Life of Pi is more about the nuts and bolts of a teenager surviving at sea and bonding with a tiger than a spiritual quest that asks hard questions about the wisdom, will, and existence of God.

A fascinating fable about the meaning of both faith and fate, Life of Pi is a wonderfully visual telling of a Yann Martel's best-selling and award-winning novel.

It's easy to see why Pi was such a solid choice for the New York Film Festival's opening night, though: It has impeccable artistic credentials, is easy-going and unchallenging. But it's not a film you fall in love with.

Tobey Maguire has booked a part in Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel "Life of Pi." The story centers on a 16-year-old Indian...