22 March 2017
An old post from January 2017;
#OscarBuzz Watched “Lion” today and I must say, it is an excellent, not to mention quite powerful biopic.
It tells the story about a young Indian man named Saroo and his search for his real home after he accidentally got lost in the streets of Calcutta thousands of kilometers away from home when he was only 5 years of age. He is then adopted to a family in Australia who raises him as their own. As a young man, he discovers the power of Google Earth and uses it to find his biological family.
On the positive side, the story is unlike anything I’ve seen before; powerful yet endearing. You might not think of the latter due to its tearjerker moments.
The acting is top-notch with Dev Patel leading the whole film as the grown-up Saroo and Nicole Kidman as his loving adopted mother, but the real scene-stealing star is the film debut of Sunny Pawar as the 5-year-old Saroo whose innocence, intelligence and boisterous attitude makes you instantly root and cheer for him all the way throughout the film.
The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous with the main focus being in India and Australia showcasing the breathtaking mountains and fields. In my opinion the cinematographer should definitely be Oscar-nominated.
The music score drives the drama through with melancholy yet beautiful music and it is definitely worth listening while watching the film and that goes to all those who love music. Again, the score should be Oscar-nominated.
On the negative side, it is one of the films that pulls you on the heartstrings, one of those that makes you cry at its typical tearjerker moments but it certainly made me cry. My calculated cry count is at least about 3 times throughout the whole viewing.
On an extra note, the film deserves the title (you will understand once you have watched it).Overall, it is a must-see for biopic lovers and cinephiles in general. It rightly deserves its place at the Academy Awards of 2017.
