Word Bank

interested intrigued: broken-down faulty: banned prohibited: arrest apprehend: thinking logical analytical: question intensively interrogate: reputation or good respect prestige: risk endanger: challenging confronting:

time-honoured: acceptable and well respected

Life of Pi” is an award-winning movie based on a novel by Yann Martel. The film, directed by Ang Lee, retains the integrity of the book. It also takes movie viewers visually along with Pi on his journey of survival after his ship is wrecked.

What I loved about the movie is the clarity of the storytelling. Each scene is perfectly presented to give viewers the opportunity to ponder over the riddles within it, yet provides enough time for viewers to invest their emotions in the characters. The characters’ dialogues are sharp and each exchange will linger in viewers’ thoughts until the next scene.

Although Pi loses his entire family, the movie manages to inject humour, just enough to make the movie lighthearted rather than filled with angst and tragedy. The story reaches a dramatic high when Pi discovers that he will be sharing his lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan and Richard Parker, who happens to be a Bengal tiger.

The scenes on the lifeboat challenge the idea of humans and animals co-existing; in this case, animals and human have no option but to attempt to survive in uncomfortable proximity to each other. The strength of the tiger is pitted against the intellect of the human, and the story offers the hope that, in the end, everything will return to its natural state – life where the tiger and the human live on but they are miles apart from each other. and clarity: simplicity manner uncomplicated or dedicate invest: devote linger: remain and worry angst: misery nearness proximity: physical

The cinematography is spectacular, and it is easy to see why “Life of Pi” won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2012. The animals, the boat and the ocean all look incredibly real, yet owe so much to the magic of computer animation. Credit must also go to Suraj Sharmen, who played the young Pi Patel, and Irrfan Khan, who played the older Pi, both of whom give exemplary performances in this movie.

The only thing I did not like in this movie was Rafe Spall’s performance as the writer who is in search of a good story. While it may be wrong to stereotype people in real life, I feel that an actor should project a certain look in order to portray a particular character onscreen. Rafe Spall looks more like an insurance agent than a writer. Thankfully, he does not have a lot of screen time because I was not impressed by his acting. In the last scene, where we would expect him to look less awkward as he delivers one of the most philosophical moments in the movie, he still wears the same confused look he had when we first see him.

The most daring decision to be made about any movie or book is how to deal with the issue of religious beliefs; belief in God the art of cinematography: film photography or recognition credit: praise or ideal exemplary: model or label stereotype: typecast thoughtful or philosophical: or clarify determine: confirm in a certain way deep-thinking

is one of the themes boldly dealt with in “Life of Pi”. At the end of the movie, when Pi asks the writer which version of the story he believes in, you should also ask yourself the same question, because your answer might determine whether Pi Patel has been successful in making you believe in God, regardless of which God you may believe in.

1. Do you have an interesting relationship with an animal? Describe this relationship.

2. What is the importance of faith/religion in your life?

3. What is your greatest fear? Why?

4. If you could choose ONE thing, ONE animal and ONE person to be with you on a life boat, what would they be? Why?

5. The main character’s name is Pi, the mathematical symbol π. Can you think of reasons why this is so?