A young impoverished boy, Saroo, living in a rural part of India in 1986 is separated from his older brother at a train station whilst they are looking for work. He climbs onto a train that he doesn’t realise has been decommissioned and is about to start on a non-stop journey to Calcutta, 1600 miles away. Saroo learns how to survive in the bustling, chaotic big city until he’s put in a home by the authorities. From there, he is adopted by a couple in Tasmania. Twenty years later, he becomes determined to find his mother and brother again.
Lion is definitely a film of two-halves, neither of which are totally satisfying. The first part has some striking moments, especially of the tiny Saroo overwhelmed in the city crowds and a chilling scene as he nearly gets involved with child traffickers / paedophiles. Sunny Pawar is very good as the young boy but this part of the story is a bit too episodic and there doesn’t feel like there is anything new being shown. Anyone who has seen the far superior Salaam Bombay is bound to be a little disappointed.
The second part of the film, set in Australia benefits from a nuanced performance by Dev Patel, and good supporting turns from Rooney Mara as Saroo’s girlfriend and Nicole Kidman, and especially David Wenham as his adoptive parents. However, the trigger point that makes Saroo become obsessed in his search doesn’t convince and the last 15 minutes are very predictable and manipulative.
Ultimately, this feels too much like awards bait, so I guess in that respect it can be considered a success.
Rating 6 out of 10