LION REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

For a child, their worst fear is being separated from their family. The feeling of being lost in a strange world can be scary for anyone but even more so when you're a child and don't know what to do. Garth Davis' latest feature is a powerful and moving drama that effectively captures that feeling of isolation. 

Five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of Kilometers across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Now, as an adult (Dev Patel), armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

In order to make a moving drama, we have to develop a connection to the central character. In Lion, we immediately are drawn in to Saroo's life. In his first feature film, Pawar is captivating as the young Saroo. He faces one of our worst fears and struggles immensely as we see him sleeping on the streets of India and running away to avoid being kidnapped by terrifying adults. The first half is exceptionally well-done and Davis succeeds in making us feel sorry for Saroo. Fortunately, he is soon adopted by an Australian couple, Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham) Brierley. Because of the combined performance of Kidman and Wenham, it's not hard to believe that Saroo now has a safe home with loving parents. Of the two, Kidman stands out and proves why she's one of the most versatile actresses working today. 

The majority of Lion takes place twenty years later and we see that Saroo has settled into his new life and has started a course in hotel management. However, he soon starts having flashbacks to his old life which leads to him becoming determined to find his home and be reunited with his true mother. The reason why the second half of Lion works just as well as its first half is because of Patel's performance and proves that he's come a long way since making his breakthrough performance in the 2008 multi-Oscar winning film, Slumdog Millionaire. In order to portray Saroo, Patel had to develop a new physique and spent several hours in the gym and also developed an Australian accent (with Tasmanian dialect). He even visited Saroo's orphanage in India and wrote a diary whilst on the train ride that Saroo accidentally took as a child. He spent a total of eight months preparing for this role and, fortunately, all that hard work has paid off and he has been nominated by the Academy for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. 

It's hard for a story like this not to succumb to the typical cliches seen in film but, nevertheless, Davis manages to overcome that obstacle and make Lion a powerful drama. Because I hadn't first heard of this story before the films release, I had no idea how Lion was going to end. When Saroo returns to his home, it's intense as I had no idea if his mother was still alive. Even if you do know how its going to end, the climax is deeply profound. I doubt there'll be any dry eyes during this end scene. During the credits, Davis includes photos of the real-life Saroo as a child and includes footage of him returning to India with his adoptive mother whilst Sia's song 'Never Give Up' plays. Her song is perfect for this ending as it rings true of the central character who never gave up searching for his true home.

Lion is a must-see drama featuring a moving debut performance from young Sunny Pawar. The entire film is worth watching just for him. After watching eight-year-old Jacob Tremblay in last year's Oscar-winning film, Room, I had no idea if his performance could be topped. However, it's safe to say that Pawar gives a performance that is just as powerful as Tremblay's acting. Davis has succeeded in creating a motion picture that is, at times, emotional but no less uplifting. Both Kidman and Patel give some of their best performances yet. Overall, Lion's undeniably moving story and talented cast make it a journey that transcends the typical cliches of its genre.

8/10