Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Stories Big and Bizarre in Newspapers (MEDIA WATCH International)

Iran helped Hamas make long-range missiles

Shalom TV Daily News 11/21/12

Israel's Arab population hope ongoing bombardment in Gaza ends quickly

EU civil servants went on strike earlier over proposed cuts

Kashmir Lolab area home to mass graves

Today in History for November 22nd

News Bulletin - 04:30GMT update

Federal Court Upholds Right to Keep and Bear Arms and Awards the NRA $125,000...

Israeli PM warns of more action if truce fails

Hamas, Egypt key actors in Israel-Gaza truce

Fighting the Afghan Taliban in their birthplace

Israel cautious relief as ceasefire declared

OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 9 : Pro-Israel groups hold rally outside...

Ohio: Handicapped Youth Whitetail Deer Hunt Builds Skills, Pride and Fri...

GBTV: History of Thanksgiving

GBR: More-On Trivia

Gaza ceasefire comes into effect

Why Does Anyone Work At Walmart? -MSNBC's Ed Schultz

PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 8: Hamas rocket destroys building in Rishon Lezion

PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 9: American Jews pledge aid for conflict victims

Philadelphia: No Love for the Homeless

OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 9: Ceasefire between Israel, Hamas comes...

Greg Gutfeld Defines Grads and The American Dream - The Five - 11-21-12

My Review of "The Life of Pi"

My review of the Ang Lee’s film adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel the Life of Pi. Let's start with the most important thing, this is an incredible movie, 4 stars so go see it. So now that I have that out of the way… The publisher summarizes the book (which the movie adapts well enough):

The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.

The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it more true?

This movie is foremost a religious parable but is not in any way ideological. The spiritual questions asked fit nicely into nearly every religion including atheism. That fact alone is a literary and film making miracle, and make no mistake this is on purpose. Nothing you see is accidental or trivial. The character names, the types of animals, the relationships are all important subtexts to the overarching theme. That theme can be summed up in the question that PI asks in the end “which story to you like better?”

This theme is not unlike that of the “Big Fish” by Daniel Wallace and its film adaptation. The most obvious difference is that in Big Fish the tragedy is softened with comic relief and in Life of Pi it is softened with spirituality both used ethereal imagery but Life of Pi takes it to another level. This film is truly beautiful. There are elements similar to movies such as Cast Away and Forrest Gump and the aforementioned Big Fish. There is a lot of loss and pain in this movie but the throughout there is hope.

I am a crier by nature and I teared up several times while watching the it, but I found myself really fighting back the tears after it was over and I had a moment to reflect on what I had seen and the questions it asked.

I apologize if this review is not particularly critical, but sometimes a story speaks to you, this is one of those times.



Also: Read the book

French Jews hold rally outside embassy in Paris

Al Jazeera reports on changing US policy towards Hamas

PJTV Sneak Peek: Hot Seat with Bill Whittle: How to Win the Culture

PJTV: Will the GOP Allow Obama to Raise Taxes on the Rich?

PJTV: Kudos Liberals, You Destroyed More Jobs

New York Jews voice concern for relatives in Israel

PJTV: Israel and Hamas Agree to Cease Fire Thanks to Our Staunch Ally Egypt

Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza ahead of truce

Al Jazeera's Peter Greste reports on details of truce deal between Israe...

OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE: Egypt announces ceasefire between Israel an...

Rush Limbaugh: The True Story of Thanksgiving (2010)

GBR: The perils of a mall Santa

GBR: Boston Tea Party Terrorism

Mom: Movie Attack Plot Suspect 'Born Different'

Clinton: US, Egypt Broker Ceasefire in Gaza

Feds Soon Will Be Able to Read Your Email

GBR: Australia's new PSA

GBR: Radicals and Hamas the victims?

Happy Thanksgiving from Senator Rubio

OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE: Tel Aviv terror: bus bombing survivors spea...

Few Crimes Committed by Concealed-Carry Permit Holders in Kansas

Hamas Hands Out Candy Following Tel Aviv Bus Bombing

h/t Gateway Pundit

Government in Your Email! WITHOUT YOU KNOWING?!

Thousands of UK students protest rising fees, jobless future

Rep. Trey Gowdy to Obama: Instead of Taking Up For Susan Rice, You Come ...

Halperin: Left using 'freak show' tactics to block Rubio

Hamas TV After Tel Aviv Bus Bomb: "God Willing, We Will Soon See Black B...

Obama SBA Head Hasn't Heard Of ObamaCare Impacting One Small Business

Al Jazeera office in Cairo torched by protesters

Walter E Williams - Central Planning Defined

At least one killed in Kabul bomb blast

India hangs Mumbai attacker

IDF Forces Arriving at the Building That Suffered a Direct Hit In Rishon...

Gaza ground war poses risks for Netanyahu