Latest news with #LifeofPi
NDTV
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
F1 Review: Brad Pitt Takes Us To The Heart Of Formula 1 But Stops Short Of Perfection
New Delhi: The formula is as simple as it is unambiguous. Director Joseph Kosinski makes the most of it. He taps the torque of two globally saleable entities - Formula One and Brad Pitt - to propel a plot centred on a former race track maverick offered a chance to find his way out of anonymity. When the man at the heart of the high-octane action is Pitt, a charismatic Hollywood powerhouse who has carried many a blockbuster on his shoulders over the decades, the pit stops are brief and the thrills are incessant. But is that enough to fuel a 156-minute movie? Well, adrenaline junkies, Formula One enthusiasts and Brad Pitt fans will have nothing but admiration for an action-packed movie that celebrates one of the world's most elite sporting disciplines. But even those that aren't instantly drawn by filmmaking craftsmanship, phenomenal camerawork and the spectacle of rubber hitting asphalt might find enough in this well-orchestrated mix to keep them glued to their seats. However, beyond the visceral and the cursorily thrilling, and in terms of the deeper allure of cinema and the heft of genuinely affecting human drama, F1 stops short of perfection. It encounters many a bump on its way to an exciting, if predictable, crescendo driven by the lead actor and a supporting cast that more than just supports the endeavour. Kosinski, like the two dependable pivots he employs, is himself no pushover in the game of flying on the wings of star power and narrative potency. He recently harnessed Top Gun and Tom Cruise, two other failsafe American showbiz forces, with memorable success. His latest outing, too, has plenty of gas in the tank. It is another matter that all of it isn't fully utilised. Its engines, powered by the team of technicians behind Top Gun: Maverick, roar with intent and whip up a storm. F1 is fast-paced and packed with motor racing action staged on actual Formula One circuits. That allows for Formula One stars (Lewis Hamilton, who is one of the producers of the film, Fernando Alonso, and even Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff, among others) to put in unheralded appearances to enhance the authenticity of the setting. The races are mounted and captured with exceptional panache. The machines are centrestage and so are the faces of Pitt and Damson Idris (cast as a hotshot rookie racer), starkly delineated under their visors. Every shift in mood and intent is captured minutely in the clash of wills. The resolve in the drivers' eyes, the lines on their foreheads, the sweat on their eyebrows and the twitches on their countenances are on full view as sparks fly between a veteran racer and a gifted newcomer until the two men learn to place teamwork above personal ambition. F1 transports us into the very heart of the world of Formula One. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda (Kosinski's regular collaborator, Oscar winner for Life of Pi and DOP on David Fincher's Brad Pitt starrer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in which the star aged in reverse) delivers the goods on all fronts. With the frames composed and delivered to the accompaniment of Hans Zimmer's immersive and muscular score, F1 has no dearth of exhilaration. Pitt dives headlong into the enterprise and etches a believable, if somewhat facile, portrait of a man doing all he can to make up for a lost time. Javier Bardem exudes the sort of magnetism that holds its own against Pitt's. Kosinski, on his part, makes a fair fist of striking a balance between Pitt's compelling presence and the demands of the script (written by Ehren Kruger). But it is the structure and purpose of the movie - F1 is made in collaboration with FIA, the governing body of Formula One - that undermines it. This is a film that promotes a 'product' that has been around for three quarters of a century. Anything with that kind of history is bound to have had a chequered existence. But F1 has no space for a layered investigation into the spills and pitfalls that no international sport can be free from. Notwithstanding the impressive behind-the-scene skills that have gone into its making, F1 has a single dimension. Not all the kinesis and effervescence that its packs can pull it out of its formulaic arc. It feels all too pat and oddly low on dramatic spin. But one thing that F1 certainly isn't is stodgy. It pulsates with energy, and frequently hits top gear and generates speed and heat in abundance. It centres on a washed-up car racer Sonny Hayes (Pitt), whose Formula One career is cut short by an accident that continues to haunt him three decades on. With his dream of becoming a star stymied, he is a driver-for hire resigned to his fate. He takes part in races on obscure dirt tracks and speedways. He moves from venue to venue in his camper van, does odd jobs, gambles, drives a cab and endures three failed marriages. When all doors appear to be shut, an old mate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), now the owner of a struggling Formula One outfit, throws Sonny a lifeline - a spot on the team alongside Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris). His brief is to break APXGP's losing streak. While the competition on the circuit is stiff, the conflict within Sonny does not acquire much depth or range. His past is well behind him, his inner demons have been tamed and he has rid himself of the chinks that once proved costly. So, when Sonny Hayes strides out to grab his second chance, his confidence levels are already so high that nothing he does over a series of races that offer him a shot at redemption takes the audience by any sort of surprise. Some romance is thrown in to break the monotony. Sonny hooks up with the team's technical director Kate (Kerry Condon). The latter raises the hope of some gender parity in a male-dominated world, but she isn't allowed to go the distance. F1 possesses a zippy, snappy rhythm but runs a touch ragged when the star of the show, effective as he is as the fulcrum of the project, tends to hog all the limelight. That, thankfully, isn't as frequent as it would have been had Kosinski not known how to skirt around the obstacle when it matters. The ride that F1 delivers is scintillating enough but overall impact of the film is a bit like the crashes that it is littered with - spectacular but inert.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ang Lee to helm 'Old Gold Mountain'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee is all set to direct 'Old Gold Mountain', an adaptation of C. Pam Zhang's debut novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold. Hansol Jung penned the movie adaptation, which tells the journey of two orphaned immigrants, reported Deadline. The 2020 novel follows "Lucy and Sam, newly orphaned children of immigrants who suddenly are alone in a land that refutes their existence. Fleeing the threats of their western mining town, they set off to bury their father in the only way that will set them free from their past. Along the way, they encounter giant buffalo bones, tiger paw prints, the spectre of a ravaged landscape, as well as family secrets, sibling rivalry and glimpses of a different kind of future," as per the outlet. Ang Lee was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, which was held on February 8, 2025. Lee, the Academy Award-winning director behind masterpieces such as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, will become the 37th filmmaker in history to receive this distinguished honour. Lee's career began in the early 1990s with films like The Wedding Banquet, but he became a global sensation with his films 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon', 'Brokeback Mountain', and 'Life of Pi'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The latter earned Lee an Academy Award for Best Director. A member of the DGA since 1996, Lee has earned multiple nominations and awards from the guild. He has been nominated for the DGA Award for Feature Film four times, winning the honour in 2000 for 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon' and in 2005 for 'Brokeback Mountain'.Lee's contributions to the film industry were also celebrated by the DGA in 2018 with a special recognition for his support of American culture through his work in film and television. Lee's contributions to the film industry were also celebrated by the DGA in 2018, and a special recognition was given for his support of American culture through his work in film and television. Jung most recently worked on the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, reported Deadline. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Mint
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Ang Lee to direct Old Gold Mountain
Washington DC [US], June 6 (ANI): Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee is all set to direct 'Old Gold Mountain', an adaptation of C. Pam Zhang's debut novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold. Hansol Jung penned the movie adaptation, which tells the journey of two orphaned immigrants, reported Deadline. The 2020 novel follows "Lucy and Sam, newly orphaned children of immigrants who suddenly are alone in a land that refutes their existence. Fleeing the threats of their western mining town, they set off to bury their father in the only way that will set them free from their past. Along the way, they encounter giant buffalo bones, tiger paw prints, the spectre of a ravaged landscape, as well as family secrets, sibling rivalry and glimpses of a different kind of future," as per the outlet. Ang Lee was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, which was held on February 8, 2025. Lee, the Academy Award-winning director behind masterpieces such as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, will become the 37th filmmaker in history to receive this distinguished honour. Lee's career began in the early 1990s with films like The Wedding Banquet, but he became a global sensation with his films 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon', 'Brokeback Mountain', and 'Life of Pi'. The latter earned Lee an Academy Award for Best Director. A member of the DGA since 1996, Lee has earned multiple nominations and awards from the guild. He has been nominated for the DGA Award for Feature Film four times, winning the honour in 2000 for 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon' and in 2005 for 'Brokeback Mountain'.Lee's contributions to the film industry were also celebrated by the DGA in 2018 with a special recognition for his support of American culture through his work in film and television. Lee's contributions to the film industry were also celebrated by the DGA in 2018, and a special recognition was given for his support of American culture through his work in film and television. Jung most recently worked on the Apple TV series Pachinko, reported Deadline. (ANI)
Los Angeles Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Life of Pi' roars to life at Segerstrom
When Richard Parker slinks into the room, it is difficult not to catch your breath. The Royal Bengal tiger puppet is the star of the stage production of 'Life of Pi' and the puppeteers who operate him — Aaron Haskell, Anna Vomacka and Anna Leigh Gortner — have mastered the feline form. They move the 35-pound puppet with realistic movements and sounds that mimic a real tiger, making you wonder how safe you are when he breathes into your lap. 'We really try not to Disney-fy the animals,' said Taha Mandviwala, who plays the role of Pi in the production. 'We want to give them the physics that animals have, that sense of ferocity, that sense of weight, the sense that this thing has the capacity to kill at any moment.' Showing at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa now through June 15, 'Life of Pi' is based on the 2001 novel by Yann Martel of the same name, adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. The story follows 16-year-old Pi who gets shipwrecked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean when the boat carrying his family and the animals in their zoo from India to Canada sinks. Stuck on a lifeboat for 227 days, he is joined by a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a tiger named Richard Parker. The animals play key roles in the storytelling and besides Richard Parker, the touring cast and creative team brings an entire zoo to life using the captivating puppets. Following the opening night of the production on June 3, Segerstrom hosted a demonstration of the tiger puppet the next day at the Judy Morr Theater where the famous kitty purred and chuffed at a nervous crowd. Movement director and puppeteer Betsy Rosen and John Hoche, associate puppetry & movement director for 'Life of Pi' U.S., joined Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner for the demo along with Mandviwala. The production is a decorated one, with three Tony Awards, the Olivier Award for Best Play and Hoche noted, the 2022 Best Supporting Actor award for a group of puppeteers' portrayal of Richard Parker. 'That means not only was a tiger nominated for an award, but a puppet was also nominated for this award and the team of puppeteers that brought Richard Parker to life were all nominated,' said Hoche. 'The incredible thing is they won, so that is a huge step forward for understanding and appreciating the art form of puppetry.' Operating the tiger puppet is a task that requires skill and finesse from three players, who each operate the head, the heart and hind quarters of the animal. Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner operate the tiger during about three of the eight weekly shows, since the role is quite physically demanding. The head puppeteer operates the head and cage of the animal, or the ribs, via a handle on the spine. 'Their primary objective is to keep the head active, there are ear triggers and a jaw trigger there,' said Rosen. The heart puppeteer manipulates the front paws of the tiger and creates breath within the tiger while the hind puppeteer operates the back paws and tail, maintaining the gait and walk of the tiger and using the tail to express emotion. 'I find a lot of personality in the tail,' said Gortner. 'Just like any animal, when Richard Parker is scared, his tail will tuck. If he is feeling aggressive or angry, it will lift. If he is hungry, it might wag a bit.' Sounds the tiger makes also signal emotion. 'All three puppeteers are mic'd live which means we are making all of the sounds live, and that goes for all of the puppets in the show,' said Rosen. Mandviwala said acting with a puppet has two sides to it. 'One side is very technical and one side is artistic. On an artistic level, you are acting alongside a puppet, you really need to treat it completely in the same way you would treat working with another actor,' said Mandviwala. 'On a technical level of acting with it, you also have to keep a lookout for your fellow coworkers, the puppeteers in the boat.' While Mandviwala and the other actors are very aware of the puppeteers, the audience is less so, especially as the story goes on. It seems we notice them less and less as our imaginations take us through the story. The amount of emotion Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner evoke from the audience with a puppet is incredible. As a viewer, you are aware you are not really seeing a goat get eaten by a tiger for example, yet the crowd gasps and grimaces as if they are. 'A teacher told me once that the audience, just like you, came here with your imagination open,' said Haskell. 'You wanted to see something good and see something come to life and so a lot of that is on us to make sure you stay in that imagination. You want to believe, we allow you to believe and we make you continue to believe.' Rosen said the team achieves this partly by hiding in plain sight. 'We are not trying to disappear completely, we are not dressed in all black,' said Rosen. 'I think there is this mentality and physicality of serving this greater overall character, that we are all doing at the same time and we recede into the background, in service of bringing this other character to life.' Haskell said three puppeteers all pay attention to each other, while also all jointly focusing on the tiger's view point, which helps them become the puppet. 'One of the major ways we do that is our focus into the puppet. We use a lot of our peripheral vision because we want you to see our focus is on the head, which psychologically somehow really does make the audience also go there with you,' said Haskell. Vomacka and Gortner both said maintaining healthy habits and exercise routines, like yoga and gymnastics, help them keep up with the physically demanding work of crouching inside the puppet for a two-hour show. 'Humans are incredible,' said Vomacka. 'You put a challenge in front of us, we train for it and we acclimate.' Hoche said that while the show's puppeteers demonstrate great skill and talent, their passion is one born from storytelling play, something everyone in the audience can relate to. 'Everyone at some point in your life has played with a doll or played with an action figure or made a stick come to life,' said Hoche. 'Everyone is a puppeteer.' 'Life of Pi' is showing now at Segerstrom Center for the Arts at 600 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa through June 15. Tickets, which start at $44.07, are available at
Time Out
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The West End ‘Life of Pi' play makes its debut in Hong Kong this month
From a globally acclaimed novel and award-winning film adaptation by Ang Lee, to two theatrical versions performed across the UK, it's no exaggeration to say that Life of Pi by Yann Martel is one of the most iconic stories of the 21st century. Theatre lovers will be glad to know that the play is soon making its Hong Kong debut at the Xiqu Centre. The original West End production from London has won five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards, so this is a great chance for Hong Kong audiences to see the magic right on home soil. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Life of Pi play is its use of exquisite puppetry in presenting the various animal characters such as the orangutans, zebras, hyenas, and Richard Parker the Bengal tiger. If you've seen The Lion King musical, you'll know first-hand how life-like puppets can be, and this production includes three very skilled puppeteers who deftly bring the animals to life. For those who have yet to experience the tale in any format, Life of Pi tells the story of Pi, a young Indian boy who loses his family in a shipwreck and finds himself having to survive while adrift at sea on a lifeboat with a range of animals, including the potentially dangerous tiger Richard Parker. Blending fantasy with reality, it deals with the profound themes of humanity and survival, religion and faith, as well as whether truth and fiction are important at all. Head to the Xiqu Centre from June 26 to 29 for a very limited six-show run of Life of Pi on stage. Tickets range from $288 to $1,188, with concessions available, but they're fast running out so get clicking now!
