A Big Fish meets a big lion.

Presentation:

This film feels spiritually similar to Big Fish. A man interviews a storyteller whom reveals an unbelievable metaphysical experience. What is most impressive is Ang Leeโ€™s range as a filmmaker, seemingly able to intimately understand both Western and Chinese cinema. Itโ€™s ultimately a film about discovery amidst survival in a magical adventure. Although there are some painterly beautiful frames, The CGI in this film felt very fake, nearly comparable to Beowulf. I suppose some may attribute this to a dreamlike look, but I personally hated it and it ruined all disbelief.

Conclusion:

Although this isnโ€™t a bad film, a lot of Indian centered films have similar plots of self discovery and most of them are superior. This one just happens to be more memorable for its visuals, which I ultimately found unappealing. Itโ€™s not as good as Big Fish, Lion, Slumdog Millionaire, so I would only recommend this film if you havenโ€™t watched those films already.


Recommendations

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Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

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Busterโ€™s Mal Heart (2016)