Life of Pi

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What makes Life of Pi appeal to me? Maybe it was the overuse of magic realism that made the film seem so surreal at times. It might also be the visual effects that stunned me. Most likely is the mind boggling conclusion to the film that required the audience's own interpretation. Life of Pi is an astounding story that is made with excellent visual effects and cinematography.




First, the story of an Indian boy who grew up at a zoo in an atheistic family learns religion on his own is a remarkable adventure. As a young boy, we see Piscine struggle with the concept of spirituality when he attempted to claim Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism at the same time. We notice that he can feel the animal's soul. However, it might just be his own reflection reflected back at him. The author of the original story, Yann Martel, employed magic realism to make the reader perceive the animals are alive. Director Ang Lee uses a unique camera view to make capture those moments on film. When Pi is feeding the tiger, we got a sense that the tiger was a human. It approached Pi slowly. We noticed a peculiar look in its eye. For a brief second, we almost forgot that those were the eyes of a fearsome tiger.




Second, the visual effects and the cinematography in some scenes reminded us of Avatar. When Pi looked at the glimmering stars, the camera showed us a view of the stars reflection in the water. The 3D effects made the water seem tangible to the audience. As whales and dolphins pass underneath the life boat, we watched them swim in crystal clear water. The glimmering light from the cosmos made Pi's journey look spiritual. The light from the stars made the water look more blue than usual. It reminded us of the glow in the dark trees on Pandora.




Finally, the conclusion of the film became an enigma. Audiences around the world began to analyze the events that unfolded in the film. We asked ourselves questions. Such questions include: Was his journey with the animals a metaphor for the grueling events that occurred on the boat? What really happened on the island? Did the island even existed? Was there even a tiger on the boat? Was the tiger a image of himself as an animal?




To conclude, Life of Pi was a deeply philosophical film, where the audience has to think deeper thoughts. It made us wonder about our own religious beliefs. Pi's journey across the Pacific Ocean made him grow into a man with more mature outlooks on life. People go through this rite passage when they transition from a child to an adult.

SkyFall

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A dark hallway steps out a shady man. His name is Bond. People call him James Bond. Skyfall is the twenty third James Bond film. It is Daniel Craig's third appearance as James Bond. What makes me attracted to Skyfall? Maybe it is the dramatic music sung by Adele. It could also be the high flying, jaw dropping, and action packed scenes. It could also be that the film is shot in international locations like Shanghai, Macau, and Istanbul.

First, SkyFall starts with heart-pumping music. Music becomes a key element in the film because it is one of the few aspects that make the film believable. As the conflict in the beginning mellows, the music mellows with it and the audience is immersed in a somber mood. Adele's talent for singing captures my attention immediately and her voice suits the animation of Bond very well.

Secondly the structure of the film makes us feel like we are in the film. The car chase goes through a populated marketplace in Turkey brings back memories of when we were in a crowded marketplace not unlike the one in the film. The structure also includes cinematography at its best. The camera rapidly shifts from London to Turkey several times. It is a juxtaposition of the industrialized nation of Great Britain and the developing nation of Turkey. It also brings into account the reason that Bond goes to third world countries. It is to maintain stability in those regions.

Third, I really enjoy the change in location from Turkey to Mainland China. Rarely in motion pictures do we see images of cities in China that are not well known. Skyfall manages to take us on a journey through Shanghai's roads. Shanghai is expanding by leaps and bounds. It is China's shining city on a hill. When Bond fights in the top floor of the Skyscraper, we notice the glamorous lifestyle of the Chinese compared to the agrarian lifestyle of the Turkish people. Macau is the next city. It is a casino city that is rarely mentioned in the news, but the director chose to give us a glimpse at the mix of old China and new China in Macau.

Lastly, the visual effects and cinematography was amazing.The smooth transition from real life to animation told the events that unfolded afterwards well. The animation was gracefully crafted to make it pleasing to the audience's eye. On top of the flawless animation sequences, the music sung by Adele told us more than we should know about the story. Adele's voice reverberated throughout the theater; as a result, we felt touched by our beautiful voice.

Skyfall is an entertaining film for three reasons.The music, the cinematography, and the filming locations make this movie entertaining. It captured my attention immediately. 

 

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