★★★★☆
The overwhelmingly humble Lion is the story of one man’s emotional and inspiring plight to find his natural family after getting lost as a child in Kolkata, 1600 kilometres from his village in India – and what a story it is.
Director Garth Davis opens your eyes to some very raw experiences of longing, sorrow and joy, pinning you down to experience the different types of family there are, and exposing the same tribulations they all endure – all through colourful cinematography, a limited script and a powerful cast.
Only with the advent of Google Earth, 20 years after he is lost in India and subsequently adopted by Australian parents, is Saroo Brierley able to explore the possibility of tracking down his family and home – but having been only five years old at the time of his ordeal, he recollects little information. In his feature debut, Davis captures the realities of Indian poverty while subtly retaining the beauty of the country – this is, after all, not a romantic tale of India, but a bittersweet story of true happenings; of hardship, destitution, family, and above all, love.
The cast is truly wonderful. Just as you thought he was being typecast as the poor little brown boy, Dev Patel gives an enormously powerful performance as the tormented adult Saroo, torn between his desire to find his natural home and his despair at the potential for showing ingratitude to his adoptive parents. Though his Australian accent is at times unconvincing, Patel works wonders.
Patel and Rooney Mara may seem like an odd choice for an on-screen couple, but they execute romantic chemistry and the trials of a mixed race relationship brilliantly. In fact, screenwriter Luke Davies cleverly focuses the bulk of his script on dialogues, pairing characters off for extended interactions. Nicole Kidman, Sunny Pawar and Abhishek Bharate are just a handful of the actors who explore some of the deepest human emotions. Kidman in particular falls into role of an ageing mother with a fascinating and comforting ease.
There’s much more that could be said about the brilliance and the hurt in the story of Lion. It’s just that kind of film; one that will open your eyes to the desperate plight of thousands, and to the very real issue of lost children and missing families in India. Expect compassion, sorrow and joy to wash over you.
Lionopens in cinemas Thursday January 19.
