From the look of the trailer, this movie looked like it was going to be another variation of ‘Cast Away’ with the legendary performance by Tom Hanks. From what people were saying about it with regards to comparisons to ‘Avatar’, it was going to be a visual masterpiece, but what I didn’t know, was that this movie was based on a book, which held the true essence of the book’s meaning and would be brought to life by director Ang Lee.

            I didn’t know what to expect coming in to this movie; was it going to be literally a kid on a boat with a Tiger the whole time? Was it going to be like Disney’s Fantasia 2000 and just be full of visionary art while an illustrious song filled the room? I had no idea, but this is why we watch movies – to discover the known unknown. It’s fitting that the keyword I just used was ‘discover’, because much to the dismay of the popular belief, it’s more than just a boy who’s stranded; it’s about survival, loss, self-growth, and most importantly – faith.

The movie itself is a story that’s being told about the life of Pi (the character’s name is really Pi), and of an event that will ‘make you believe in God’. The road in life that we travel is one that has a lot of doubt, hope, fear, expectations, and disappointment. We take these factors on our journeys and live to accept them and deal with whatever is thrown at us, because human beings are meant to persevere through the obstacles that face us. We adapt to our surroundings and grow from that. When we’re young, we’re eager, naïve, and impressionable; Pi was no different. A young boy who was trying to make a name for himself and to discover different religions to find the right path of life, of course there’s a lot to consider but he was excited about learning new things.

When we grow older, we develop a sense of understanding with just how the world ‘works’, and that certain things just happen because that’s just what happens. Pi was exposed to that understanding, but when you’re pushed to the limit of what to choose to believe in, do you still hold on to faith, or do you give in? The event that takes place and has Pi stranded and lost at sea serves as a revelation to the testament of his faith and willpower. It’s like the transition of a boy becoming a man. Life lessons that helped him not only to survive, but also taught him about what it means to have faith.

This movie was great in the way that it used religion not for the religion aspect of it, but more so the spirituality of it all. The way that the context of the movie painted a portrait of the stories of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Muslim faiths, but altogether, it came down to what to believe in, and that holding on to faith was what helped him through the difficult times. It was metaphorical in a way, because you can look at the movie and look at your life; we have our beginnings that start off smooth, hit a rocky middle, and spiral down into a state of unknown where almost all hope is lost. But just when we think about giving up, the picture comes clear and we’re able to continue on our life journeys. This obviously doesn’t apply to everyone, but it’s a similar lifestyle that a lot of us have gone through.

The movie is long, and it feels as long as it is, because there’s a lot that’s necessary to take in, but it was really interesting and deep in a way that you have an appreciation for the film and the message that came across it, right along with the entity of the movie itself. The visual effects were stunning, and it was all around colourful and artistic. It’s a great movie that I’d recommend, and it looks like I’m going to have to read up on the book too. This is my opinion, this is my review, but for now

That’s My Word & It STiXX