Friday Night at the Cineplex...

Went to the movie theater with Louise Friday night.  Notice I didn't say movie.  Louise went and saw "Identity Thief" and I saw "Life of Pi".   I am sure that Louise was sick of me talking about the book "Life of Pi".  It was actually pretty fun to do it that way.  It worked out really well.  There was a bench outside her movie's theater and my movie was right next to it.

Well "Life of Pi" was very good.  I am of the very strong opinion that a book is a book and a movie is a movie.  That comparing them is like comparing Automobiles and Airplanes.  Both are for transportation but differences are really much greater.  But in this case the movie really compliments the book.  The movie was definitely different.  There were some significant plot difference.  One of the biggest was the father.  In the book Pi and his family run into a Christian, Muslim and Hindu leader.  They each say Pi must chose one.  Pi's father doesn't see a problem with Pi not choosing just one of the religions.  In the movie, it is very different.  Pi's family is all sitting around the dinner table.  Pi's father says he can't blindly accept all three religions.  He must use his reason and decide what is the true in the world.  Pi's father is much more an advocate for reason.  Pi's mother says reason is great and has accomplished much in understanding the world.  She waves her hand wide.  Then she says "But religion helps us understand this"  She then touches her heart.  This is really an important point in the movie.  It sets up the dilemma between the two points of view.  In the book, I feel, that more than two points of view of spiritual verses reason are set forth.  But that is the main differences between movies and books.  Books with their much more flexible size and length limits can present much broader arguments.  Movies nearly fixed size and length limits can't cover too many items.  The two just can't compare.  So the movie version of "Life of Pi" limits and edits out many of the symbols, abstractions and themes.  But that said, there is a hyena, zebra, orangutang and there is Richard Parker.  There is an island of mangrove trees, lemurs and pools of fresh water.  And by night there is acid, and dead fish.

At the end of the movie the writer has heard the whole story,  THE WHOLE STORY. Then he asks "But wait, this is a story that is suppose to make me believe in god."  Pi looks at him and asks him.  "You have heard both stories which is the better story."  The writer pauses and thinks about it.  He really considers it.  He says "The story with the Tiger"  Pi replies "And so it goes with god."

It might be me but I still feel the theme of both stories, the book and the movie is best summed up by "Embrace the Suck".

Really good movie.  It and Anna Kerinia will have a tough go for best cinematography.

So movie ratings now stand:

Skyfall
Life of Pi 
People Like Us
Quartet
Silver Lining Playbook
Les Miserable
Anna Kerinia
Many many movies
Lincoln