@MartCous - think it's just a case of Weinstein magic. Patel wouldn't get the nomination in the leading category, so they lobbied for the supporting role (justifying it that he's sharing the character of Sharoo and isn't in the film for the first 1/3 or whatever).
Same thing happened last year with Carol. Mara had no chance winning the leading statuette, so they took a punt and craftily underplayed her importance in the film.
A surprisingly moving movie about family with some interesting thematic undertones of the mental health of those ripped from families. Patel and Kidman are great, and the film does a solid job of keeping the film interesting. The script, while not crackling with dialogue did a great job of keeping me guessing. Only complaints are some unnecessarily shorter shots if India. Some of the cinematography is great, I'd just like a longer shot.
This movie was deeply enthralling. I couldn't recommend it enough. However, I want to focus on one thing that I really loved. This could have easily turned into a movie where each scene was devoted to the search like some sort of procedural drama with montages of google searches. This movie excelled in eschewing that nonsense and focusing on the human element. His emotions, his behavior, made for a much more compelling story. And, while his adopted family played a much more subtle role in this, they nonetheless manage to communicate themes that are not only important to the character, but to us.
Overall, I'm really glad that I took the time to watch this.
Based on true story, Lion follows an Indian child accidentally separated from his family who is eventually adopted by an Australian couple. In his twenties, a flash of memory puts him on an obsessive quest to find his real family. Brought to you by Google Earth(TM). All facetiousness aside, I do think this is a problematic film. The kid we follow in the first part, I could watch for the entire length, and the act brings the very real issue of child disappearances in that part of the world, and others, to terrifying life. But there's a big lull in the second half of the film as we veer into depressing melodrama, at least until the inevitable either feel-good or bittersweet denouement. Well-acted, but saddled with too many title cards telling us time is passing, and subplots that while part of the real story, can feel like distractions from the film's main thrust. I'm also unsure about the documentary elements tacked on at the end, crashing into an otherwise sensitive dramatization.
7/10
Oh, what a touching film, this true based Indian-Australian co-production. What a tragic event. Did you know that every year in India 80,000 children disappear? This is the story of one of them. What redeeming and happy tears that poured out of my eyes in the end. The film was voted by Swedish free newspaper Metro summer 2018 as the best film in the history of 100 films.
It's downplayed it in the movie but there must have been a moment when he realized since he had the near correct village name that he only had to split it into two words and save himself a lot of time. Besides, there's probably functionality to search for settlements in Google Earth.
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Comments 1 - 14 of 14
MartCous
Dev Patel being campaigned as a "supporting" actor makes no sense to me.thebestpablorivera
Nothing groundbreaking, but still a profoundly moving and beautiful story that's very worth watching.theBelatedLobster
@MartCous - think it's just a case of Weinstein magic. Patel wouldn't get the nomination in the leading category, so they lobbied for the supporting role (justifying it that he's sharing the character of Sharoo and isn't in the film for the first 1/3 or whatever).Same thing happened last year with Carol. Mara had no chance winning the leading statuette, so they took a punt and craftily underplayed her importance in the film.
frankqb
A surprisingly moving movie about family with some interesting thematic undertones of the mental health of those ripped from families. Patel and Kidman are great, and the film does a solid job of keeping the film interesting. The script, while not crackling with dialogue did a great job of keeping me guessing. Only complaints are some unnecessarily shorter shots if India. Some of the cinematography is great, I'd just like a longer shot.4 stars out of 5
aryem
We need more films like this one. Simply amazing.Aniform
This movie was deeply enthralling. I couldn't recommend it enough. However, I want to focus on one thing that I really loved. This could have easily turned into a movie where each scene was devoted to the search like some sort of procedural drama with montages of google searches. This movie excelled in eschewing that nonsense and focusing on the human element. His emotions, his behavior, made for a much more compelling story. And, while his adopted family played a much more subtle role in this, they nonetheless manage to communicate themes that are not only important to the character, but to us.Overall, I'm really glad that I took the time to watch this.
nopesima
wow, very touching movie.Siskoid
Based on true story, Lion follows an Indian child accidentally separated from his family who is eventually adopted by an Australian couple. In his twenties, a flash of memory puts him on an obsessive quest to find his real family. Brought to you by Google Earth(TM). All facetiousness aside, I do think this is a problematic film. The kid we follow in the first part, I could watch for the entire length, and the act brings the very real issue of child disappearances in that part of the world, and others, to terrifying life. But there's a big lull in the second half of the film as we veer into depressing melodrama, at least until the inevitable either feel-good or bittersweet denouement. Well-acted, but saddled with too many title cards telling us time is passing, and subplots that while part of the real story, can feel like distractions from the film's main thrust. I'm also unsure about the documentary elements tacked on at the end, crashing into an otherwise sensitive dramatization.Ralf
I mean, Google Earth is a silly plot device for a film like this, but it's based on a true story and that's what really happened.Emiam
7/10Oh, what a touching film, this true based Indian-Australian co-production. What a tragic event. Did you know that every year in India 80,000 children disappear? This is the story of one of them. What redeeming and happy tears that poured out of my eyes in the end. The film was voted by Swedish free newspaper Metro summer 2018 as the best film in the history of 100 films.
Micaescalada
Loved it.airi86ja
Touching indeed + great ost + amazing viewsTiago Costa
4 /5If this is Oscar bait, then I guess I'm a fish now, because I've been CAUGHT and REELED the fuck IN.
Armoreska