Wednesday 18 February 2009

The Life of Ang

Ang Lee is, I would honestly say, the most interesting director currently working. I say this because there is no genre he has not tackled.
Not only has he tackled each one and succeeded, but he has also been able to inject each one with something surprising. Whether that be mood, performance, emotion, or subtext he manages to take each genre he works on, somewhere new.

This is a director who’s resume reads like a genre jumping schizophrenic:
Gay wedding comedy, family dramedy, Jane Austen, 70’s sex drama, western, martial arts fantasy actioner, comic book adaptation, gay romance, WWII espionage thriller and an upcoming comedy about Woodstock.

And just when his unpredictability has become predictable he goes and sets his sights on a project that not only makes me want to scream with joy, excitement, anticipation…er..joy but is a PERFECT match. I mean every single positive emotion possible.

Ang Lee wants to direct ‘The Life of Pi’.

This is turning out to be the best movie news day EVER!!!!

Deep breaths Michael, deep breaths.

The novel about 16-year-old Pi Patel who is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size to see how they fit.
Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie of animals from the family zoo and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter.
After a storm, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
It may sound like the set up to a spin off of the ‘Madagascar’ animated films, but these wild beasts don't tall jokes and dance to bad 90’s euro house.

There is a lot of gore and death and blood until Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination.

I read the book and most of the story takes place on the life boat. So this is going to be a challenge to bring to the big screen, but if anyone can do it is Lee.

IF this goes into production it will be my most anticipated film, like, EVER! IT is going to be stunning!! Mark my word, just look at the artist renderings below.

My only concern is that I hope he does not cast Dev Patel.

Click to embiggen.
































2 comments:

Vance said...

He's my favorite director. Again, as you said, while not all his movies are perfect (Ride with the Devil is good but not great), he at least attempts such varied movie types which is harrowing. Plus, most of the time, he succeeds (Sense, Couching Tiger, The Ice Storm and Brokeback all landed as my favorite movies of their respective years. More than any other director to do that. And Eat Drink and Wedding Banquet would be way up there too).

Now I'm just waiting for the deluxe box set of his stuff. I can't believe there hasn't been one yet.

I can't wait until he tackles the musical though, which he's said he wants to do at some point.

feenixboi said...

I think Dev would do an alright job...