Lion Review

Rating: 9/10 (11 February 2017)

With a mixed critical reception I wasn't entirely sure what to expect here. However, it turned out to be an absolutely outstanding, captivating tale. The first half is an extremely morbid story of a 5 year old Indian boy who gets separated from his brother, ends up lost and homeless, and has to survive in brutal conditions in impoverished India. Not only this, but he also has to become road runner as just about every man seems to want to kidnap and molest him, and it really creates a harrowing portrayal of India. The performance from young Sunny Pawar is stunning and Oscar worthy in itself. It then flashes forward 20 years to Australia, where Dev Patel also puts in a good turn as the lead, still searching for his lost family.
The melodic music throughout links excellently with the stylish cinematography and sombre, sentimental tone. It really is just a thing of beauty. There's obviously similarities between this and Garth Davis' previous directorial efforts on Top of the Lake. The intensity of the movie really starts to build, with Nicole Kidman also putting in an impressive performance. There's a particular critical scene where Dev Patel searches online for his family and as he does so he reminisces of being back home as a child, then breaks down. It's incredibly powerful and immersive stuff, but the movie has a plethora of scenes like this. The conclusion is extremely intense and as emotive a finish as I have ever seen.
There is no doubt in my mind that this should be getting best picture. However, there's no black people or retarded singing, so nobody's interested.
9/10