Emotionally captivating as it is powerfully acted, Lion is an admirable true-story-based tale

Rating: 8/10 (24 June 2017)

Some stories are difficult to believe until you witness them through the lens of a Hollywood director who takes from the pages of the autobiography. Focusing on a story of a young boy who face one of the most terrifying situations both a parent and a child would ever faced, this film tackles the hope and determination of a young man who will do anything in this power to return to the life he unwillingly left behind. The central figure of the story here is an Indian man named Saroo Brierly who was separated from his home at a young age and made major headlines upon his loss as well as his eventual return -- which didn't come until decades later. Garth Davis is the man responsible of bringing this strange, but true event to life in this emotionally powerful cinematic stride, and the concluding product is a both a beautiful and sobering biographical tale that makes a fair contender for tugging at your heart strings. Opening up in 1986, this movie follows five-year-old Saroo (played by Sunny Pawar), a young Indian boy living with his older brother Guddu (played by Abhishek Bharate) who he helps out with gathering coal to help their mother take care of the family. One night, when Saroo falls asleep on a train while looking for his brother, he wakes up to find the train moving and soon transported 1,500 miles away from his hometown. Stranded by himself with nowhere to go and no knowledge on how to speak anything outside his Hindi language, Saroo is adopted by an Austrailian couple Sue and John Brierly (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). 25 years pass, Saroo (played by Dev Patel), now an adult, falls in love with college student Lucy (played by Rooney Mara). Along the way, he is introduced to Google Earth which he discovers he must use in order to track down his home and find his way to reunite with his family.
Garth Davis presents this inspiring tale with both melancholy and unexpected charm. Those who are even remotely familiar with the story are likely to predict both the midpoint and the final outcome. Nevertheless, Davis knows how to keep things intriguing for at least most of the run. This does not conclude that the story doesn't hit just a few weak points. The first hour brilliantly showcases the fear and utter puzzlement of young Saroo as he journeys through some unsettling obstacles including a group of homeless children who are abducted with no warning, and landing into an orphanage where children are treated with callousness. This contributes to an effective exploration of the underprivileged environment that Indians are forced to endure. Food is not easy to come by and the economy rests in a third-world state of condition. The entire trajectory of his half is beautifully shot by Greig Fraser and powerfully acted by Sunny Pawar who delivers a striking portrayal as the young lad. It is mesmerizing to watch as it is harrowing to sit through. And the the music score by Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka is a thing of beauty. The second half exhibiting the story of Saroo as an adult where the film loses a little steam. Although the segment nicely operates with an endearing performance by both Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman as well as offering deep exploration into the relationship between Saroo and his newly adopted family, it doesn't escapes from its emotionally empty state, at least not until the final ten minutes when Saroo finally reaches his moment of triumph. In the midst of the harrowing atmosphere, the film leaves just a little room for some levity. And Garth Davis never slides into the zone of emotional or narrative contrivances.
Lion is both an uplifting and melancholy picture that strikes at the heart with some powerful deliveries in both the narrative and performance departments, and transcends the story into something of beauty. This film will not fail to leave some moviegoers reaching for the tissues, especially at the end. If you are one of the those people, no need to feel embarrassed. This is a true-story-based picture that deserves plenty of attention.