American Hustle

  With the marginally overrated Silver Linings Playbook behind him, David O'Russell continues his success with a hilariously talented {and familiar} cast.

Directed by: David O'Russell
Released: 2013
Staring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, & Jennifer Lawrence
Rated: R

While this is not O'Russell's strongest film, it's certainly is his best script.

  O'Russell discovered a successful formula in creating unique and amusing characters; however, strong characters and the actors who portray them can't be relied upon to carry an entire film. 2010's The Fighters and last year's Silver Linings Playbook are solid examples. He takes subjects that could potentially develop into deeper, complex narratives and ultimately turns them into feel good, family success stories. Everyone gets their happy ending, save a politician or two, and the only thing audience members walk away from the film with are smiles on their faces.

Stars Christian Bale & Amy Adams on set with Director David O'Russell.

  David O'Russell again proved his talents in both writing and directing but doesn't deliver anything new to either categories. That being said, American Hustle's script turned out to be one of the best if not  THE BEST and my favorite of 2013. From start to finish I fully embraced this film as a comedy; Jennifer Lawrence in particular was blessed with one of film's most amusingly neurotic and engaging characters of 2013. O'Russell simply knows how to write great characters (with great actors in mind) "I told you not to put metal in the Science Oven!"is bound to be a new staple for film quote fanatics accompanied by "…so they can get married and have children so the Pope can have more followers." and "Tell me the Ice Fishing story!" Near the third act, the story verges on ridiculous; however, a surprise ending certainly justifies some of the rather outlandish circumstances our anti-heroes get themselves into.

  Speaking of anti-heroes, O'Russsell penned quite the ensemble and reunited almost every actor he's worked with in the past three years. Crowd pleaser Jennifer Lawrence does not disappoint; bringing her larger than life personality and injecting it into a character that could have been a whining downer of a woman. Lawrence does some very nice work with this character; the scales are often tipped more towards humor than showcasing true emotion. This role is one where Lawrence's performance mirrored her own personality dangerously close. I don't dislike Lawrence by any means, she's one of my generation's most talented actresses, but I she's teetering on a thin line between character and real personality.

Anyone remember that young, talented unknown actor from Katherine Bigalow's award winning film The Hurt Locker? Oh ya, that young guy…he can act, ya. Ever since The Avengers, I've forgotten that Jeremy Renner is actually quite the talent. His portrayal of the heartbreakingly oblivious Mayor of Atlantic City, Carmine Polito, is adorably innocent and well played. Speaking of Atlantic City, Boardwalk Empire cast member Jack Huston makes a surprisingly pleasant appearance accompanied by another major Hollywood star {no spoilers}
  The main cast of Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Christian Bale are strong and work brilliantly as a whole. American Hustle's script demands strong chemistry between it's leads and Adams, Cooper, & Bale exudes a confidence that MAKE the film. Adams is devilishly versatile playing Cooper and Bale's characters for all they're worth. Slowly rising as one of Hollywoods brightest stars, Adams' role in Hustle showcased her best work. Comparing her performance to Lawrence's proves difficult, the two roles are immensely different; however, Adams' performance is vastly more complex and compelling than Lawrence's.

With his pot belly, comb over and sleazy suits, Bale looks the part of slimy villain but co-star Bradley Cooper ultimately ends up with the title. In past years Cooper's work fell by the wayside, nothing exceedingly impressive. I felt his role in Silver Linings Playbook was overrated…please feel free to pelt me with aggressive insults about how wrong I am. Silver Linings was a NEW role for Cooper, different than the work he'd done in the past and for that I acclaim the performance; however, it was ultimately a performance I feel could have been given by any number of actors. I left Hustle with a similar opinion. Cooper is talented no doubt and I enjoyed him immensely, especially in those perm rods, but I feel it was the strength of script that made the performance so entertaining.

  O'Russell is just too damn good at writing captivating, unique characters and none are more expertly executed than Irving Rosenfeld portrayed by Christian Bale. Bale is relentless and raw, once again completely transforming his physical appearance. A head toe metamorphosis is one thing, generating an equally impressive acting performance is another and Bale pulls its off. His is a seamless, fully developed character that undergoes an emotional development that the audience clearly witnesses from start to finish. Bale owns both his role and the film and was it any other year, this dynamic performance would have earned him a second Oscar. 2013 was an exceptional year for male performances in cinema, the Best Actor category is already bulging despite the absence of two of the best showings by Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) and Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)

  The sounds, colors, and atmosphere of the 1970's come to life in Hustle, design elements remain consistent and bold from opening studio logos to final credit. Costuming is both hilarious and accurate from Adams' plunging neck lines to Bale's dazzling ascots. This year's Academy Awards will be a closely run race between Catherine Martin for Gatsby and Michael Wilkinson for Hustle. Martin's partnership with Prada resulted in an extraordinary fusion of modern glam and classic silhouette but Wilkinson's devotion to accuracy in 1970's fashion proved just as exciting! Both were stunning and imperative in creating defined worlds for each film; the decision of who takes home Oscar will be a difficult one indeed! A great soundtrack and groovy original score from a personal favorite, Danny Elfman, only boost the quality of Hustle higher.

  Charming, witty, and unashamedly gaudy, American Hustle proved to be a far greater treat than expected. This is nothing new from David O'Russell and doesn't quite match The Fighter in overall direction; however, it's superior to his previous hit Silver Linings Playbook. A strong main and supporting cast play up O'Russell's droll ensemble of characters and appeal to a wide audience.

Her

Watch your back Siri, you have some competition and she's voiced by Scarlett Johansson...

Directed by: Spike Jonze
Released: 2013/14
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, & Olivia Wilde
Rated: R

  Every year the Academy picks a grouping of movies, their premises fairly basic and straightforward. Then there's one film who's synopsis causes folks to tilt their heads to the side, furrow their brows and ask the film industry's most important and controversial question. "Huh?" Perhaps I'm being dramatic; in reality Her's premise is about as straightforward as they come. Lonely man falls in love with his operating system (sub with 'computer' based on audience) and rediscovers the joys and pain of love.

  Compared to a southern slavery drama, Scorsese+DiCaprio performance piece, sexy 70's mafia flick, or even technologically advanced space adventure, Her does seem like the odd duck…BUT, when you put all these ducks in a row you realize Her isn' out of place at all. It's Titanic, it's Blue Valentine, it's Casablanca, it's the tragic love story of the year! One half of the romantic leads just happens to be detached voice. This results in a uniquely alluring film that messes with it's audiences in all kinds of unexpected psychological ways.

  I didn't know what to expect from Spike Jonze's fourth feature film; I knew that a piece of my heart cried every time I saw a trailer.  Her proved to be one the most emotional romantic dramas of the past year. Highly stylized, with a clever and touching script, this film boasted a brilliant blend of laughter and heart break. Joaquin Phoenix's character could have easily become a downer for the entire film, dragging it from quirky romance to depressing sob story, {*cough* Blue Valentine *cough*} but proper editing and a special supporting cast keep the overall tone light.

  Editing in this film magically transports the audience back in time, allowing them a look at the lonely Theodore Twombly in the best and worst of times without being distracting. This editing is a great example of Jonze's understanding of the human condition. He realizes emotions towards others are based off of past experiences, and visualizing a varied range of experiences gives the audience a better understanding of our hero and his relationships.

  Set during an undetermined time in the present future, Designers could have gone the cliche, white wash route, but I must say, it was refreshing not to be drowning in chrome, spandex, and alabaster walls. This future is not so different than ours, the warm hues and textures give the world a lived in feeling; more welcoming than the cold, sterile air often portrayed in film. The advances in technology, fashion, and living are present, but they're subtle, verging on un-noticeable differences. The beautiful approach to the design delivers a mores substantial film. Substantial in the sense that this future is a realistic possibility, leaving audiences to open to the idea that a man could fall in love with his organizational device…if that hasn't happened already.

  In a nice stylistic choice, the warm oranges, yellows and browns of the film give Her a faint 1960's vibe; reflected in costuming and the atmosphere of the film in general. Atheistically, it's retro and modern at the same time. This charming blend gives the film it's physical appeal. True, a good portion of Her is tight shots of Joaquin Phoenix's mustached face (EVEN THE STACHE IS RETRO) but once the lens retracts we're treated to some clever camera work and beautiful colors. Again, this is smart editing and film making on the part of Spike Jonze. A film this personal and emotional needs to have it's fair share of medium and wide shots to balance out the many intimate close-ups.

  Speaking of intimate...
Her features several interesting sex{?} scenes, the best of them involving a partner voiced by Kristen Wiig , a dead cat and strangulation…I'll just leave it at that.

 

The relatively small cast is talented and as unique as the film. Amy Adams is almost unrecognizable as Theodore's fresh faced friend. The role was a smart choice for Adams, allowing her to show off not only her comedy, which we already know and love, but also her talent in a real life roles. Although I've yet to see it, when compared to her role in American Hustle, Adam's character in Her is (visually at least) a near polar opposite…There's nothing I enjoy more in an actor than diversity in their body of work and over the past couple years Adams has explored a vast range of characters proving she's willing to take risks and work hard in an industry that readily type casts it's young, bright actresses.  Oliva Wilde and her gorgeous face make an amusing appearance and Chris Pratt wins a few chuckles from the crowd as well.

  When Joaquin Phoenix isn't trying so hard to convince the world he's a great actor by putting on a charade for two years, he is a great actor. The man is completely ridiculous, but when he's not striving for attention and commits to a role he's quite enjoyable to watch. Phoenix takes a role that, as I said before could have been dead weight, and balances the heartbreak with joy. Theodore Twombly remains a sympathetic, but not pathetic, character throughout the film. In addition, the fact that the majority of this film is Phoenix acting to the open air, responding to a recorded voice, is a feat to be recognized.

   The recorded voice is that of Scarlett Johansson. Over the years I've remained somewhat indifferent to Johansson's acting...she's always good, but never great. Her body of works doesn't strike me one way or the other. Johansson is an actress that can play almost any role in any genre of film, which is fantastic, Hollywood needs such actresses; however, I don't peg her as the best in the business. This being said, Johansson's performance in Her is a highlight in her career. The actress has a certain vitality in her voice that creates such a presence without ever needing the visual. Her's is a bright, lively voice you can't help but enjoy it. The breaks, breathes and squeaks are so distinctly human it's not difficult to rationalizing falling in love with her. Johansson masters emotional inflections and tones which, if not paired with a face can sometimes be hard to recognize. The audience knows what her character is thinking and feeling without needing to see a face; exactly what's required to make this role, and the entire film, work.

  In it's second act, Her delves deeply into the discovery of emotions, what they mean, and how they set humans apart from other beings. Do our emotions make us individuals or do they hold us back from discovering more? Students of Psychology should get excited because they'll finally have a new, and not entirely depressing film to watch in class…you can only sit through A Dangerous Method and The Mechanist so many times.  Surprisingly moving and unique, Her offers a perfect fusion of humor and misfortune. A less than happy ending doesn't leave audiences completely downhearted, but keeps the film grounded in reality. January-March is notoriously cinema's slowest months in releasing quality films, it's the Awards Season/Summer Blockbuster lag...In actuality this charming film will most likely be forgotten in the midst of big titles like 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle and that lot, but if audiences are looking for a fresh romantic comedy/drama in the fading winter transition, Her fills that slot.

Me, thinking about the oncoming late-winter, cinema slump
See you in March when Wes Craven's Grand Budapest Hotel comes out...

The Wolf of Wall Street

It's called GREED Old Sport! 

                Oh wait…

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Released: 2013

Staring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, & Margot Robbie 

with special appearances by Matthew Mcconaughey, Jean Dujardin and that guy who plays Nucky Thompson's brother Eli on Boardwalk Empire - Shea Whigham.

Rated: R

One hell of a showboat performance from Leonardo Dicaprio

 Aka: The Great Wolf of Gatsby Street

  "I will tell you God's truth, God's truth about myself. I'm the son of some very wealthily people; sadly they're all dead now."

       And I can say after watching this film I cannot help but be baffled by the fact that not only did this main character and his antics exist but he's still alive to write about it. 

The true story of Jordan Belfort, stock broker, drug addict, and womanizer is 100x more unbelievable than the tales one Jay Gatsby strings and weaves for an innocent Nick Caraway. I only draw the comparisons to the two films due to the lavish parties, booze, drugs, women and uninterrupted flow of illegally obtained cash...And the two films star of course, Leonardo DiCaprio.  

  Remember earlier this year when I reviewed  The Great Gatsby and I said something along the lines of his role in that film would not being enough to garnet the talented actor with an Oscar? It was going to take more than the charmingly passionate, love-sick millionaire Gatsby to get the coveted golden statue on his mantle piece. If there was a role DiCaprio could have, would have, SHOULD have won for in the past two years it was Calvin Candie in Tarantino's Django Unchained. Alas, poor Leo was not even graced with a nomination for his exceptional performance. With 7 days until nominations for the 2014 Academy Awards are released, The Wolf of Wall Street is DiCaprio's best shot at Oscar gold. 

His performance isn't just good, it's a nose full of coke, Mia Wallace "I said GOD DAMN, GOD DAMN" good. Sex, drugs and shootin' the authorities a big ol' fashion fuck you, are the precious cargo filling Scorsese's crazed ship and DiCaprio is the captain.

  I'm a fan of actor-director relationships films. Tim Burton has Johnny Depp, Nicholas Winding-Refn has Ryan Gosling and Martin Scorsese has Leonardo DiCaprio; when two artist work together on a regular basis it not only brings a familiar feeling to the film, but both are able to experiment and take risks. This couldn't be more apparent than in The Wolf of Wall Street. The Wolf is the product of an actor-director relationship that has surpassed all levels of comfort and flow into a realm of UNcomforted that only could be explored by very close friends. I've already used up one of my swears and I'll use another now, a shit load of craziness and debauchery, that is what Scorsese and DiCaprio create. The film is jam packed full of unbelievable circumstances that upon hearing, one would think nearly impossible to put on screen; but this dynamic duo does it in high flying, unforgiving fashion.

  

  The Wolf of Wall Street works because it's biggest star holds nothing back and it's director captures it all. DiCaprio is a powerhouse in the film; a larger than life personality and presence that, on more than one occasion had members of the audience clapping and cheering. DiCaprio shows not only how completely selfish and crazed Belfort was but also exudes the persuasive force that inspired his employees and later lead him to be a motivational speaker. Jordan Belfort is a disgusting character; an asshole, yet all you can do is shake your head and laugh when he gets in deep. You want to see just how far down this man can go before he's buried in his own filth and mistakes. DiCaprio brings the charm and sleaze to this corrupt animal all at once, making him nearly impossible to dislike. 

   Members of the supporting cast are individually strong, discovering their own characters and holding fast to them throughout the entire film. Actors who have been duds or type casts in years past dish up some hilarious and pinnacle performances. Matthew McConaughey's appearance is brief but a real highlight of the first half of the film. Jonah Hill provides the audience with a bundle of squeamishly laughable moments and commits to offering more than enough of his physical self to the camera. 

 

As I defended Baz Luhrman's over the top production of The Great Gatsby, I must also defend Martin Scorsese's choices; it's his personal directorial style. Something it seems many reviewers and audiences just don't get it. Have you seen Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino? Are you really surprised by profanity? This is a serious question and something that truly irks me. ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED? I shake my head when I read reviews condemning Scorsese, for the vulgarity of his films, especially The Wolf of Wall Street. In this case it's not only the directorial style but also the subject matter that must be taken into account. The Wolf of Wall Street is based off of Jordan Belfort's autobiography, and having read excerpts from the book, I can tell you the film is pretty spot on with Belford's description his over the top lifestyle. Upon entering a Scorsese film, one must be prepared for a heavy helping of F-bombs, accents, and boobs. After seeing The Wolf, I'm quite sure I'm immune to all. 

  As a movie fan, I tend to stay away from comedies, not because I don't enjoy a good laugh, but because let's be honest, most "comedies" produced now a days are rubbish…I'm not even sure comedy is a genre anymore…that's the odd thing about The Wolf, it has more than it's fair share of laughs, but should I be pegging it as a Ha-Ha funny COMEDY? I don't know. It's laughs come from it's absurdity…like The Hangover (which I thought was funny the first time around then hated the next 3 times I was forced to watch it) but real. 

  Clocking in at a solid 180 minutes, The Wolf of Wall Street proves to be the longest running comedy on the market today. I say comedy because there really is no other genre in to which to place this film. All of Scorsese's works have their far share of laughs, mostly delivered by unique and outlandish characters. It's the people and the situations they get into that produce the biggest laughs. A drooling DiCaprio, resorting to rolling himself down a flight of brick stair because he's lost almost all of his motor skills due to a drug overdoes is ridiculous…and funny as hell. Jonah Hill's disturbingly white, propionate teeth are funny. Matthew McConaughey rhythmically pounding his chest and emitting primal, cave man-like beats is funny. A looping plane full of hookers, coke, and naked men is, dare I say it, FUNNY. What I'm trying to get at is this, The Wolf of Wall Street is brash, disturbing, and often cringe-worthy (definitely not for everyone) but it is a comedy. A comedy that may just deliver Leonardo DiCaprio that Best Actor Oscar that has eluded him for too long.  Do I think it's the perfect holiday film for audiences to see with Mom and Pop? Absolutely not. Is it a seamlessly crafted performance piece for DiCaprio full of raunchy laughs and depravity? Absolutely yes. 

  Now all I can do is sit back and have a mental battle with myself as to whether Oscar Isaac or Leo is more deserving of the Academy's honor...

If DiCaprio wins and I don't see this exact dance, I'll be very disappointed.

Captain Phillips

 While Gravity may have been King of last weekends box office, Captain Phillips is packed full of just as much intensity and thrilling action; not to mention brilliant performances. 

Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Released: 2013
Staring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdiraham, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, & Michael Chernus.
Rated: PG-13
Times Viewed: 1

"Based on a True Story" often leads to over-exposed and ultimate let down of many films in today's market; however, Captain Phillips lives up to the hype and offers the audience a solid and memorable action thriller.

  When Captain Phillips first crossed my radar I wasn't overly concerned with it's presence. Yes Tom Hanks is good but it was just going to be another dumbed down action-withouth action movie, nothing to get excited about. Weeks passed and the hype over the true tale of a brave cargo ship captain grew  and grew, traveling from media sites to my own parents. "That Tom Hanks is just incredible" my Dad boasted "Very good. Very intense" my Mother described via text. With their stamps of approval and the ever present accompaniment of "Oscar Buzz" I thought it was time to give Captain Phillips a chance. If all else fails, it has Tom Hanks, he's always a treat to watch!


  Captain Phillips successfully lives up to it's praise. Paul Greengrass creates a film that is not only laden with suspense, intensity, and action, but REALITY. Too often in Hollywood, action films turn into monstrous feasts of CGI, Good Guy vs. Bad Guy, and unnecessary SFX. Captain Phillips minimizes all the artificial aspects of an action film and allows the story be the source of action, not the effects. Granted, Greengrass had quite the story to work with. NOT to say I believe every event depicted in the film was what happened in real life, but how often is that what a film sets out to do?
  Based on True Event films like Captain Phillips set out to raise awareness and tell a great story. Is that always the right thing to do? No, but it's what making films is so often about, interpretation and presentation, not give an exact account. Yes, telling the real story is important but audiences must understand that this cinema and liberties will always be taken. I'm not here to tell you if Captain Phillips was an accurate presentation of the hijacking of Maersk Alabama in 2009, I'm here to review the film. If a movie like this is presented in such a way that it sparks my curiosity about the real events and compels me to do a bit of research, it's done it's job...along with entertaining of course.

  Greengrass' execution builds upon constant tension without feeling like a one note movie. Captain Phillips isn't confined to one space or vantage point, allowing the audience insight to more than just it's title character while retaining a sense of perspective. That perspective, while slightly slanted, is not singular. From beginning to end, the audience is shown both Phillips' and Pirate leader Muse's lives, motivations, and approach to their respective situations. Greengrass does this by presenting parallels in each man's life, showing the audience that the American Captain and Somali Pirate are not so different. I really loved this. Muse{pronounced "Moo-Say" I think}is , without a doubt, the antagonist; however, he's not completely unsympathetic. Audiences are shown why he's Pirating, his struggles, and his determination to prove himself. You're not necessarily rooting for the Pirates, but because of the insight into their lives and motivations, you're don't entirely want them to fail. A fresh take for the worn, one sided approach Hollywood so often takes. To quote one, Tom Hiddlestone "Every Villain is a Hero in his own mind."  Captain Phillips illustrates this beautifully.  

Director Paul Greengrass with his cast of Somali Actors on the
set of Captain Phillips (2013)

"From the Director of The Borne Supremacy & Ultimatum" had me nervous. These are the films that brought us the current action film staple...SHAKEY HAND-CAM. Yes that lovely, belligerent craft of strapping a camera to one's hand and not giving a frame as to whether the audience can acutely tell what's being filmed for not...Everyone rats on J.J. Abrams for lens flares? Shaky Cam will always be my ultimate enemy...

  So you see why I had my reserves about the film due to it's director, but Greengrass blew away all preconceived assumptions and delivered one helluva great action film. A great story helps, but the way this movie was filmed is what made it a such a success for me. "No tricks" as many characters in the movie often repeat, there were no tricks while making Captain Phillips. No ridiculous camera tricks, SFX tricks, or (most importantly) CGI tricks. This was solid thrills and action done without a single explosion or illogical car {boat} chase. In simpler terms, everything in Captain Phillips made sense. I never felt there was a time when I was apart of a sequence of action that didn't NEED to happen.

  Now action cannot be anything without actors and Captain Phillips' cast is ripe with raw, talented actors. Tom Hanks, I don't think this man has made a bad movie. And don't you dare say the Da Vinci Code because I immensely enjoy that movie! We all know Hanks can be the good guy, the nice guy, the funny guy, but we rarely see him in such a HUMAN role. It's refreshing to see him portraying a though, sometimes verging on unlikable character. Hanks doesn't milk the scene he has with his wife at the beginning, he just makes it real. The same goes for the first couple scenes as his character first takes charge of the Alabama and it's crew. Dare I say, he's kind of a hard ass. But it's truth, it's real. Hanks' final scene, after his rescue, is one of the most heart wrenching on film this year. The pure emotion that he exhibits is unbelievable and leaves not one dry eye in the theater.

  While Hanks is the obviously the big star in the film his rookie co-stars are not to be cast into his illustrious shadow. Much of the hype that's followed Captain Phillips has been surrounding the Somali actors who portray the hijacking pirates. All who, I might add, are from MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA! The four amateurs play it like old pros, all unforgiving and truthful as Hanks himself. Barkhad Abdi, the leader of the pirate crew, is getting a fair amount of Oscar Buzz for his performance and for good reason. Even in his silent moments we see the cogs turing in his mind, calculating and determining. Abdi holds his own against Hanks and gives a truly outstanding performance that is reason enough to check out Captain Phillips.

  If you haven't seen it yet, Captain Phillips is the one to watch this weekend. Where Gravity staggered in acting, Captain Phillips sores above. This film is everything that a GOOD action film should be complimented by top notch acting. It's bound to score at least one Academy Award nom come early next year; this is one Oscar film that can be enjoyed by any and all audiences.

Life of Pi

...A horror movie in which the ocean is the villain and a 16 year old boy goes 227 days without growing any facial hair.

Directed by: Ang Lee
Released: 2012
Staring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, & Richard Parker via Rhythm & Hues Studios
Rated: PG
Times Viewed: 1

  Perhaps it's because I watched both A Perfect Storm AND Cast Away at far too young of age, but I have always been TERRIFIED of deadly ocean storm and/or stranded in the ocean type films. Life of Pi, while vividly entertaining and beautifully envisioned, was no exception. If there was ever a film that  would convince me to stay away from ship travel this one would be it; forget Titanic, it's Life of Pi all the way. That being said, I'll do my best to cope with my fear of the open ocean/drowning and review the film without shuttering.

"Better than Disney World Mumbai!!!" 

   Everything you've heard about the amazing CGI in this film is absolutely true. Originally I was completely against the idea of  nearly 100% computer generated animals and visuals(set?) JUST USE A REAL TIGER and some clever trick shots is what I kept saying. Humbly, I must admit I was quite wrong about that and the visual team at Rhythm & Hues Studios did an outstanding job!

The detailed process behind making Richard Parker come to life

  I do believe you will always be able to detect CGI from non-CGI, but what the artist's generated was truly amazing. All of the animals, Richard Parker (the tiger for those of you who don't know) especially were created with such detail, vibrance, and movement when one is engaged in the film it's quite easy to forget they're not real. And for that I take my hat off to the designers and engineers at R&H Studios who were unjustly NOT appreciated or mentioned for their fantastic work during director Ang Lee's acceptance of the Best Director Oscar at this year's show...I'll delve deeper into that later.

A fight for dominance in "Life of Pi"

If they used some shots of a real tiger mixed with CGI I will never be able to tell the difference.

  Back to the animals...Animals which can so often appear flat and cartoonish on screen due to the lack of detail, attention to lighting, and depth, come alive in Life of Pi. As you would in a live animal, you can see every hair on the tigers coat move and ever scale on each fish glisten in the sunlight. The saturated colors of the entire movie help the animals really pop and allow the viewer to see how much work was put into creating these creatures.

  The limitless ocean, dream-like sky, and floating island also must be mention as they are all gorgeous and truly unique. I must say, this is a movie I really wish I would have seen in 3-D. I could tell from watching at home, Life of Pi was a film that was developed to be shot in 3-D and utilize it with the depth of the ocean, lashing tiger, and flying fish. Lee even changed the aspect ratio of the film several times to submerge the viewer even deeper into Pi's beautiful and deadly adventure.

  I  reccomend this film for the sole reason of the outstanding work the special effect team did on the whole film. It's vibrant, fun, sometimes scary, and always stunning. Life of Pi is definitely a feast for the visual senses.

I'm sorry Pi, the tribe has voted; You must either leave the boat or be eaten.  

Richard Parker & Pi have a staring contest to kill time...RP is a sore loser. 

  The story and themes behind Life of Pi, I feel could have been a bit stronger than were presented in the film. What themes you ask? Religion is supposedly the driving force of the story; however, at the end of the tale I felt as if religion had been lost rather than found. Religion is mentioned quite a bit at the beginning of the film as the writer and we the viewers are taken back to Pi's childhood and his induction into three (I believe) religions. I found this part of the tale quite intriguing and enjoyable; Pi telling us how he is able to simultaneously be apart of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. At first I thought the back story telling was a bit excessive but now that I think about it, that's what really connected me to the character of Pi.

  The strong appeal of the three different religions acting as one was perhaps why I felt as if they were missing at the end of the film. The character of the writer himself says the whole reason he was sent to Pi was because he had been told that Pi had a story that would make him believe in God...I felt, as Pi concluded his tale, the shock of the two different scenarios detracted from the major theme that was supposed to be represented in his tale.

A young Pi discovers Christianity.

  This is where the story and review get tricky. Pi revels to the writer that his whole magical journey with Richard Parker might not have even happened. It might have just been his mind's compensation for the tremendous amount of mental and physical strain put upon him by the wreak. I'll just leave it there so I don't spoil too much, but when those dual stories are introduced there will forever be conflict embedded in the story. JUST like THE LADY AND THE TIGER. Which one did she choose? Which one was behind the door? Which story was reality? Will we the reader and/or viewer ever know for sure? The writer chooses to believe the tale featuring Richard Parker because obviously it would make a great book to film adaption (har har) I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy this psychological turn of events, on the contrary I found it added a bit of substance to a rather fanciful film; but it was the intrigue of the two stories that seemed to be of greater interest to the writer and audience rather than religion. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, to me it just seemed to diverge from the original intent of the story.
      -I have never read the book although I've been told to by many...just so you know.

Director Ang Lee on set.

Ang Lee...that man is a strange duck...I'd just like to take the time and remind you all that this is the same Ang Lee who directed 2003's horrendous Hulk, which I think SyFy channel has even stopped playing. That being said, he has also directed some great films like Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...everyone gasp as I confess I have never seen Brokeback Mountain.

  Range in directing is good, but I feel his is at either end of extreme levels of quality. After finally seeing Life of Pi, can I say that I agree that he should have won the award for best director...eh...the list of directors this year was odd...I personally think Benh Zeitlin should have won for Beast of the Southern Wild (if you haven't seen it yet go NOW) Spielberg is and always will be fantastic, I've yet to see Amour, but then David O'Russell? I did like Silver Linings Play-Book a lot more than I had anticipated, but I didn't see O'Russell getting an award for it. Odd group...just odd. I was shocked when neither Tom Hopper or Quentin Tarantino were nominated; I would have loved to see Tarantino win for Django, but he go his Oscar for original screenplay so that's just as good if not better.
     
  I don't know...best directing? Really academy? Of the whole 2012 year?
Special Effects for sure...but directing? AND I must admit I lost a bit of respect for Ang Lee when he didn't even mention the special effects team in his thank you speech. I know there was a big lock out/the company was shutting down scandal, but those where the men and women who CREATED THE WHOLE FILM. Perhaps now I'm getting too subjective...don't let any of this deter you from watching because it really is a great film.

Life of Pi is no Cast Away. The gritty realism we as viewers have come to know from many a ship wreck film is replaced with spectacle and fantasy. Life of Pi is beautiful, with an fresh story and unbelievable special effects, this one is a must watch. Viewers of all ages will find something to enjoy in this film even if it is just the vivid scenery, glowing fish, or a tiger named Richard Parker.