Certificate: PG
Running time: 118 minutes
Directed by: Garth Davis.
What's it about: Five year old Saroo gets lost on the streets of Kolkata, after boarding a train that takes him thousands of miles away from his home. Adopted by an Australian family, twenty years later he sets out to find the other family he never forgot.
The verdict: This was one of those films that had gone slightly under my radar, and as such I went to see it with minimal expectations. Knowing it was based on a true story, I made sure not to read up anything about it, so that I could watch the story unfold on screen. Well I'm so glad I went to see it, because I throughly enjoyed it.
Firstly the film is incredibly engaging. The film is almost split into two halves - the first half follows five year old Saroo's journey and the second half picks up the story twenty years later when Saroo begins to search for his family in India. The strength of this film comes from the wonderful storytelling, it's not about awe inspiring shots or fast action but watching Saroo's journey, which you feel highly invested in. Although that's not to say the film doesn't have great visuals, visually it's very strong.
The cast is great, everyone in it is suited perfectly to their role. But Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel stand out, as Saroo aged five and Saroo aged twenty five respectively. Dev Patel has proven himself to be a strong actor, and in this he manages to capture all the mixed emotions that you'd expect someone in his position to feel - anger, guilt, hope etc. Sunny Pawar is absolutely wonderful, he is a joy to watch on screen - his innocence and youth shines through.
It's difficult to find any negatives, as I enjoyed this film so much. At a push, it could be argued that the second half of the film isn't quite as compelling as the first half, and that the ending plays on the audience's sympathies. But as I said, for me, that's at a push. Overall I loved it.
Should you watch this film? Yes! A wonderful story with a wonderful cast.
The verdict: This was one of those films that had gone slightly under my radar, and as such I went to see it with minimal expectations. Knowing it was based on a true story, I made sure not to read up anything about it, so that I could watch the story unfold on screen. Well I'm so glad I went to see it, because I throughly enjoyed it.
Firstly the film is incredibly engaging. The film is almost split into two halves - the first half follows five year old Saroo's journey and the second half picks up the story twenty years later when Saroo begins to search for his family in India. The strength of this film comes from the wonderful storytelling, it's not about awe inspiring shots or fast action but watching Saroo's journey, which you feel highly invested in. Although that's not to say the film doesn't have great visuals, visually it's very strong.
The cast is great, everyone in it is suited perfectly to their role. But Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel stand out, as Saroo aged five and Saroo aged twenty five respectively. Dev Patel has proven himself to be a strong actor, and in this he manages to capture all the mixed emotions that you'd expect someone in his position to feel - anger, guilt, hope etc. Sunny Pawar is absolutely wonderful, he is a joy to watch on screen - his innocence and youth shines through.
It's difficult to find any negatives, as I enjoyed this film so much. At a push, it could be argued that the second half of the film isn't quite as compelling as the first half, and that the ending plays on the audience's sympathies. But as I said, for me, that's at a push. Overall I loved it.
Should you watch this film? Yes! A wonderful story with a wonderful cast.
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