Review of Lion (2015) by Patrick L — 16 Mar 2017

"With strong performances and an uplifting and complex story, "Lion" is one of the more beautifully polished films of 2016".

Movie Review: Lion.

Date Viewed: January 13 2017.

Directed By Garth Davis.

Screenplay By Luke Davies, Based on the non-fiction novel "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose.

Starring: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, Abhishek Bharate, Divian Ladwa, Deepti Naval, Sunny Pawar, Priyanka Bose, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

What if you get lost on a train that takes you thousands of miles away from home and family, get adopted by a couple from Australia and over 20 years later you try to find your way back home with Google Earth? That's exactly what happens in "Lion", a true-life lost and found story that's deeply moving and well-acted. You may think that "Lion" is based on the true story of an Indian man who befriends a lion or tiger but no, this movie is about a grown-up Indian man who tries to find his real family in India with a revolutionary website known as Google Earth. With strong performances and an uplifting and complex story, "Lion" is one of the more beautifully polished films of 2016.

The story first centers around two Indian boys, Saroo (Sunny Pawar) and Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) who do chores in the city for their mom just to put some extra food on the table. When Guddu tells his young brother that he will be traveling by train to a distant city to find a job, Saroo wants to go with him despite his young age (5 years old). Guddu at first becomes reluctant to bring Saroo with him but he decides to take him to the train station anyway.

Guddu tells Saroo to wait at the train station until he comes back. After a few hours, Saroo notices that Guddu hasn't come back yet so he waits in the train (which isn't carrying anyone on board) and he starts to fall asleep. When he wakes up, Saroo realizes that he's miles away from home and he can't get off the moving train. When Saroo does get off the train, he becomes completely lost in Calcutta and he doesn't know how to get back home. Saroo tries to convince the authorities that he's from the small village of "Ginestlay" but they can't find the name anywhere on their map.

Saroo is eventually put in an orphanage but three months later, he is being considered for adoption by an Australian couple, John and Sue Brierley (David Wenham and Nicole Kidman). Saroo is given a new home in Australia and he starts to learn English. John and Sue adopt another Indian boy named Mantosh (Keshav Jadhav) but he has trouble adjusting to his new home and family.

20 years later, Saroo (now played by Dev Patel) moves to Melbourne where he'll be studying hotel management and he even manages to pick up a girlfriend in an American student named Lucy (Rooney Mara). One day, when they share Indian food to some friends, Saroo starts to recall his childhood and he explains to Lucy that he was adopted and he got separated from his real family in India by boarding a train.

Saroo becomes instantly obsessed in trying to find his real family which causes a real disconnect from his girlfriend and major concern from his adoptive family. Saroo doesn't want his mother to find out that he's searching for his real family and home online because this news might devastate her. To find his real family, Saroo uses Google Earth to track down his first home. When he notices the rock formations where his mother used to work, Saroo finally discovers the location to his home which gives him hope in reuniting with his mother, brother or any possible surviving relatives.

Dev Patel gives an intense and outstanding performance as Saroo whose heart is full of courage and determination and Nicole Kidman gives a powerful and heart-wrenching performance as Sue Brierley, who loves every inch of his adoptive son. Rooney Mara on the other hand doesn't deliver her 100% because she's just there to be the girlfriend and not much else.

Director Garth Davis makes "Lion" roar with his profound direction and sense of vibe and the screenplay by Luke Davies tackles the themes of loss, hope and heartbreak in a way that's thoughtful and vibrant. "Lion" does hit a few false notes but nevertheless it is still a very good movie and it will probably be a Best Picture contender at the Oscars.