I am also."

How was this possible? According to the family tree, P. Russell was born on July 1894 and died on February 17, 1924. She was 29 years old when her cousins killed her. The episode "Pardon My Past" occurred between February 16-18, 1924; and February 16-18, 2000. Phoebe was born on November 2, 1975; making her 24 years old at the time of the story, not 29 years old.


*Past Life for Leo Wyatt? - According to Phoebe, she had spotted the past life of the Charmed Ones' whitelighter, Leo Wyatt, in 1924; and was P. Baxter’s (Past Piper) lover. I am curious. How was this possible? The series has claimed that Leo was born in May 1924. But again, this is not possible. According to the Season One episode, (1.21) "Love Hurts", Leo had been a medical student when he joined the Army in 1942:

"No. World War II. I left med school and enlisted as a medic. I wanted to help save people not shoot them. The last thing I remember, I was bandaging a soldier's head wound and I felt a sharp pain and the next thing I know I was floating surrounded by White Lighters."

If Leo had been in medical school at the time when the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, he should have at least older than 22 years old when he joined the Army. Which means that he should have already been alive at the time of P. Russell’s death in 1924.


*Phoebe’s Theory - How did Phoebe get the idea that she was going to die within a day, because of her encounter with her past spirit? From the moment she had encountered P. Russell’s spirit on the very anniversary that the latter was killed, Phoebe made this assumption:

"So, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to die today too, right?"

Even before she found out about the curse placed on P. Russell’s future selves, Phoebe came to the conclusion that she was doomed to die:

"Phoebe: Not much time. By midnight, I’ll be dead again.
Piper: By midnight? How do you know that?
Phoebe: Midnight, a full moon, what’s the difference? It’s always one or the other, right? I know I won’t make it to February 18th unless…
Leo: You go back to the past again and find some answers."

How on earth did she come to this conclusion without knowing the facts? Or was this another example of the Halliwells producing theories out from their respective asses?


*Phoebe’s Ability - Phoebe had asked Leo why she did not have a power like P. Russell’s – pyrokinesis. This is what Leo had told her:

"Well, if you screw up your regrets. Your past self must have abused the power. That's why it was taken away from you."

What the hell? How did Leo come to this conclusion? Although Past Piper (P. Baxter)’s ability, slow down others, was a variation of Piper’s ability; Past Prue (P. Bowen)’s ability turned out to be cyrokinesis (freezing ability), which had nothing to do with Prue’s abilities of telekinesis or astral projection. Nor did P. Russell’s ability (pyrokinesis) have anything to do with Phoebe’s ability of precognition. And why is Phoebe’s precognition ability considered a REGRESSION of P. Russell’s fire ability? Phoebe is a seer. She has the ability to summon information on the past, the present and the future through visions. Information is power. Both of her parents have told Phoebe that many magic practitioners would kill to be a seer. Apparently, Phoebe never believed them. Even the Source did not want Phoebe’s precognition ability . . . despite the fact that he had depended upon two seers. Which only told me that even intelligent individuals like Phoebe and the Source can be incredibly stupid.


*The Warlock – Anton - So, Anton(who was P. Russell’s lover) was supposed to be a warlock? How is that possible? It is quite apparent that Anton had never aged during the 76 years between 1924 and 2000. It was established in the series' first episode, (1.01) "Something Wicca Comes This Way" that warlocks were merely witches who had gone bad:

"A bad witch or a warlock . . ."

Despite what Leo has claimed, witches ARE mortals. If Piper could die from a bullet wound in an alternate timeline, then witches are mortals. And if witches are mortals, then warlocks should also be mortals. Which means that either Anton should have aged, used magic to prevent aging, or he was something other than a warlock. Also . . . the sisters and Leo have declared many times that evil cannot love. Yet, Anton was in love with P. Russell and had remained in love with her for a long time.


*Phoebe’s Warning in the Book of Shadows - Apparently, all of Phoebe's future lives are doomed to die in their early 20's unless they can somehow stop P. Bowen and P. Baxter’s curse from affecting them. They end up saving present Phoebe by putting the necklace on her, but the rest of her future lives are still doomed to die in their early 20's. Thus, Phoebe wrote a warning in the Book of Shadows to warn her future selves about this. What if Phoebe’s future selves do not end up as a member of the Warren family line? Had anyone stopped to think of this?


*Gordon Johnson’s Piano Talent . . . or Lack Of - Greg Vaughn, who portrayed the Charmed Ones’ great-grandfather, Gordon Johnson, was shown playing the piano in 1924. Unfortunately, it appeared that Vaughn lacked the talent to fake playing the piano. One can easily see that his fingers do not even reach the keys.


*The Confusing Warren Family Tree - This episode marked the only appearance of the Warren family (which began with Charlotte and Melinda Warren) tree. I came across some interesting entries that seem contradictory:

-Grams' age: According to the family tree, Penelope Johnson (the sisters’ grandmother) was born in 1937. She gave birth to her only daughter, Patricia Halliwell, in 1950. Are we really expected to believe that Grams gave birth to Patty at the age of 13? I rather doubt it. The family tree also stated that Grams had died on March 3, 1968. Gee, the creator of the family got the date of Grams' death wrong by 30 years and six months.

-Piper’s birth year: According to the family tree, Piper was born in August 1973. Yet, in one Season One episode, Piper had identified herself as a Gemini. Also, in another Season One episode, (1.03) "Thank You For Not Morphing",the Charmed Ones' father Victor Halliwell (later renamed Victor Bennett) made it apparent that she was three years older than Phoebe, who was born in 1975. The Season Three episode (3.09) "Coyote Piper" supported Victor’s words with its revelation that Piper had graduated from Baker High in 1990, making her birth date of 1972 very plausible. And I doubt that young Piper was less than two years old in "That 70s Episode".

-The name of the Charmed Ones’ grandfather: According to the family tree, the name of the sisters’ maternal grandfather happened to be Jack Halliwell. Yet in the Season Six episode, (6.11) "Witchstock", he was renamed Allen. All I can say is . . . what happened to Jack?


I wish I could say that "Pardon My Past"’s glimpse into the Warren family line was interesting. But it was filled with so many inconsistencies that I cannot help but harbor a little contempt for screenwriter Michael Gleason, who had penned this episode; and for Constance Burge who produced it in the first place.

R.I.P. Shannen Doherty (1971-2024)

"THE AMERICANS" Season One (2013) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from Season One of "THE AMERICANS", the new FX television drama. Created by Joe Weisberg, the series stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys:




"THE AMERICANS" SEASON ONE (2013) Photo Gallery