Rent Lion (2016)
4.0 of 5 from 888 ratings
1h 54min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) gets lost on a train travelling away from his home and family. Frightened and bewildered, he ends up thousands of miles away, in chaotic Kolkata. Somehow he survives living on the streets, escaping all sorts of terrors and close calls in the process, before ending up in an orphanage that is itself not exactly a safe haven. Eventually Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham), and finds love and security as he grows up in Hobart. As an adult, not wanting to hurt his adoptive parents' feelings, Saroo (Dev Patel) suppresses his past, his emotional need for reunification and his hope of ever finding his lost mother and brother. But a chance meeting with some fellow Indians reawakens his buried yearning. Armed with only a handful of memories and his unwavering determination, Saroo sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home. - Actors:
- Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Sunny Pawar, Abhishek Bharate, Priyanka Bose, Khushi Solanki, Shankar Nisode, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Riddhi Sen, Koushik Sen, Rita Boy, Udayshankar Pal, Surojit Das, Deepti Naval, Menik Gooneratne, David Wenham, Keshav Jadhav, Benjamin Rigby
- Directors:
- Garth Davis
- Producers:
- Iain Canning, Angie Fielder, Emile Sherman
- Writers:
- Saroo Brierley, Luke Davies
- Others:
- Luke Davies, Dustin O'Halloran, Hauschka, Greig Fraser
- Aka:
- A Long Way Home
- Studio:
- Entertainment In Video
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- 2017, Acting Up: British Actors at the Oscars, Award Winners, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2024, Best Film Quests and Adventures, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Films by Genre, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Nicole Kidman, Top Films
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 22/05/2017
- Run Time:
- 119 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Featurettes
- Music Video: SIA - Never Give Up
- Trailer
More like Lion
Reviews (19) of Lion
Powerful and true story - Lion review by JO
I had known nothing about this film before I watched it, except that a number of friends had recommended it. It was compelling from the start, as well as having a very authentic feel. I found it incredibly moving, not necessarily in a tearjerky way, but more deeply than that, reflecting as I was on the movement of children across our globe whether voluntarily in search of different lives, or perhaps under circumstances beyond their control. There are so many little lost travelling boys and girls. It was so powerful to witness this one's story, so well told.
6 out of 6 members found this review helpful.
Simply stunning - Lion review by TB
Oh wow, what a film this is!!
Stunning cinematography and a deeply moving true story. Both actors who played the young and old Sarro (Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel) put in sensational performances with Sunny in particular for such a young actor. This film really leaves its mark on you and the footage and words at the end are amazing. A must watch!!
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Thought provoking and emotional journey - Lion review by Pete W
Excellent film. In the first half, we see how a 5 year old child can get lost in India and almost overwhelmed. The child is rescued from dire conditions on the streets of Calcutta and in a Dickensian orphanage and brought up in Australia, but as a young man becomes increasing driven to find his way back to his village and mother in India. Google Earth turns out to be his means of achieving this. Good acting by Dev Patel as the young man and Sunny Pawar as the child. Others have found the film too long but I didn't. It gripped me throughout. Make sure you watch the final section of the film to see the real life characters on which it is based and to find out exactly how the boy Saroo came to be lost.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Lion (aka A Long Way Home) review by Adrijan Arsovski - Cinema Paradiso
Lion is a well-acted, though-provoking, hipster-free tearjerker drama that stays with you long after you’ve watched this film for the first time. Now let’s be blunt: Lion features an impressive cinematography, well thought-out script, and acting like you’ve never seen before from a half-Hindi feature that somehow found its way onto Uncle Sam’s big screen. And despite telling a story that spans over the course of twenty-five years, Lion never, ever feels like it overstays its welcome – an impressive feat to say the least (scorning at you The Revenant!). And where others have failed, Lion succeeds in building an ever-lasting legacy that won’t be forgotten (at least for those who watched the film) as opposed to (mandatory comparison incoming) another well-known feature called Slumdog Millionaire. Now let’s see how it went down.
The film starts with Saroo (wonderfully played by Sunny Pawar), who gets lost after he and his brother leave their village in order to do a job of some sorts. Unfortunately, young Saroo cannot find his way back and gets lost in the crowded streets of India. From here thereon, the film follows Saroo in his own personal Odyssey as he tries to trace his roots and find his real identity in a world that’s long forgotten of what means to be human. Which leads us to the main anchor of the film: its overarching themes.
And there are many. The theme of identity in a foreign land; the theme of poverty and survival; and of course, my personal favourite: the theme of love. Love of parents, siblings, significant others, and everyone who lends a helping hand in dire times of need. Lion gracefully handles these themes both via young Saroo and his older version as well (played by Dev Patel), whilst also leaving some room for elaborate thought. That is to say, Lion doesn’t bash your head with pseudo-intellectual garbage, but instead it subtly shows how a simple wrong turn can make all the difference in life. And everybody can become estranged, no matter how rich or poor you are or what car you’re driving: it’s just the way of life.
The supporting cast also delivers. Nicole Kidman appears in a small role, but steals every scene she’s in, as if the actress experienced a long-needed recuperation from blockbusters or other bid-budgeted messes period. In fact, the cinematography perfectly captures her emotions, which felt as real as humanly possible (and even eerie at times). David Wenham as Saroo’s father also does a solid job and knocks this one right out of the streets of India.
Finally, Lion is a slow-burning drama that will hit you as hard as an amateur boxer’s punch: meaning it’ll hurt, but it’ll also pass with you coming out the wiser full stop. If you haven’t already, go ahead and see Lion, and I’m not going to repeat this twice.