Lion review: Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman hunt Oscars in moving adoption drama

It’s been a rough few years for the Weinstein Company, both critically and commercially with Harvey Weinstein’s intimate relationship with the Oscars turning into more of a casual association. The giddy years that saw vanilla mum films like Chocolat and The Cider House Rules score with Academy voters came to an end and recent attempts to sneak in (with Southpaw, Big Eyes and Mandela) have left the brothers empty-handed. A lot rides on this year’s crop and Lion is a film that’s been talked up as a major contender. It’s easy to see why with a strong cast, international themes and an emotional true story. From the outset, it’s a film that’s impossible not to find hugely involving. Two brothers, Saroo and Guddu, live in rural India and spend their days seeking out odd jobs to help their mother fund their home. But one day, the unimaginable happens as the brothers are separated and five-year-old Saroo finds himself on a train going cross country. Arriving in Calcutta, unfamiliar with the language and unsure how to return home, he winds up in an orphanage that sees him adopted by a couple in Australia, played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. Saroo soon feels at home, comforted by the affection and calm after a harrowing experience, and grows up into a confident and ambitious 30-year-old, played by Dev Patel. As he combines a hotel management course and a burgeoning romance with a fellow classmate (a somewhat thankless role for Rooney Mara), he becomes haunted by the world he left behind. As he learns about the advent of Google Earth, he starts a difficult journey to find his family. Thanks largely to an affecting performance from newcomer Sunny Pawar, the first act is horribly effective. The descent from the loving warmth of his family to the harshness of the streets has a nightmarish quality and we’re pulled along with him, nervous for his safety and eager for levity. Because of the urgency and suspense of these initial scenes, there’s an inevitable dip in pace as we skip forward to meet Saroo as a man. Patel, who is too often caught in broad roles, is given a chance to go deeper and, mostly, he succeeds as a man trapped between two worlds and two identities. There are some nicely-observed scenes where we see him struggle with the privilege he now has, at odds with the poverty of his youth, and the conflict of cultures, unsure where he should be placed. But once his memories of back home are reawakened, the film flips into soul-searching mode and stays here for far too long. The drama of Saroo’s search is also mainly limited to a computer screen and we’re left with an unanswered question of whether he’s spent time looking for his family in the years inbetween. The script, based on Saroo Brierley’s book A Long Way Home, often struggles to expand what’s ultimately a rather short story into a two hour movie, which risks diluting the power of the initial scenes. Thankfully the film remains visually arresting throughout, due to accomplished work from first-time director Garth Davis. He riffs on the Google Earth theme and manages some stunning aerial vistas showcasing the contrasts and similarities of Australia and India. He keeps us engaged, even when the script repeats the odd note, and ensures that we’re eager for an emotionally satisfying conclusion. When it comes, it’s not quite the tear-jerking finale we’re expecting but, like the rest of the film, it’s admirably played and, despite some over-emphatic music, somewhat restrained. Regardless of complaints, Lion is likely to strike a chord with many, including Oscar voters, and it’s refreshing to see the complications of a mixed racial identity brought to the screen. It might never roar but it’s still a fierce contender.