Yesterday I finally got around to seeing LIFE OF PI. My high
school buddy was visiting and we were killing time in the city while we waiting
to meet a friend of hers for dinner. As a spur of the moment plan, we didn’t
realize until we got to the theatre that the showing we were headed to would be
in 3D. I tried not to grumble about shelling out the additional four bucks,
especially once I learned that my companion had never seen a movie in 3D
before. I had to concede, four dollars extra was well worth it to watch her
experience it for the first time.
The last few movies I’ve been in 3D have been somewhat of a
letdown. I think my expectations were raised unrealistically by the mastery of
CORALINE and AVATAR, the first two movies I saw in 3D. Avatar was… well, it was
what got everyone so hooked on the stuff in the first place, and it was pretty
spectacular, but I’m convinced that the nature of the narrative sucked you in
more than the detail of the 3D CGI. CORALINE, though, was really like art,
turning the two dimensional animation into something almost tangible. As the
story became darker, the 3D animation became closer, more real, and more
menacing. It was so effective, it completely sold me on 3D movies, so much so
that when a gang of friends went to see the latest RESIDENT EVIL flick, I
tagged along, looking forward to the famously filmed-in-3D action sequences. It
turned out to be an excellent example supporting the argument that, like CGI,
3D does not a great movie make (no matter what George Lucas says, or James
Cameron). Not to be swayed, I tried INCEPTION in 3D, and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR
DRAGON. The problem with the 3D in those films is that it was sorely
underutilized; they simply hadn’t been directed or filmed with 3D in mind. This
was my fear for LIFE OF PI, that I would leave feeling like I could have spent
four less dollars for the same experience.
(At this point in the writing I experienced a marathon of
awful, five days of flu leading up to the first week of school, followed by the
inevitable two weeks of crippling January/February depression. During that
period I watched a Downton Abbey in its entirety at least twice, and no reviews
there, either, so in a way I’ve already broken my far from perfect record.
Nevertheless, I made a promise that I would at least TRY this… resolution, so
I’m going to try. I’m going to try.)
Where was I? Oh, yes, I wasn’t (as Zoe of Firefly would say)
sanguine about the 3D experience in LIFE OF PI, and I was also a little worried
about my friend’s reaction. Some people find that 3D films give them a
headache, or (worse) vertigo, and some people’s brains just won’t accept the
optical illusion, and they see the film as a blurry incoherent mess.
Fortunately, in both instances my fears were wholly unfounded.
I had been told that LIFE OF PI was an exquisite film, but I
didn’t really believe it. We Westerners have a tendency to gush over the beauty
of a scene that is, in reality, simply exotic, sometimes highlighting this with
a supersaturated palate. But LIFE OF PI was exquisite, and I saw immediately
that the 3D was a big part of that. Unlike the 3Disappointments I had seen
previously, the effect was used on a variety of different levels, not simply
for the big action moments, but also highlighting little details that almost went
unnoticed. The result was my immediate immersion into the world of the film. I
can’t imagine the subtle layering of the opening credits sequence without the
3D effect. During the rainstorm sequences, I shivered and wanted to wipe
droplets from my glasses. At least I wasn’t alone. When I thought to check on
my friend sitting next to me, it was because I heard her squeal during one of
Pi’s encounters with Richard Parker. I realized that perhaps it was unkind to
take a 3D movie virgin to a film where a tiger is constantly leaping at your
face.
Apart from the entertainment factor provided by my poor
companion, I did greatly enjoy the movie. The shots were breathtaking, the
special effects wholly believable, the acting excellent. But more than
anything, it made me realize how long it has been since I read LIFE OF PI:
nearly ten years. I should have reread it before seeing the movie, I thought
barely a quarter of the way through. I wanted to pause the film and run home
for my copy. It’s sitting on my shelf; I liked the book so much I’ve kept it
through several moves. As usual, I took issue with the adaptation, but I had no
way of knowing if my memory of what “really happened” in the book was accurate
or not. There’s really only one solution: a reread of LIFE OF PI is in order.
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