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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Report Card---"Life Of PI"

I've mentioned before how not only do I believe that there is a God, but that he is on my side.
I received a DVD for "Life of Pi", and was thoroughly enjoying it about an hour and twenty minutes into it, when the DVD froze on me.
I then tried two other DVD players.
Same result.
I tried cleaning the disc.
All sorts of different ways.
Nothing helped.
Was I going to have to go to the actual movies and shell out actual money to see the last forty or so minutes?
Of course not.
So I cursed the DVD, threw it into the garbage, and figured I'd wait until the movie showed up on HBO.
I was not happy.
And I hadn't received any DVDs for about three weeks prior to this.
So I figured I'd totally blown my chances with this one.
Two days later, my doorbell rings.
It's UPS.
I had to sign for an envelope.
Inside it was another copy of "Life of Pi"
This one did not freeze up, and I watched the rest of the film.
So God smiled on me again.
What are the odds?
And the movie was magnificent.
And I wouldn't have totally known that until a year later, when it showed up on HBO.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Fascinating. This is the one about a young Indian boy sharing a life raft with a tiger.
A+.

Compelling even?

Totally. And you keep asking yourself, about the director, Ang Lee, "How did he do that?"
A+.

Is it controversial?

Extremely. To tell you why would require a spoiler alert, so I'm not going to say why.
A+.

Is it a story worth telling?

Absolutely.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

Great storytelling.
A+.

Is it well written?

Very.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

All three. The photography by Ang Lee is exquisite.
And they found a great tiger.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

Perfect length.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and totally.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Nothing predictable, except that you know that the Indian boy wasn't eaten by the tiger, because he tells the story to someone as an adult.
Many surprises.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

You can't help but think about it.
A+.

Is it funny?

When it needs to be, which is sometimes.
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Particularly if I had seen it in 3D.
A+.

Is it impressive ?

Overwhelmingly impressive.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

Don't miss it.

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My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******


1 comment:

  1. Loved the story of the serendipity of the way you finished watching this very allegorical film. It was like it was meant to be. I haven't seen it yet, because I am going to shell out some clams to see this one in 3-D. Let the debate begin!

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."