I’d be lyin’ were I to express indifference to Lion, the story of a young man who, twenty years after an unexpected trip on an decommissioned train car deposited him 1000 miles from home, uses Google Earth to reunite with his long-lost family. The task of wringing overpowering visuals out of the simple act of watching characters interface with a computer display has proved daunting to most. Screenwriter Luke Davies and director Garth Davis bypass the cliches with the greatest of ease only to be briefly set off course with a repetitive third act. How many pensive shots of a Christ-like Saroo (Dev Patel) staring into space do we need? Nicole Kidman as Patel’s adoptive mother from down under and Rooney Mara as his supportive girlfriend leave one wanting more of both. The same can be said of five-year-old Sunny Pawar, whose work as the young Saroo deserves major attention from Awards groups. (2016) — Scott Marks
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