Director: Garth Davis
Release Date: 20th January 2017
Rating: PG (UK), PG-13 (US)
Lion's cinematography and excellent pacing allows the film to tell a fully-fledged story based on a true-story; with great performances from child and adult actors alike.
Garth Davis' debut feature-length film follows a story that takes place starting in 1986, where Saroo Brierley (Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel) finds himself, at five years old, trapped on a train which takes him 1,500 kilometres away from his family in India. Lost and struggling without a home in colossal city Calcutta, Saroo is taken to an orphanage and eventually adopted by Tasmanian couple John and Sue Brierley (David Wenham, Nicole Kidman) - only to find himself searching for his Indian family again after reaching adulthood.
Due to the plot following a true story (adapted from novel 'A Long Way Home') - Lion's advantage is that it is not overly Hollywood - the characters are relatable and authentic, the progression of the narrative is natural, and the scenery is accustomed to fit the scenario.
The pacing of the film is almost perfect - the movie does not rush to get to the Dev Patel portion of the story with adult Saroo; the first 50 minutes of the film follows young Saroo's circumstances with his family before losing track of his home, and being taken in by the orphanage. The presentation that Sunny Pawar gives is touching, and the cinematography in this section truly shows just how lonely he is - wide shots of an entire empty train station with a minute figure of a child standing in the centre of shot being a good example.
I describe the pacing as "almost perfect" because the movie jumps through adult Saroo's life with little warning - for a plot that really took its' time to establish Saroo's feeling of detachment and disconnection, there was a great deal of glossing over important parts of adult Saroo's life - like the relationship he has with his adopted brother Mantosh (Divian Ladwa) and his girlfriend Lucy (Rooney Mara). The viewer is left to assume that Lucy and Saroo are a couple simply by how they spend lots of time together - and their relationship doesn't develop much during the movie. The issues Mantosh and Saroo have aren't rectified and this feels like a loose end when the film closes.
Since a lot of adult Saroo's story was not fleshed-out completely, the issues he faced with his family and his relationship gave off the atmosphere of manufactured drama for the purpose of making the film more interesting. If this was completely removed and Saroo set off to find his family without all of the commotion, the film would have felt hollow, yet if the plot was totally developed then this criticism would have not been necessary.
Since a lot of adult Saroo's story was not fleshed-out completely, the issues he faced with his family and his relationship gave off the atmosphere of manufactured drama for the purpose of making the film more interesting. If this was completely removed and Saroo set off to find his family without all of the commotion, the film would have felt hollow, yet if the plot was totally developed then this criticism would have not been necessary.
Dev Patel's performance is up-to-scratch - his reactions in attempting to find his home and how this puts pressure on his relationships are very human, and Nicole Kidman's execution was incredibly commendable. The star of the show was definitely Sunny Pawar (likely with the greatest amount of screen-time) but he managed to hold the viewer entertained despite being the only character on-screen for much of the film: a difficult task. With the aid of excellent camera shots and good writing, Pawar maintained the film with little-to-no dialogue, which is something even adult actors often find challenging.
Where many "true story" adaptation films fail with selecting a very difficult plot to convert into audience-friendly material, Lion triumphs in every way. There was no point during the movie where I found myself disinterested, and the runtime was a suitable length for the subject matter provided.
Out of most Oscar contenders like La La Land and Manchester by the Sea, Lion is one I would most recommend along with Moonlight from what I have watched so far. I can see this film being likely overlooked, but it should really be a serious contender for cinematography and writing. In conclusion, Lion is an enjoyable and affecting film to watch, and despite being an underdog this awards season, I do hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
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