As the Life of Pi reviews roll in, it's become clear that this is a movie to take seriously, but that's far from the attitude that lead character Suraj Sharma adopted when he tagged along with his brother for the audition.

Asked by The New York Daily news if he'd always wanted to act, Sharma's response was "No," which seems funny considering he's the lead in a possible Oscar winning movie. "It was my brother who wanted to audition for the role and I went along with him," he explained. "I'd told him 'I'll come if you buy me a Subway salad afterwards.' Next thing I know, I am in an Ang Lee movie! I was a school-going kid, literally, obnoxiously normal. I was in that stage when you don't know what you want to do with your life. With this film, I went through something life-changing." They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but this complimentary meal seems to have lead to an acting career for the young man. 

Given the cinematic clout of its director, and the politically emotive subject matter after Obama's re-election, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham, is sure to prevail come February, when the Academy Awards take place. Ang Lee's Life of Pi is sure to provide some stiff competition, though.