Lion: 4 Stars.
I enjoyed this movie. Based on a true story about an Australian man of Indian descent (played well by Dev Patel), troubled by the events of his childhood; sets out to find the family he lost.
If this movie doesn’t pull on your heartstrings then you simply don’t have one. Yes, I was moved by the movie and felt the story provided a satisfying ending.
Some time ago, I used to think that intercultural or interracial adoptions were not the ideal for a child. Now, I am of the view that a child simply needs love, support and a good environment to grow up in. As Saroo himself received from his adopted parents in Hobart, Australia (played well by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). They did their best for him and did an admirable job raising him and another child of Indian descent.
Parents of adopted children would not have it easy. Few things trouble a person more than feeling they were rejected at birth. I have known a few adoptees and they all say that their adopted parents are their real ones; and they have no interest in knowing who their biological parents are.
But in this movie, events concerning the adoption of 5 year old Saroo are vastly different from the norm.
He was not rejected by his mother, but instead Saroo (played so naturally by Sunny Pawer) growing up in the middle of northern India, follows his older brother on a train who is travelling away for work, they became separated. Saroo then found himself on a train that took him over a 1000 miles away from his home town. Remarkable for a small child (who only spoke Hindi), he managed to survive in the notorious Bengal city of Calcutta (main language is Bengali) where he was eventually found by a good samaritan; placed in an orphanage and adopted.
As Saroo grew older to manhood, he became increasingly troubled by what happened. He had his flashbacks – little snippets, vague memories and his filtered version of what the name of the village he came from. With the help of the internet (Google Earth) and sheer determination, Saroo sets out on an emotional journey; to track his way back to his original home in India and find the family he lost.
The movie is up for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Dev Patel and Best Supporting Actress for Nicole Kidman.
I was moved by Saroo’s story based on his book: A Long Way Home. I gave it 4 Stars.
Take Care & Cheers
Jason
Directed by Garth Davis.
