I broke my vow – again. It must be four years since I vowed never, ever to see another 3D film at the cinema; and two or three times I have been lured back by simple curiosity, or by the shallow desire to see the ‘unmissable’ film that everyone else is seeing (a playground fear of being left out), or by the reassurances of a friend that this really is worth it.
There are some beautiful images in Life of Pi. It wasn’t actually the visual effects that struck me most, but the fluid cinematography of the first half hour – India in pastel colours rather than the usual primary ones; and a fairy-tale glow about the zoo, the swimming pool, the family dining table. But as a film, it doesn’t work. It’s a series of short stories rather than a novel; some of them fun, some of them deadly dull. The spirituality is too syncretistic to have any bite.
Now and then, when a film is getting high percentages on Rotten Tomatoes (in this case 89%), and in my humble opinion it doesn’t deserve them, I delight in searching through the bad reviews – conveniently flagged up by the splattered green tomatoes – for confirmation of my artistic discernment. Peter Bradshaw says everything that needs saying in a single paragraph:
No one can doubt the technical brilliance of Ang Lee‘s new film, an adaptation of Yann Martel‘s Booker-winning bestseller from 2001, a widely acclaimed book that I should say I have yet to read. The effects are stunning, more impressive than anything in the new hi-tech Hobbit, and on that score, Peter Jackson can eat his heart out. But for the film itself, despite some lovely images and those eyepopping effects, it is a shallow and self-important shaggy-dog story – or shaggy-tiger story – and I am bemused by the saucer-eyed critical responses it’s been getting.
The last line of the review is a classic version of ‘damning with clear but carefully targeted praise’:
This is an awards-season movie if ever there was one. It deserves every technical prize going.
There was, however, one fascinating theological scene. Pi, from a Hindu family, is dared by his brother to go into a Catholic church and drink the holy water from the font by the door. He rushes in, drinks, and then stops and gazes around the interior of the church. We are led to believe that he hasn’t been in a church before, or that he hasn’t ever taken the time to look properly.
When he sees an image of Jesus, he is transfixed. A priest comes through the church and talks to him. Pi asks (I’m paraphrasing from memory): Is it true that God became a human being like us? And why? And the priest answers: Yes, he became one like us. He became small so that we would not be frightened by him. He became our brother so that we would be able to approach him. He died for us so that nothing, not even death, would keep us apart from him. Pi, the Hindu boy, announces that he wishes to be baptised.
It’s a simple, un-ironic presentation of the Christian message, and of a child in all innocence discovering a life-changing spiritual truth. It doesn’t happen very often in cinema.
(Then, just a few moments later, he announces that he wants to be a Muslim as well as a Christian, and at the same time to remain a Hindu; it’s very confusing in the film – perhaps it makes more sense in the book, which I haven’t read. This is why I called it syncretistic!)
My beautiful sponsor, before he knew he were to be my sponsor (or maybe he did secretly know) gave to me a little gift, of a little bottle of Our Lady of Walsingham Holy Water, extra special as he worked in Walsingam too, his line is direct. Having come from a secular background I never knew such things existed. I drank the first mouthful. And the rest was used to bless my Sanctuary.
Sounds like the film may be Pi in the Sky, maybe the book is the better option.
I have decided not to see the movie as the book was so enchanting, I’d hate to have the story spoiled by the attempts to put it on the big screen.
I have neither seen the film nor read the book, though the book seems tempting. From what you describe of Pi wanting to be a Christian, a Muslim and at the same time remaining a Hindu, the story seems to illustrate the sort(s) of confusion that some young people go through in their faith journey.
We’ve stopped watching 3D movies. Our local cinema usually shows the 3D and 2D versions. The 2D is cheaper. I found Peter (10) often took the glasses off because the movie was just too ‘in your face’.
If there’s a really great action movie out we go to the IMAX cinema. I didn’t fancy Life of Pi. I’m looking forward to seeing Les Miserables.
Would you believe I have never seen a 3D film? However, I too am greatly looking forward to Les Miserables. I hope it measures up to all the reviews!
Happy New Year Tonia
Happy New Year Simon.
Happy New Year Father Stephen and to all my fellow readers
Yours is one of a number of mixed reviews I’ve read, Father, but I’m still looking forward to seeing this film because I understand the Cardinal Vaughan boys sing beautifully in it.
That’s excellent advice about checking reviews critical. The gush reviews come from a variety of odd sources . Is Tomatoes in new hands?
I read a Ditchkins type review that panned Des Dieux et des Hommes and was glad I went, mostly as a result of that.
The Way cracked a moderate 3 stars in the Hobart Mercury. Here in Adelaide I saw and heard nothing about it but watched it stay on for a suprising, few weeks.
I went along for Sheen. Ten minutes in I thought, rude to walk out. It was sort of a parable, very simple, that stayed and returned to mind over months, as a good piece can do (but not Jaws- I still use a shark cage in the bath).
:O)
This picture amused me http://memerial.net/6092-life-of-pie
That is brilliant Tonia :)