Lion

The exciting first third of Lion with the lost Sunny Pawar is excellent. The boy is ready to be welcomed by Hollywood, where such a photogenic and talented child actor appears once in a decade. In the later parts of the film, however, there are plot inconsistencies with respect to cause and effect, and the lengthy, straightforward tear-jerking at the end completely spoils the movie. (22/03/2017)

The first half, set in India, is almost worthy of a full rating, it makes you realise how spoiled and pampered our Western civilisation is, with all the packed supermarkets, hygiene standards and plenty of drinking water. The Indian realities are fantastically rendered here, last seen so impressively in a Hollywood studio film 9 years ago in Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a drawn out thing that could have been told in 10 minutes, while emotionally it only slightly touched me. It’s a shame, the potential was there. This film is proof of what masters the Weinstein brothers are at promoting their films in the pre-Oscars season, the boys are able to push it beautifully with academics and journalists, the nominations are out of whack. (27/06/2017)

If I think about it, this movie has the most beautiful premise of all those movies nominated for an Oscar. You see, it shows that the existence of the Western world sometimes really does make sense. I feel sorry that the first half of the movie with the Indian lead role is much nicer and better than the other half. Dev Patel, even though he is a very good actor, put into the movie a whole number of questions and misunderstood moments, which is not say that I have to understand those, but he simply didn’t convince me to actually root for him. Sunny Pawar was probably the best child actor I have ever seen and scenes involving him were a pure balm for the soul. I must say that it’s been quite long sice I had two opinions about a single movie that are so strongly influenced by the acting performance in the lead role. But as a whole, I do agree that Lion is a huge movie and it’s beautiful to see that even stories like these can have a happy ending. (27/02/2017)

I wasn't sure about the one-sided focus on pitying orphaned or abandoned Indian children, but when the motives increase with each passing minute, it turns into a whole different story. Saroo is not only searching for family and answers, but also himself, and in the portrayal by a seasoned Dev Patel, I believe him in this role to the very last minute. When combined with Nicole Kidman's well-received dramatic comeback, this year's academic underdog becomes a surprisingly ambitious piece, easily surpassing some of the overly obvious favorites. (23/02/2017)

Dev Patel has come a long way from the nerdy from the slum, Rooney Mara surprised us with her civility, and Nicole Kidman reaffirmed her skill and the weight of her stardom, which very often provides a compass to quality cinematic experiences. I took a deep breath and slowly returned to the roots of my love for Indian cinema, inspired by a series of dramas in the same vein as Lion. If you're not indifferent to pathos and consider the story to be the center of the film narrative, you've come to the right place. (26/03/2017)

Whether you like it or not, a heart string press based on actual events is its own category, too, and within that category Lion doesn't deliver anything downright tasteless or silly. That's mostly due to the focus on the cheerless conditions in India, especially if you're a kid who's sick of permanent rape, and especially the almost documentary-like cinematography of this magically chaotic landscape. The camera also helps, which spends the first act skillfully scanning the surroundings, often from the position of the five-year-old protagonist, or following him almost neorealistically through the clutter of the city from afar. The actual searches and the visually depicted emotional bonding became a little yawn-inducing, but I think that's mostly due to the more challenging empathetic connection of a white, contented bastard from central Europe (me, that is) who has little in common with an Indian adopted orphan. I don't blame the stroking of the wall and the melancholy soaking in water at all, and if I did, every five minutes of Rooney Mara is a funfair for me. (31/05/2017)

For me, Dev Patel is one of the very interesting and talented young actors. The Indian environment interests me because it is different, because it is both beautiful and dark in its poverty. Both aspects came together beautifully in Lion, where you wish for the finale, even though you know it won't come without a cost. A very intense film, and I mean that in a good way. (16/02/2017)

Many will probably label this film as a shallow and formulaic drama, whatever. I happen to be thrilled that I needed a tissue for a stream of tears after a very long time. The music and cinematography certainly deserve praise, as does the director himself, given that this is his first feature film. Making a film based on a true story is always a challenge, a director should respect the story but at the same time he or she is making a film for the audience, it's not an easy task and I think Davis did it well. But I don't really understand the Oscar nominations this year, I'm not saying Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman were bad, but little Sunny Pawar crushed them both. Sunny is a small wonder and discovery for me, and I rank him right up there with Onata Aprile (What Maisie Knew) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) in terms of child actor talent; these three moved me more than their adult colleagues. The first half of the film tore my heart out, you realise what a different world you live in, and most importantly I was thinking the whole time: bloody hell, couldn’t you just stay on that bench? (19/02/2017)