Lion

Based on a true story, Director Garth Davis’s uplifting Lion goes on my must-see list of films for 2016. 

It’s the story of a 5-year-old boy Saroo (Sunny Pawar), who follows his older brother (Abhishek Bharate) to “work,” but falls asleep on a decommissioned and, subsequently, locked train and ends up in Calcutta, 1200 miles from his home, where the people speak a different language than his.

Not knowing the name of his town or the name of his mother, he is, ultimately adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham) and grows up on another continent.

As a young man in his 20s (Dev Patel), Saroo falls in love with another student (Rooney Mara), but, then, becomes obsessed with finding out where he came from.

His search is both compelling and unnerving and, ultimately, takes him back to India.

Everyone in this production performs fabulously, especially Patel, Pawar and Kidman.  The script by Luke Davies and Cinematography by Greig Fraser are top notch.

I give Lion a 4.8 out of 5.  See it, but be sure to bring some tissues.