Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, and Rooney Mara.
Nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Kidman), Best Score (Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertlemann), Best Adapted Screenplay (Luke Davies), and Best Cinematography (Greig Fraser).
Lion is the true story about a young boy in India who is accidentally separated
from his family, is adopted by a Australian couple (Kidman), and experiences an
identity crisis as a young man (Patel). The film's opening is a rich journey
through the lovely but crowded, serene but chaotic, busy but helpful segments
of India, as the young Saroo is brave in his exploits before being overwhelmed
by his young age and circumstance.
I did find that the film's middle act dragged, as an adult Saroo (Patel) starts to question whom he is and where he comes from, and Rooney Mara's considerable talents are under-utilized. It's tough not to think of 2006's "The Namesake", where Kal Penn's character arc is much more propulsive. However, as the film winds down, it's tough not to compare this year's "Lion" to last year's "Room" in terms of sweet, crowd pleasing underdog. Equally inspiring is the movie's portrayal of the foster parents (Kidman and Wenham), who decide adoption is for them, and raise 2 children not without challenges that some parents would have walked away from.
I did find that the film's middle act dragged, as an adult Saroo (Patel) starts to question whom he is and where he comes from, and Rooney Mara's considerable talents are under-utilized. It's tough not to think of 2006's "The Namesake", where Kal Penn's character arc is much more propulsive. However, as the film winds down, it's tough not to compare this year's "Lion" to last year's "Room" in terms of sweet, crowd pleasing underdog. Equally inspiring is the movie's portrayal of the foster parents (Kidman and Wenham), who decide adoption is for them, and raise 2 children not without challenges that some parents would have walked away from.
The
true story of seeds being planted by altruistic foster parents who embrace
their children's life journey is one thing that really makes "Lion"
roar.
3/5
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