Lion, a film adapted from Saroo Brierly’s biography, “A Long Way Home,” follows the journey of a three year-old boy who finds himself hopelessly lost across India, thousands of miles away from his family after falling asleep on a vacant train. Separated from his loved ones and without the information or language skills necessary to find his way back to his native town of Calcutta, Saroo embarks on a journey that changes life as he knows it. Throughout the movie, Saroo, played by actor Dev Patel, faces reality in his new life, struggling with the memories of his birth family. Saroo dedicates his life to finding his way back to his rural village in India.
The film tears at the heartstrings with themes of hope, despair, heartbreak and love, all working together to form a unique account of struggle and human emotion. The screenplay itself is nothing short of genius as the film switches back and forth between flashbacks of Saroo’s youth in India, being adopted by an Australian couple and his current struggle of coping with being lost.
Lion was one of the best movies I have seen in awhile, and it will undoubtedly move you to tears as long as you are human. I would highly recommend this film for anyone who wants an emotional movie viewing experience or is interested in seeing an all-around fascinating personal journey on the screen. Fingers crossed for Best Picture!