Deeply sentimental eye-opener

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2019)

I loved seeing rural India in this movie. The first half, being a straight story arc without flashbacks, is set entirely in India and, indeed, is truly a masterpiece. The second half sees several complications added to the storyline, with the importance of other characters (with their own stories), along with frequent use of flashbacks as Saroo begins reliving his early childhood in earnest. This half sees many tears. The first half is on par with Salaam Bombay, and in fact resembles that movie in many ways. The soundtrack is orchestral, and I thought a little old-fashioned, although the motif is sweet, with piano dominating at times. As a biography it's a good reflection of an emotional loss and subsequent journey to find one's origins. Personally I thought other India based movies were better, such as Slumdog Millionaire or the one mentioned above, but then again I'm not sure it's fair to compare them. I'm sure most people will find this heartfelt and very sentimental journey a revelation, but for me the frustrations of the latter half, albeit a true story, were not as spellbinding as the magical first half.