Lion (2016)

[wlk68]

Quote

A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Has anyone else seen this? I thought it was fabulous. Dev Patel did a fantastic job and the little boy who played the young version of Saroo broke my heart.  

[vibeology]

I just saw it today and I loved it. I think the second half was a little choppy but overall it was strong. Dev was wonderful as was Nicole but Sunny Pawar absolutely stole the movie. He did so much and he's so young. 

[Blergh]

Saw it,too- and highly recommend it for those interested in folks overcoming incredible odds -though not without some unresolved sadness involved. Yes, I agree that that child performer was phenomenal, though I have to wonder HOW they kept his person safe if not get haunted by  his own issues re the dangerous stunts, settings and plot of the person he was portraying. While Miss Kidman gave a cathartic performance re Saroo's   adoptive mother  and deserves to be honored, I wish they had done something to flesh out the adoptive father beyond just being a supportive husband and father -especially considering the fact that Saroo apparently  had had no father in his life previous to be unwillingly separated from his mother. Also, I couldn't help but feel sorry for both actual person and character of Saroo's younger adoptive brother Mantosh who not only seemed to have had an even more traumatic early childhood than Saroo (though  what may have happened to him stayed unexamined ) but also has to live with his troubled onscreen portrayal even if he evidently gave permission re the movie.

[Matty]

Saw Lion yesterday and thought it was fantastic. I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about Saroo Brierley at least 4 or 5 years ago and never forgot it. I read his book and the film is true to the real story. Of course, the book fleshed out things more than a two hour film is able to do. The younger adopted brother, Mantosh, had serious problems from being traumatized as a young boy. He had been sexually and physically abused. I think Saroo's story is inspiring and the movie well done. Worthy of the amazing story of Saroo's incredible journey. The little boy who played young Saroo was so good. Dev Patel has grown up! Nice job. The story is life affirming and shows the resilience of the human spirit. The fact that a five year old could survive on the streets of Calcutta alone for months and than years later find his way home continues to astound me.  I highly recommend this film. Of course, bring the Kleenex. This movie tugs at your heartstrings, not as a fictional, sentimental tearjerker, but because it really happened and the reunion of Saroo with his mother after 25 years will get to you. Beautiful!

[ProudMary]

I saw Lion today.  Amazing film that touched me beyond words.  I cannot recall ever before having seen a film that had me actually weeping.  What got me was 

Spoiler

The real life video of his biological mother meeting his adoptive mother.

 

Remarkable performances by both Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar.  Go see this one!

[King of Birds]

Caught this over the weekend, such a fantastic movie. I hadn't seen any trailer, just heard a rave from a good friend and took the chance. I know we got titles with "20 years later/ One year later" etc but I couldn't place how young Saroo was when he left with his brother on that ill-fated trip. Four? 

Felt so bad to find out about Guddu.

I had missed the 60 Minutes piece - but will go look up that news story now. But please take Blergh Matty and ProudMary's word - go see this film. Good stuff.

[Browncoat]

I was, in a way, glad to find out that Guddu had been killed that first night.  When they said he was dead, I was terribly concerned that perhaps he had comitted suicide over the guilt of having lost his brother.  

I think Saroo was about five when he got lost.

It amused me that Saroo took a hotel management course, considering Dev Patel's other roles.

I did love the movie. It was nice to see the real footage of all the real players meeting in the village at the end.  I think a big dust storm swept through the theater and caused everyone's allergies to act up.

Now I want to read the book.

[thuganomics85]

Caught this finally, and this is one of those films that surprised me.  I figured it would be decent enough since it got a Best Picture nomination and all, but I was surprising over how much I enjoyed it.  I have the same reaction to it that I did with Philomena years ago, where I know it's considered to be on the "bottom end" of the Best Picture nominees and I can't really argue against it, but I actually loved it more then some of the frontrunners.

Both of the actors playing Saroo were great.  Sunny Pawar is naturally likable and charismatic, and the Young Saroo parts were probably my favorite thing.  I enjoyed his relationship with both his mother and Guddu, and it was heartbreaking when he got separated from them.  I was surprised how scary his journey was at times, but I suspect it happens to a lot of kids in real life.  The stuff with older Saroo was a bit more quiet, but I still enjoyed the conflicts and dilemmas that came with it, and I thought Dev Patel did a good job in the role.  Slumdog Millionaire is growing up! 

Nicole Kidman was great and it was awesome seeing David Wenham, who I still remember has Faramir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Rooney Mara was good, but Lisa and her relationship with Saroo wasn't that well developed.  Then again, I heard her character was actually a composite of several of his girlfriends, so maybe that is why it didn't feel as authentic.

I'm glad Saroo found his mother in the end.  Sad to hear about Guddu, but in some ways, it was actually a relief that he died so quickly after his disappearance, because I only imagine the guilt he would have felt for his entire life, blaming himself for Saroo's disappearance.

Garth Davis did a pretty good job for his first full-length film.  A lot of great scenic shots.  I so want to go back to both India and Australia.

I know various "based off of a true story" films shows the real people at the end, but the real-life Sue and Kamla meeting was probably one of the best ones yet.

Glad I got a chance to see it!

Edited February 3, 2017 by thuganomics85

[Inquisitionist]

Haven't seen it yet, but I'm wondering, if Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman have supporting roles in this movie, who are the leads?

[King of Birds]

Lion is a story in two parts; the young leads Saboo and Guddu, brothers living in India ... and then the train station, and Saboo getting lost on the train and surviving in Calcutta, and then eventual adoption and acclimation to the Tasmanian family. Time skips 20 years where Saboo is Dev Patel, college aged and discovering Google Earth. Trying to be vague and just touch on structure... once you meet Sunny Pawar, he owns it as Young Saboo and that kid is the lead.

[angora]

Nicole Kidman fits for me as supporting, but Dev Patel is tricky because he's more of a "half-lead."  Sunny Pawar as young Saroo is the lead in the first half, and Patel as adult Saroo is the lead in the second half.  But since we don't see Patel until halfway through the movie, I guess they thought they'd be better off submitting him for supporting?  Often, when you have both younger and older versions of the character in a movie, one of them feels more prominent in the story, but this one feels pretty even to me, as does Moonlight - even though all three actors playing Chiron are great, it'd be hard to classify any one of them as the lead, since each is only there for a third of the movie.

I loved Lion so much.  It might be my favorite of the Best Picture nominees I've seen so far.  I love that scene of Saroo arriving in the train station, how the camera films at his height with extras towering over and pressing in on all sides, wonderfully capturing that claustrophobic feeling of being a small child in a crowd.  And adult Saroo's journey just kills me.  You can see so clearly how that feeling of being lost, that limbo of not knowing, is just tearing him in half, while at the same time being reluctant to share what's going on with his family, not wanting them to think they're "not enough."  Really incredible story, beautifully done.

[blueray]

I didn't see the movie, but I read the book. It is a really good story and I'm glad that he had a happy ending. I couldn't imagine being 5 and surviving what happened.

[choclatechip45]

What an incredible story! I thought Sunny Pawar did a great job and so did Dev Patel. I was hesitant to see this movie because I wasn't sure if I would like it based on the short plot I read. I am very happy I saw it.

[phalange]

I saw this earlier tonight and urge anyone who hasn't seen it to do so. The kleenex warning is no joke, though! I was tearing up through the whole thing. 

Sunny Pawar was great as young Saroo. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a child waking up only to find yourself thousands of miles from home. The scene when he was asked what his mother's name is and he replied, "Mum!" just killed me because that's such an honest, little kid thing to do. Saroo's reunion with his mother and sister was beautiful, though it's heartbreaking that Guddu died the night Saroo went missing. I loved the real life footage of Saroo with both mothers meeting for the first time. 

[methodwriter85]

I wonder if Guddu got run over the train because he was panicked in looking for Saroo, or if he never came back for Guddu because he had already been killed. I guess we'll never know. It was actually better than the theory I had- Guddu got picked up by some sexual predator or something.

I remember watching the kids sleeping on the cardboard boxes, and thinking to myself, "Wow, this place would be like a haven for sexual predators." Sure enough, the traffickers showed up. I did think it was interesting the way they showed both sides of how victims get procured into the sex trade- sometimes it's with brute force, sometimes it's with someone who's in the guise of a helpful friend, like the episode of the Facts of Life where Tootie nearly gets kidnapped by a hooker and her pimp. I knew something had to be wrong with the "nice" lady- I wasn't sure if she was going to kidnap him for herself ala The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, or if she was going to sell him off. She just seem too nice and motherly for a woman who lived by herself, like it was an act. Young Saroo was definitely sharp as a tack to pick up on something being wrong. It's scary to think of how many kids that woman probably sold off in the guise of a friendly figure. The actress was really good at selling that- she doesn't really drop the act until Saroo refuses the drink and when she's making herself up, like she's celebrating something.

Dev Pateel won the BAFTA and I fully support him getting the Oscar. Hope he does.

[SeanC]

This is one of those stories where if it was fictional, people would call it wildly implausible (I can barely remember anything from when I was that young, and certainly not the sort of information that would be useful to determine where I used to live).  I enjoyed it overall; I think the second half has some struggle to form his Australian existence into a coherent narrative, but it mostly works.

Rooney Mara is really overqualified for her role in this, but she's really good (and the bit with them dancing in the street is the most charming I recall seeing her be onscreen).  Patel and Pawar deserve all the praise they've gotten, and Kidman does a lot with a relatively small role that nevertheless has a lot of dramatic weight to it.

[Empress1]

On 2/18/2017 at 0:18 AM, SeanC said:

Rooney Mara is really overqualified for her role in this, but she's really good (and the bit with them dancing in the street is the most charming I recall seeing her be onscreen).  Patel and Pawar deserve all the praise they've gotten, and Kidman does a lot with a relatively small role that nevertheless has a lot of dramatic weight to it.

I remarked to the people I saw this with that this movie doesn't need Rooney Mara at all. I don't know if Saroo had a girlfriend during his search, but even if he did, she's not important to the story.

Dev Patel is handsome - he looks good with the shaggy hair. He's filled out. Little Saroo is ADORABLE. Oh my God, his smile melted my heart.

On 2/12/2017 at 11:44 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I remember watching the kids sleeping on the cardboard boxes, and thinking to myself, "Wow, this place would be like a haven for sexual predators." Sure enough, the traffickers showed up. I did think it was interesting the way they showed both sides of how victims get procured into the sex trade- sometimes it's with brute force, sometimes it's with someone who's in the guise of a helpful friend, like the episode of the Facts of Life where Tootie nearly gets kidnapped by a hooker and her pimp. I knew something had to be wrong with the "nice" lady- I wasn't sure if she was going to kidnap him for herself ala The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, or if she was going to sell him off. She just seem too nice and motherly for a woman who lived by herself, like it was an act. Young Saroo was definitely sharp as a tack to pick up on something being wrong. It's scary to think of how many kids that woman probably sold off in the guise of a friendly figure. The actress was really good at selling that- she doesn't really drop the act until Saroo refuses the drink and when she's making herself up, like she's celebrating something.

I was so afraid for Saroo the entire time he was on his own. I was so tense. When that woman took him in and Rama got in bed with him, I was fearing the worst. Thank God he had strong instincts (at FIVE) and listened to them and ran.

Has anyone read the book? What was the story with Saroo's brother? Was he just not able to adjust to being adopted?

[Traveller519]

I remember Dev Patel having this shaggy look during the awards season last year. I'd joked that he was really getting into a party lifestyle. One year later, and he's nominated for the film for which he was supporting that look!

This film was this year's Brooklyn for me. I hadn't done much reading about it before I went in, and the story hits me right in the feels and blows me away. This may be among the more rewatchable of this years Oscar Nominee's for me.

I concur with many others here that using the real footage for the meeting of Saroo's two mothers was an amazing decision and the last emotional punch. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. It was incredible. Next to no one in the theater I was in got up during the credits. I can't remember the last non-comic book/sci-fi movie that's happened in. I think everyone was just so amazed.

[thuganomics85]

Sad it went home empty-handed Sunday, but I'm glad it got recognized and it seemed to have a decent amount of supporters, judging from the crowd.  Definitely a film I will buy and probably watch a good bit.

And, seriously, Sunny Pawar might be one of the most likable kids out there.  His enthusiasm throughout all the ceremonies and whatnot was great.  Curious to see if he will continue acting or take a different path.  Either way, I hope he succeeds at whatever he wants to do. 

[memememe76]

I am a sobbing mess. Not knowing the story beforehand, when I read what had occurred to Guddu, I welped. And then when we find out what Saroos "real" name is, ugh. 

The real life photos seemed to show Mantosh seeming to have some moments of levity. In the film, he was always so tortured. 

The middle stretch is a bit creeky, but I loved it nonetheless. 

[Hanahope]

On 2/12/2017 at 11:44 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I wonder if Guddu got run over the train because he was panicked in looking for Saroo, or if he never came back for Guddu because he had already been killed

This was the only question I had.  Its hard to know exactly how far away the first train station was from their home, but I wondered how people were able to figure out that (a) it was Guduu after he was hit by the train and (b) where he lived in order to let his mother know.  The only thing I can think of is that whoever Guduu was working with that night knew who he was/where he was from, and they were with Guduu when he was struck by the train and knew he died, so they made sure to get word back to his mother.

I was also struck that the name Saroo was giving for his village wasn't that far off from the actual name.  It did seem that the police (or whoever) didn't make any real effort to find his family beyond the Calcutta area.  Though admittedly, it was quite a long ways from Calcutta, even further than Saroo had originally estimated for the train ride.

[Trini]

Well, this was a good film to flush out the ol' tear ducts! Seriously, this was so good and beatifully put together. So moving. I cried more the second time I watched it, I think because I was paying attention more.

Even disheveled Dev Patel is still handsome. 😉