Lion

Lion was full of tough situations. It made me say out loud, "Ugh, it's hard being a human you guys!" It's about baggage and unfinished business. It's about being lost and being found and how we never stop being either one of those.

Lion is the story of a five year old boy who is lost in India and through no particular fault of anyone simply cannot get home again. He is adopted and raised by an Australian family and inevitably one day must resume his search for his first home.

The entire depiction of his childhood is terrifying and well told. The viewer knows as little about what is happening as the child on the screen. We are disoriented, confused, scared and sometimes left to guess about what might be going on. It is very effective, suspenseful and engaging. We even feel the same jolt that Saroo must feel when meeting his new mom played by Nicole Kidman with her dreadful nest of bright red 1980's hair!

The second act drags a bit for me. It is fascinating that Saroo is able to find his family only through the power of the internet and Google Earth, but we do have to endure a lot of indecision on his part. There are many repetitive scenes of him staring at the computer and maps yet he is not quite ready to pull the trigger and commit to the search.

The ending is quite emotional and I don't want to say more about that for those that haven't seen it.

The film is kind and gentle and treats everyone in it with respect, which I love. You can grow up feeling lost in the world or lost within your own mind or lost within your own suburban family. Nevertheless, we all deserve to be found, by our loved ones and by ourselves. The message to never give up and to keep searching is powerful and worthwhile.

And also? They make you wait FOREVER for the title to have significance! For. Ever.