This first official trailer for Life of Pi is wondrous and achingly beautiful

Having heard of but never read LIFE OF PI, I’ve never really known what to expect from Ang Lee’s upcoming film. Having heard of but never read LIFE OF PI, I watched the trailer embedded below and had no idea what in the world was happening.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it – in fact, on the contrary I dug it more than words can express.  Lee seems to have kicked the visual sense I’ve always heard him praised for but never myself witnessed (I found BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN to be extremely plain in the worst of ways) into high gear, almost to a Tarsem-like level of “wow.”

Here’s to hoping that the book’s characters and storytelling don’t lose too much in the translation to film, because I’d hate for something this gorgeous to be nothing more than that.

For all you fans of the book out there – how does this match up with your hopes, fears, and expectations?