Magnificent beginning, story will stay with you

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2018)

This is such a thought provoking story, I just wish that the second half and ending had been crafted as expertly as the first half of the film.
Sunny Pawar is an adorable and precocious creature and simply shines in this role.
The filmmakers introduced the family and young Saroo in such a captivating way. You are transfixed on the native family and their circumstances, his train journey and his antics for surviving the streets of Calcutta. You wonder about the other street urchins and their fates.
And then once he lands in Tasmania with his adopted family, the richness of his story just sort of falls apart and goes stale. The second half of the film lacked all of the majesty and mesmerizing details that were poured into the first half. The Australian father was completely forgettable. His adopted brother felt like an interruption rather and you never really felt a genuine bond which supposedly they did share in real life. His australian life felt like it all took place in a single living room - gone are the expansive countrysides of India, any of the social surroundings feel contrived and limited.
The breakup scene with Rooney Mara was utterly confusing and unrealistic.
Nonetheless the story is fascinating and you should watch the movie til the end.