Life of Pi

Based on Yann Martel's acclaimed 2001 novel, director Ang Lee's exquisitely enchanting, emotionally engaging, Oscar-nominated spiritual fantasy begins and ends in Montreal, where a writer (Rafe Spall) is interviewing middle-aged Picine Militor Patel (Irrfan Khan), who relates the incredible story of his life. Named after a Parisian swimming pool, curious Pi grew up as both Hindu and Catholic in Pondicherry, a former French colony in southern India, where his father ran a zoo. Economic stress forces the family to make plans to move their menagerie to Canada, but when their cargo ship sinks in a terrifying storm, teenage Pi (Suraj Sharma) is stranded on a lifeboat with a wounded zebra, an orange orangutan, a manic hyena, and a ferocious Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker. For 227 days, Pi manages to survive, adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, courageously coping with grief, faith, and that ravenous tiger. A symbolic, Robinson Crusoe-like, coming-of-age fable full of cinematic wonders, Life of Pi is an astounding achievement. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “A Remarkable Vision” visual effects featurette (20 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “making-of” documentary featuring director Ang Lee (64 min.), a “Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright” featurette on the real and digital tigers used in the film (9 min.), storyboard comparisons (12 min.), an art gallery, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a wonderful film, one of 2012's best.] (S. Granger)