dir. Garth Davis
“Lion” tells the true story of Saroo Brierley whom was separated from his family when he was very young and later adopted by an Australian couple who raise him. He realizes he was separated from his real family as an adult and begins a search for his family using Google Earth.
Using that description alone, you would think that this film would be just another standard biopic with lots of flashbacks and inner monologue voiceover narrations. Luckily (and shockingly), it uses none of these clichés and instead shows (not tells) us the long and at times epic life journey of this man and his search for not only his family but also himself and his own individuality. We see the stages of his growth and those who have an impact on him. The films pace has a unique flow to it that makes it both conventional for modern audiences and yet unconventional at the same time. The first quarter of this is subtitled (those who “hate reading” during a movie should be aware of this) but the body language and acting of the young actor playing young Saloo shows everything you need to know about what he’s going through and perceiving.
Using that description alone, you would think that this film would be just another standard biopic with lots of flashbacks and inner monologue voiceover narrations. Luckily (and shockingly), it uses none of these clichés and instead shows (not tells) us the long and at times epic life journey of this man and his search for not only his family but also himself and his own individuality. We see the stages of his growth and those who have an impact on him. The films pace has a unique flow to it that makes it both conventional for modern audiences and yet unconventional at the same time. The first quarter of this is subtitled (those who “hate reading” during a movie should be aware of this) but the body language and acting of the young actor playing young Saloo shows everything you need to know about what he’s going through and perceiving.
The themes are a lot like Disney's reimagining of "The Jungle Book" that was released earlier this year as "Lion" deals with ideas of what truly defines family and how that defines an individual as he or she grows up later in life. The performances of Dev Patel as Saloo as an adult and Nicole Kidman as Saloo’s adoptive mother are A+ and Rooney Mara gives a great supporting performance as Saloo’s girlfriend. This may be a bit of a tough sit for some but like the journey of the film’s central character, it’s an emotionally satisfying one.
Rating: 4/5 Reels
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