Life of Pi

Theatrical Release Date: 2012 11 21 (USA - 3D) / 2012 11 21 (USA)

UPC: 024543838319

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Adult Situations, Scary Moments]

Summary: Yann Martel's ponderous adventure novel gets the big-screen treatment with this Fox 2000 adaptation helmed by director Ang Lee. The coming-of-age story surrounds the son of a zookeeper who survives a shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker. Suraj Sharma heads up the cast as the young boy, with Gérard Depardieu, Adil Hussain, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, and Bollywood actress Tabu also starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Awards: Top Ten Film of the Year – American Film Institute Best Cinematographer – Washington D.C. Film Critics Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers Best Production Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Production Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Art Direction in a Fantasy Film – Art Directors Guild Best Original Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Edited Feature - Drama – American Cinema Editors Guild Best Director – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Picture – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Sound – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Editing – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Production Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Sound – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Adapted Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Production Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Sound – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Sound – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Music – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Sound – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Cinematographer – New York Film Critics Online Best Producer – Producers Guild of America Best Producer – Producers Guild of America Best Producer – Producers Guild of America Best Picture – New York Film Critics Online Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Cinematography – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Special Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Special Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Special Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Closed-Caption
Disc 1 Blu-Ray 3D:
Deleted scenes
Tsimtsum sinking progression in 3D
The wave tank in 3D
Theatrical trailer in 3D

Disc 2 Blu-Ray:
A filmmaker's epic journey
A remarkable vision
Tiger, tiger burning bright
Art gallery
Storyboards

Disc 3:
Life Of Pi for portable media players

Life of Pi

Release Date: 03/12/2013

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DHMA

Runtime: 123 Minutes

Sides: 3

Number of Discs: 3

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Life of Pi
1. Chapter 1 [:26]
2. Chapter 2 [3:32]
3. Chapter 3 [1:09]
4. Chapter 4 [6:04]
5. Chapter 5 [:41]
6. Chapter 6 [1:52]
7. Chapter 7 [1:37]
8. Chapter 8 [5:41]
9. Chapter 9 [:23]
10. Chapter 10 [4:14]
11. Chapter 11 [:19]
12. Chapter 12 [3:42]
13. Chapter 13 [1:43]
14. Chapter 14 [:43]
15. Chapter 15 [3:19]
16. Chapter 16 [1:38]
17. Chapter 17 [8:11]
18. Chapter 18 [4:57]
19. Chapter 19 [3:51]
20. Chapter 20 [2:28]
21. Chapter 21 [:36]
22. Chapter 22 [2:48]
23. Chapter 23 [1:11]
24. Chapter 24 [2:52]
25. Chapter 25 [5:19]
26. Chapter 26 [:16]
27. Chapter 27 [1:59]
28. Chapter 28 [1:45]
29. Chapter 29 [:18]
30. Chapter 30 [2:54]
31. Chapter 31 [2:22]
32. Chapter 32 [2:21]
33. Chapter 33 [1:38]
34. Chapter 34 [3:21]
35. Chapter 35 [:30]
36. Chapter 36 [3:46]
37. Chapter 37 [:33]
38. Chapter 38 [2:51]
39. Chapter 39 [9:29]
40. Chapter 40 [1:23]
41. Chapter 41 [2:32]
42. Chapter 42 [7:40]
43. Chapter 43 [3:56]
44. Chapter 44 [7:42]

Jason Buchanan

One boy's struggle to survive being shipwrecked at sea with a fierce Bengal tiger becomes a poetic meditation on faith and perseverance in Ang Lee's Life of Pi, a stunningly gorgeous adventure drama with a rich spiritual subtext. It's largely a one-man show that seduces us with lucid 3D imagery, and it resonates as a drama thanks to newcomer Suraj Sharma's ability to convincingly alternate between youthful vulnerability and ageless bravery as his character experiences an intense crisis of faith.

As the film opens, a young writer (Rafe Spall) sits across from Pi (Irrfan Khan) and waits to hear a story so incredible that it will shake the foundations of the skeptical scribe's beliefs. The tale begins innocently enough, with a young Pi (Sharma) attempting to establish his spiritual identity while growing up on the grounds of his family's zoo in a French region of India. Yet just as Pi begins to experience the joys of first love, his father announces that the family will soon be starting a new life in Winnipeg. The clan and all of their exotic animals travel to Canada by boat, but a massive storm sends the vessel plunging to the ocean floor, with the terrified Pi, an injured zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker just barely managing to escape in a lifeboat. After the skies clear and the wild animals begin to clash, Pi finds himself alone in the middle of the ocean with Richard Parker as he prays for a rescue that never comes. In the days and weeks that follow, Pi and Richard Parker establish a mutually respectful bond that helps both to endure when it seems that all hope is lost. It's only later, when a pair of Japanese insurance adjustors turn up seeking to verify Pi's remarkable story, that we discover the crucial role that faith played in keeping him alive on the open seas.

The first thing that grabs you about Life of Pi is Claudio Miranda's lush, intoxicatingly vivid cinematography. Opening with shots of the animals in Pi's father's zoo, director Lee establishes a peaceful, Zen-like tone as Miranda's camerawork brings to mind groundbreaking nature documentaries like the recent Planet Earth or the gorgeous Born to Be Wild. Subsequently introducing us to the protagonist as he begins to share his tale with the eager young writer, screenwriter David Magee endears us to Pi by offering a glimpse of the childhood events that would shape his spiritual beliefs and personality. Whether peppering Pi's memories of his beloved uncle with gentle humor, portraying an early bout of heartbreak with poignant brevity, or showing a painful life lesson that will later play a crucial role in the plot, Magee front-loads Life of Pi with a profundity that's perfectly complemented by Miranda's gorgeous images and Lee's inspired stylistic flourishes. The talents of all three coalesce beautifully, giving the film a rich sense of soul-searching that's violently shattered when the boat carrying Pi and his family to their new lives sinks in a scene that's sure to be remembered as one of the most intense and awe-inspiring shipwrecks ever portrayed on film. An unforgettable shot of Pi sinking beneath the waves as the massive ship plummets into the abyss is positively breathtaking, and young star Sharma handles the physically and emotionally demanding scene like a seasoned pro.

Later, as the film settles into the rhythms of Pi's epic struggle to survive being stranded at sea with a traumatized (and hungry) Bengal tiger, Sharma remains in top form as Lee and Miranda turn what could have been a stagy section of the movie into a thing of visual splendor. Likewise, Magee's screenplay keeps things consistently interesting by conveying just what a profound effect the experience is having on Pi as he faces a series of unexpected challenges. It's never dull or repetitive, and by taking us inside of Pi's head as he fights to keep himself and Richard Parker alive, the filmmakers give a rather simple story compelling depth.

At times it feels as if each scene in Life of Pi is more beautifully rendered than the last -- not just visually, but subtextually as well. By the time Pi reveals a side of the story few would see coming, the development catches us off guard without feeling gimmicky; it adds to the film's reflective tone rather than detracting from it, and ends Pi's incredible tale on a note that's deeply spiritual without being preachy. That's a particularly fine line to walk, but in the capable hands of Lee and company, it's done with flawless balance. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Mychael Danna  Composer (Music Score) 
Gil Netter  Producer 
Ang Lee  Director 
Ang Lee  Producer 
David Womark  Producer 
Dean Georgaris  Executive Producer 
David Magee  Screenwriter 
Suraj Sharma  Actor 
Irfan Khan  Actor 
Ayush Tandon  Actor 
Tabu  Actor 
Adil Hussain  Actor 
Rafe Spall  Actor 
Gérard Depardieu  Actor 

Country: USA