Movie: Lion

Lion:  a film based upon the memoir “A Long Way Home” by Saroo Brierley.  A five year old Indian boy is accidentally separated from his family and subsequently adopted by an Australian couple.  Then, as a young adult, he begins the search for his birth family.  The first part of the film focuses on 5 year old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) and his relationship with his older brother, Guddu (Abhishek Bharate).  The interaction between the brothers is positive and captivating.  The family is poor and live in a poor village.  The mother (Priyanka Bose) is a laborer and the two boys work to help the family survive.  We never meet the father, who apparently deserted the family.  Guddu and Saroo travel to a neighboring town where Guddu thinks there may be work.  He tells Saroo to wait for him at the train station.  Saroo climbs onto an out-of-service train and falls asleep.  When Saroo awakes he is in Calcutta, more than 1,000 miles from his home.  The people speak an entirely different language.  Saroo’s existence is reminiscent of a Dickensian waif.  After a time, Saroo is adopted and moves to Tasmania.  The story then jumps to Saroo as a young adult (Dev Patel).  The Australian parents are played by David Wenham and Nicole Kidman.  An event occurs which starts Saroo thinking about his family in India.  The rest of the film is a Google map tale and not as interesting as the first third of the movie.  Based on the strength of the opening segment with Saroo and his family, you are hooked into the story.   Saroo Brierley co-wrote the screenplay with Larry Buttrose and Luke Davies.  Garth Davis is the director.  The film is on a number of 2016 Ten Best lists.  The story is truly amazing and this 2-hour film will keep you involved.  But for me it was basically a well done Hallmark Presents movie.  Absent today’s Google map technology, it is unlikely the events in this tale could have occurred.  And the film’s title, Lion?  It has to do with the name Saroo.