Oscars 2013: Ranking This Year's Best Pictures
7. Life of Pi
Initial Impression: I honestly was enthusiastic about this film, as it looked absolutely beautiful. The 3D element helped sell me on this film, considering the lush imagery that the film was selling through it's trailer. On top of that, it was based on a best seller, it came from a director I've defended before (I enjoyed the first Hulk film. Sue me.), all of which intrigued me even more. My apprehension lied in the supposed spiritual nature of the storyline. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind if a film indulges in some Deus Ex Machina storytelling, but as you saw with Les Mis, when God basically seems behind the whole damned story, it stops looking like a movie and more like a tract against man's free will. The Verdict: Again with the God complex, Hollywood? Really? From the moment this film started its cutesy "move the titles like the animals do" credit sequence, I knew I wasn't going to enjoy this. And then I was taken, albeit briefly, while learning of Pi's childhood. Maybe it was the engaging portrayal of this young boy and his family, mixed with AMAZING 3D imagery and a dash of whimsy. Maybe it was the smooth narration of Irrfan Khan' s older version of Pi that helped settle me in at first, but I thought I was going to be eating my hat on this one. Then something happened... something that was bound to rear its ugly head again during this best picture showcase...heavy handed symbolism. From the moment the "three passengers" metaphor began its obvious trajectory, I was beginning to loathe this film. And then a flash of something beautiful, and possibly profound, would occur and leave me almost ready to believe again. But by time Pi actually yells into the rain asking God what more he wanted, I was done. Forrest Gump was lucky it got away with that, but this wasn't the time or the place to lay that stuff down. The cherry on the garbage sundae was the moment where for 10 - 15 minutes, we sit there and we listen to Pi weave the "fake" story of what happened. You mean to tell me that in film where we've seen a carnivorous island, a soulful tiger, and various images of water looking gorgeous as anything, we can't put together a semi flashback sequence that would help keep the previous momentum of the film going? No, instead Ang Lee decided to let the film hit a brick wall in terms of pacing and the result is even more agonizing than the reveal of said carnivorous island. (Which probably ties the island from Lost as the most nonsensical thing ever, in terms of water surrounded land masses.)