Movies Spotlight – 2016 Movies, Part 2 – August 2016

Overall, 2016 has felt disappointing at the movies. Yes, we have a few great movies like Everybody Wants Some!!, Green Room and The Witch, but the year seems to have produced one disappointment after another (especially this Summer). Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, Zootopia, Finding Dory, and Deadpool lived up to our expectations (and surpassed them), but Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, X-Men: Apocalypse, The BFG, The Legend of Tarzan, Jason Bourne, and now Suicide Squad have all come up short (seemingly pulling down our opinions of the whole year and our enthusiasm for what is to come). And yet, there are a number of films to still be excited for:

Pete’s Dragon

At face value, it is surprising that Disney would remake Pete’s Dragon, a back-catalog 1970s musical that I imagine anyone under 35 does not even know ever existed. But Disney has done something interesting with this remake, they have only taken the very basics from the original and let indie auteur David Lowery run with it, resulting in a family film that actually feels substantial. Lowery also has a great cast with Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and Karl Urban. In theaters August 12^th. Check out the trailer.

The Light Between Oceans

Derek Cianfrance makes brooding dramas, steeped in deep, dark emotions. This all makes him the perfect filmmaker to take on an adaptation of The Light Between Oceans, a drama about a man and wife who decide to raise a baby they find adrift only to discover years later that the child’s mother is still searching for it. The cast is among the year’s absolute best with Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz. This could be 2016’s first serious Oscar contender. In theaters September 2^nd. Check out the trailer.

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins’s novel was a huge success, making this adaptation one of the most anticipated films of the Fall. Emily Blunt leads a good cast and Tate Taylor has proven very adept in his ability to produce strong cinematic adaptations (like The Help). The mystery thriller is about Rachel Watson, a divorced woman who takes a train past her old house everyday on her way to work; only, one day something is different when she believes that she witnesses a murder, but that is not the whole story. In theaters October 7^th. Check out the trailer.

The Birth of a Nation

Writer/director/star Nate Parker won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with his slavery drama The Birth of a Nation. The film feels vital, given the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and our current sociopolitical climate. Parker also represents a much needed fresh cinematic voice. The film is about Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher who organizes a rebellion against the masters in the antebellum South. In theaters October 7^th. Check out the trailer.

Doctor Strange

Marvel Studios can do no wrong with their Cinematic Universe (aka the MCU), or so it seems. Doctor Strange, however, represents an interesting challenge. Marvel bottled lightening with Guardians of the Galaxy, a gaggle of heroes unknown to general movie-going audiences, but can they do it again with Dr. Stephen Strange? They certainly have the goodwill of their fans, a promising (and different) concept and a phenomenal cast, headlined by Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Eijiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. In theaters November 4^th. Check out the trailer.

Loving

Indie auteur Jeff Nichols is one of America’s brightest independent filmmaking stars. His new drama tackles the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple struggling to live in 1958 Virginia. Like The Birth of a Nation, Loving feels tonally vital right now. The buzz out of the Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in May, was very strong with special notices for leads Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. In theaters November 4^th. Check out the trailer.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Filmmakers have had limited success tackling the Iraq War, as it seems to be difficult to really capture the tone of such a twisted and problematic conflict and portray the struggles faced by the men and women in the middle of it (my personal favorite is the HBO miniseries Generation Kill). That said, auteur Ang Lee is a good fit to take it on. Lee also has a good eclectic cast with Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, and Chris Tucker. The film adaptation is about Billy Lynn, a war hero who temporarily gets to come home. In theaters November 11^th. Check out the trailer.

Arrival

Auteur Denis Villeneuve made my favorite film of 2015 with Sicario; he is back in 2016 with the sci-fi drama Arrival. It is about an expert linguist who is recruited by the military to determine if an alien race that has landed crafts across the globe comes in peace or are a threat. Villeneuve again champions the need for more roles and better roles for female actors by casting Amy Adams in the lead (he famously gender switched the lead in Sicario, casting Emily Blunt). In theaters November 11^th.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Cynically speaking, we all knew Warner Bros. would find a way to keep the Wizarding World of Harry Potter going; however, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has the pedigree to delight fans. J.K. Rowling is providing the script, David Yates (who directed films 5-8 of the Harry Potter series) is behind the camera, and Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne stars. The film is about the adventures of Newt Scamander, a specialist in magical creatures, in 1920s New York City. Even after eight films, I am excited to return to the Wizarding World. In theaters November 18^th. Check out the trailer.

Manchester by the Sea

Auteur Kenneth Lonergan is finally back with a new film with Manchester by the Sea, a drama about an uncle who must take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father passes. The film has a ton of Oscar buzz coming out of its early festival screenings, many calling it the best film of 2016 so far. It boasts a solid cast, led by Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler and Michelle Williams. In theaters November 18^th.

Moana

Disney’s latest ‘princess’ film aims to be something completely different. First, Moana, a young Hawaiian woman, is actually voiced by a young Hawaiian woman in Auli’I Cravalho and second Moana is her own hero without a love interest. This feels like a big step forward for Disney, who has made big recent strides forward in promoting its female characters. The film also features voice-work from Dwayne Johnson as Maui the demi-god. Ron Clements and John Musker lead the creative team (they have given us some of our most beloved Disney films like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). In theaters November 23^rd. Check out the trailer.

Allied

Each new Robert Zemeckis film feels like a big deal, as he is a filmmaker known for pushing the visual envelope forward while telling big stories. His new film, Allied, is a WWII action romance about two spies working for the Allies who marry each other and work together, but what if one of them was really a double-agent working for the Nazis? The film also happens to have two of Hollywood’s most dynamic leading actors in Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard playing its spies. I think this is a sleeper for film of the year. In theaters November 23^rd.

La La Land

Bursting onto the scene with Whiplash, writer/director Damien Chazelle is back with a musical dramedy and he has J.K. Simmons with him again. We need more good musicals; this one looks magical and sublimely charming. It stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (who has fantastic chemistry) and is about a jazz pianist who falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. In theaters December 16^th. Check out the trailer.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Set right before the beginning of A New Hope, Rogue One is about the team of rebels who steal the plans for the Death Star. Director Gareth Edwards describes the film as a war movie, set in the Star Wars Universe. Writer Tony Gilroy is working with Edwards presently finishing up the final editing process, getting the tone just right. Everything we have seen so far is very promising. Plus, the cast, fronted by Felicity Jones, is very good. This is the film I am most looking forward to seeing. In theaters December 16^th. Check out the trailer.

Passengers

Sony’s most high profile film of 2016 is Passengers, a sci-fi adventure about a spacecraft shuttling thousands of people to a distant colony planet that experiences a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers awakening two passengers 60 years early. The story sounds intriguing alone and then you throw in the very charming leads Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt and Passengers suddenly jumps to the top of a lot of ‘Most Anticipated’ lists. If Lawrence and Pratt have chemistry, I cannot imagine this not being highly entertaining. Rising star Morten Tyldum is behind the camera. In theaters December 21^st.

A few others to look out for: Queen of Katwe, American Honey and Lion. 

Movies Spotlight – 2016 Movies – May 2016

So what have I seen so far in 2016? The answer is not much, really. Most of my movie-watching time has been spent on the endless catching up on the classics of the past (and revisiting my favorites). There is seemingly an infinite amount of films from the past I am curious to see. Also, my desire to go to the movies has waned a bit. Watching most things at home is just as pleasurable, basically because it is easy. (Here is a link to all my reviews for reference).

But what have I seen – well… twelve films. That is it. Let me just go through them quickly: Loved Captain America: Civil War. We do not get too many massive blockbusters that have characters and story arcs that resonate emotionally while also keeping the promise of fun and entertainment. The airport fight scene is wonderfully joyous. Suddenly, I am just as interested in the new Spider-Man and Black Panther films as I am Thor 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Marvel, once again, hit homeruns with their casting for these new characters. Deadpool is a riot. Ryan Reynolds does the best work of his career. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is disappointing (big surprise). Zack Snyder has so much visual talent; he just struggles with story and character. He really needs to bring on people to help him craft and structure his future DC films. I am, however, interested to see what Ben Affleck does with his solo Batman film.

The Jungle Book was far better than I would have ever imagined it could be. I even enjoyed its use of 3D. Disney’s other early release, Zootopia was also surprisingly good. I thought it was there “B” animiated project for 2016, with Moana being their “A”; but, Zootopia is funny, sweet and has a good message for children. It is a very good family film.

My favorite indie film so far this year is The Witch, Robert Eggers’s period horror film. It is a beautifully made and acted film that is scary and hits all the right aesthetic beats. I doubt there will be a better horror film this year. Anya Taylor-Joy is a star in the making. I also really enjoyed Hush on Netflix. It is a great horror/thriller from Mike Flanagan (who also made Oculus). 10 Cloverfield Lane was a fun thriller highlighted by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Making something work when in most takes place in one room is very tough. Midnight Special, from Jeff Nichols, is also a thematically interesting sci-fi drama. Very strong performances from his cast.

All the Way, which just debuted on HBO, is a good period drama about LBJ’s first year as President of the United States following President Kennedy’s assassination. Wonderful performances from Anthony Mackie and Bryan Cranston. Hail, Caesar! the new quirky comedy from the Coen Brothers is good, but probably one of their weaker efforts. It reminds me of A Serious Man (which I liked a lot more). And finally, Ricky Gervais’s new comedy on Netflix Special Correspondents is probably his worst project to date. Even his biggest fans can skip it.

There three films I missed in theaters earlier this year that I am very much looking forward to seeing at home. First, Sing Street, the new musical from John Carney about a young boy who forms a band to impress a girl in 1980s Ireland. I loved Once and also enjoyed Begin Again (more the second time I saw it). Second, Everybody Wants Some, the seemingly thematic follow-up to Dazed and Confused from Richard Linklater. The film looks like a fun, cool hangout which a bunch a guys playing college baseball. And third, Green Room, the new horror/thriller from Jeremy Saulnier (who also made the intense Blue Ruin). Saulnier, along with Mike Flanagan, Adam Wingard and Ti West, has really rejuvenated the American indie horror film.

Now, what am I most excited to see for the rest of 2016? Let me start with the blockbusters. Rogue One, the new Star Wars one-off from Gareth Edwards (who also made Monsters and Godzilla), looks fantastic. I really enjoyed The Force Awakens, but it is still somewhat bogged down in being an origin story for its new characters and paying so much fan service (I think Episode VIII is going to be much stronger). Rogue One may fall into the same trappings, having to introduce us to a bunch of new characters and hopefully it will not fall back on characters we do know (like Darth Vader, Han Solo and so on) too much (or at all), but it looks like a great action thriller. Ben Mendelsohn as the villain is going to be incredible; he very well might be our best character actor right now. I love the Harry Potter films; they are among my very favorite adventure genre films. That said, I was out on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for most of its preproduction. I just was not into the casting choices and I feel like it is generally a mistake to go back in time (because, ultimately we know what happens in the end, which reduces the stakes – I mean, how bad can the events of this new series be if we have never heard about them once during Harry Potter?). But the latest trailer has me all the way back in. It looks good. Doctor Strange has a phenomenal cast, but the teaser trailer did not grab me at all. In fact, the Inception-like elements of it felt like a big letdown, lazy. I hope it turns out well in the end. I imagine D23 will give us a new, and hopefully better, trailer. Suicide Squad has had a few great trailers and Margot Robbie looks brilliant as Harley Quinn. Will DC and Warner Bros. get this one right? Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass are both back for Jason Bourne the Bourne sequel that no one knew they wanted until they saw the teaser. I hope Alicia Vikander has more to do they talk at monitors though.

Disney has some great animated films upcoming too (and their remake of Pete’s Dragon, which is totally random. I grew up with that film on a VHS my mom made recording Marry Poppins and Pete’s Dragon off the TV, but I never thought anyone saw it as essential or a major Disney project. Disney is also remaking Mary Poppins incidentally). Their Walt Disney Animation Studio release is Hawaii-set Moana, from Ron Clements and John Musker (who also directed/wrote The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules). The voice cast features Hawaii’s own Auli’I Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. Their Pixar release is Finding Dory, which is both awesome and disappointing. Awesome because everyone like Finding Nemo and the same creative team is making this sequel. Disappointing because I think we all want Pixar to focus on original projects like last year’s fantastic Inside Out (although, their “B” film The Good Dinosaur was poor by Pixar standards).

Hollywood has a few very good looking films as well this Fall/Winter. Passengers sounds amazing on paper. A sci-fi film from Morten Tyldum (who also made Headhunters and The Imitation Game) starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt (who will hopefully have the best chemistry of all, as they are maybe our two most likable stars right now). It is about a man who prematurely wakes up from cryogenic sleep, years too early, during space travel. Instead of facing his life alone, he decides to wake up another passenger. I like everything about this film. I hope it is great. Robert Zemekis is back with a new film, which is generally a good thing, a very good thing. Allied stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard and is about spies during WWII (I am 100% in). The Girl on the Train looks like a potentially superb thriller (even if Tate Taylor is doing his best David Fincher impression). This also has a great cast, highlighted by Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson. Out right now is Shane Black’s The Nice Guys. I am a big fan of Black’s films (as a writer: Lethal Weapon and The Last Boyscout; as writer/director: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and now The Nice Guys). He really just makes the same film over and over, but I am not tired of it yet. His LA detective stories, his plots that are really about something else, his great dialog, and his very funny humor.

The best films from 2016, however, seem to be the prestige indies coming this Fall/Winter. The Light Between Oceans, the new drama from Derek Cianfrance starring Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz, feels like the way-too-early frontrunner for best film of 2016. The trailer showcases the heartbreaking drama and incredible performances of the film. Ang Lee’s new drama, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, very much looks to take its place as a definitive narrative on the Iraq/Afghanistan War and the soldiers who come home from the horror faced over there. Sundance favorite The Birth of a Nation (I assume very specifically titled as a comment on the D.W. Griffith film) should make a big awards season impact. Nate Parker, who writes, directs and stars in the film, seems to have emerged as 2016’s brightest new talent. J.A. Bayona’s family film A Monster Calls also promises to be aesthetically and thematically just right (like a better version of Steven Spielberg’s summer release The BFG), feeling akin to Pan’s Labyrinth.

There are also a number of films that do not yet have trailer that sound potentially great. James Ponsoldt (director of Smashed, The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour) has a new sci-fi drama due out starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. Martin Scorsese has long been working on a period drama called Silence about priests in Japan. It stars Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson and Adam Driver. Terry George (director of Hotel Rwanda) is finally making a new film, the drama The Promise with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Denis Villeneuve (director of Incendies, Prisoners and Sicario) has a new drama called Story of Your Life with Amy Adams. Damien Chazelle (director of Whiplash) returns with a musical called La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and J.K. Simmons. Jeff Nichols (releasing another film this year) just won a ton of acclaim at Cannes for his new romance drama Loving. And, Kenneth Lonergan’s new drama Manchester by the Sea was also a darling of Sundance, many naming Casey Affleck’s performance as an awards season must.

Much like last year, the blockbuster season/summer releases feel a little disappointing and all the best stuff will come out in the Fall/Winter – even the best blockbusters still to come do not come out until November (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and December (Rogue One).

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 3: Directors

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 4: Leading Performances

Part 5: Films

Paul Thomas Anderson – The Master

As far as American auteur filmmakers go, Paul Thomas Anderson might just be the greatest in contemporary cinema right now. With The Master, he has made another film that creates a purely visceral experience. It is not easily pinned down, as it is not just about its story or characters but more so about the tumultuous times of post WWII America (soldiers finding it hard to return to life, clashing with the myth of clean and wholesome living propagated by corporate ad agencies – this is also very well done in William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives). Anderson is a master filmmaker, garnering stunning performances (all three of the film’s main actors have made this year’s acting film awards lists) and creating a layered visual story that shines with aesthetic brilliance.

Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom

For all his quirkiness as a filmmaker, there is maybe no other director who takes as much care with the details of every single frame of their movie as Wes Anderson. His films are instantly recognizable, and Moonrise Kingdom is no different. Anderson does not shy away from showing his hand in the making of this film, from the camera moves (that sometimes feel like an expansion on Yasujiro Ozu’s style) to the specific blocking of characters in a frame (and everything this else he does) the audience can feel Anderson behind the camera orchestrating it all. However, even given his indulgent style, Moonrise Kingdom’s characters are so rich and their drama so grounded in pathos that even with all the stylistic elements the audience cannot help but be lost in the world of film completely engrossed in the story, characters, and drama.

Ang Lee – Life of Pi

3D exists in today’s cinema seemingly solely for commercial gains. Studios often insist upon it to pump up their bottom lines, much to the begrudging of directors as it usually adds nothing positive to the film going experience (usually detracting from it). All that said, Ang Lee takes 3D and uses it wonderfully and beautifully in Life of Pi, making probably the second film to use the medium to its advantage since the fad gained momentum (following the other film to use 3D well – Avatar). Lee also rises to the challenge of making a film with essentially only one human character for large portions of its narrative. Called an un-filmable story, Lee has made something exquisite and incredibly moving and cinematic with Life of Pi.

Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises was maybe the most anticipated film of 2012, with unattainably high expectations – and yet writer-director Christopher Nolan delivered a brilliantly grand finale to his Dark Knight Trilogy (meeting and exceeding those expectations). The film perfectly blends the spectacle aspects of summer blockbusters with the exceptional character drama of prestige cinema. Nolan has taken blockbuster filmmaking to a different level, and his films are the standard by which all other blockbusters are judged. He has transcended the trappings of event filmmaking, which prizes the extravaganza above all else, by making his films (as big, dynamic, and entertaining as they are) about his characters and story first. Nolan is the best director working within the studio system right now.

Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino’s venture into genre filmmaking has yielded brilliant and extremely fun and entertaining work. With Django Unchained, he continues his Revenge Trilogy this time targeting slavery. Tarantino’s ability to effectively use his camera as well as shot composition and mise en scene set him apart from most directors working in Hollywood today, but more so in Django Unchained it is his dialogue and the performances that he garners from his actors (particularly Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio) that makes it a special film. 

Life of Pi (2012) in 3D – Review

Review: Life of Pi is a phenomenally beautiful and fulfilling cinematic experience. The film is about Pi, a young Indian man and the son of a zookeeper. Pi’s family decides to uproot from India and move to Canada, and in the process they plan to sell all the animals in their zoo. They embark for North America with their animals aboard a Japanese freighter. However, shortly into the journey, the ship encounters a massive storm and begins to take on a catastrophic amount of water, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Miraculously, Pi survives this disaster, but finds himself cast away stranded on a lifeboat with the zoo’s ferocious Bengal tiger. As they both struggle to survive, they form an unlikely bond.

Life of Pi is shot in 3D – a medium that is nothing more than gimmick allowing studios and theatres to charge more for tickets adding little to  (if not completely detracting from) the movie-going experience. However, with this film, the use of 3D is seamless, un-abrasive and even beautiful. It is one of the few films (Avatar being maybe the only other movie in which this is the case) that 3D adds something and is well worth paying extra for. Director Ang Lee is able to fully integrate the technology into his aesthetic style for the film, taking advantage of what 3D offers when utilized correctly (and not merely as a lazy, poorly executed way to make money).

The film has the feel of a grand epic story (similar to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Lee structures the narrative to be more about the character of Pi than just his adventure, going into how he got his name, his faith and his first love – all of which happens before he ever gets on the ship. This gives the film a very long first act, but it contributes so much to the character and Lee’s presents it all with a magical elegance, as if the audience is about to be treated to something special. Thus, the build-up only makes it better. It also gives the film a needed mythical quality (like a tall-tale), allowing the audience to accept the grand scale and extraordinary events (again, much like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

Lee makes a potentially risky narrative choice with the way the narrative is structured. The film begins with Pi as an adult telling his story to a writer (and then cutting back to him throughout the story). By showing Pi as an adult, Lee has informed the audience right off that Pi survives his great adventure, and thereby seemingly lessens the tension and suspense, as the audience knows he is going to be fine in the end. However, having adult Pi as the storyteller adds an extra layer of emotion, both nostalgic and in his ability to reflect on what he lost. This gives the audience a much deeper connection to Pi.

The film is also about so much more than just the action, thus the perceived loss of tension and drama from Pi’s struggle to survive (as the audiences already knows that he does) is not really that important. Plus, Lee’s staging is completely on point for the shipwreck scenes and all of Pi’s intense moments on the lifeboat. These scenes are exciting, scary, and utterly engaging. Thus, knowing Pi survives does not really factor into the emotional reaction to what the audiences experiences during Pi’s adventure. It is a thrilling and visceral adventure for the audience.

As set up in the first act with the stories about how Pi came to be a Hindu, a Christian, and a Muslim, Pi’s adventure is primarily a story about faith, surrender and acceptance – a spiritual journey. Lee presents the scenes of Pi isolated on the lifeboat with the Bengal tiger (Richard Parker) with almost an angelic splendor, and also completely perilous. The imagery is wondrous and exquisite. Films featuring an isolated character often delve into man’s relationship with god, and this is no different. Pi is perpetually on the brink of death, and yet fortuitous events prop him up and keep him going. His relationship with Richard Parker can also be viewed in a spiritual way. The tiger is a wild animal, seemingly void of feeling and a soul surviving purely on its instincts. He is an unimaginably frightening and dangerous to behold. And yet, Pi is able to form a bond with him, a bond that enables him to survive. Without Richard Parker Pi would have not have had the strength and will to survive (and without Pi, Richard Parker would not survive either).

Life of Pi is also an effects film in that it relies considerably on special effects. But, unlike many effects-heavy films, the plot does not serve the special effects they serve the narrative. Much like with Lee’s handling of 3D, his use of special effects is only to better tell the story (they are not there just to be there). The emotional impact that the film has on its audience does not stem from the visual effects, as impressive and seamless as they are (and they are phenomenally impressive – especially the animals). It is the character development and touching performances that resonate with the audience, and make this film something special.

Grand epics are increasingly common in Hollywood filmmaking, but few are as astonishingly beautiful and emotionally engrossing as Life of Pi. It is the masterwork of a great filmmaker.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Ang Lee has made almost every type of film (to varying degrees of success). Life of Pi is chiefly a brilliant spiritual character journey, with the action and visuals supporting the narrative. (While I do like Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain) it is his best film, and one that showcases his maturity and skill as a director.

Mychael Danna’s score has an Indian flavor to much of it (as one might expect), but it also sets the mood for this grand epic with moving pieces that seem to build up the sheer awe of the visuals, while still supporting the emotional tone dictated by the characters and narrative (here is the score in full). Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is magnificently striking and beautifully arresting. While the characters are the principal component of the narrative, the visuals play a large role in the overall experience as well. Miranda captures the audiences’ imagination with his dream-like photography, playing off the film’s grand scale and wondrous thematic elements. David Gropman’s production design is fantastic as well, flush with lavish colors. The look and mood of the ocean and sky feel almost like an additional character, as they contribute beauty, wonder and tension to the narrative.

The cast is mostly made up of actors with small roles in the film. Rafe Spall, Tabu, and Adil Hussain are all very good among these small roles. Irrfan Khan plays the adult version of Pi, telling the story to the writer. He is wonderful, especially in his final scenes in which his performance seems to give the film an additional emotional level. Suraj Sharma makes his film debut as Pi. He is great in the role, portraying the strength, innocence, and heart of Pi.

Summary & score: Life of Pi has all the best things about cinema – a great story, stunning visuals, and compelling characters. It is a cinema experience that all epics should endeavor to be. 9/10