One of 2016's Best Films

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2017)

Lion (2016)
**** (out of 4)
A young boy named Saroo (Sunny Pawar) goes with his older brother for a job when he becomes lost and before long he's thousands of miles away from his home. He's eventually taken off the streets of India and given to adopted parents (Nicole Kidman, David Wenham) who raise him. Twenty-five years later Saroo (Dev Patel) starts wondering what happened to his brother and mother and tries to find them.
Garth Davis' LION is certainly one of the best films of 2016 and it's really amazing to see it all unfold. Going into the picture I actually knew very little about it other than its central story so the journey that the lead character goes on is quite remarkable to watch and it's even more amazing to see how well-balanced the film was and how emotional it all plays out.
I think the most impressive thing for me was the first hour as we see the young Saroo getting separated from home, the horrors of being that young and alone and then him trying to survive the streets before being adopted. The film certainly tries to get a point across about homeless children in India and the film can get this across without any preaching. Instead, it really does show you how scary a world would be to a child lost in it.
What makes that first sequence even greater is the fact that Pawar is so wonderful in the film. His performance here has to go down as one of the greatest that you're ever going to see from a child actor and there wasn't a single moment where you feel as if you're watching an actor. The performance is so fresh and so raw that you really feel as if you're watching a documentary. The supporting cast is terrific as well. Patel really packs an emotional punch with his strong performance and Rooney Mara, Kidman and Wenham all doing great work.
LION features a terrific music score, some very good cinematography and there's no question that the screenplay hits all the right marks as the story plays itself out.