This is a story which simply had to be told. This is hands down one of the most
touching films I've ever seen. This is the film which had to be made for all the adopted kids in this world.
No doubt this is a tearjerker – especially the music (which is amazing though) never
gives you a break. And of course they casted 4000 little Indian boys and chose the cutest in the world for this role. But I'll happily forgive this, as this film is nothing less than absolutely
incredible. It's beautifully told; complex, witty and deeply personal, shot in astonishing pictures and carried by fantastic performances.
But what makes Lion so great is not even any of these in first line – it's its incrdible authenticity. I lived
for over one year in India, learned the language to some extent, wrote articles about Indian politics, travelled in 25 of the 29 Indian states and really got to know the country, the people and
their culture. I can say that I know India better than most other non-Indian persons. Except Garth Davis, Lion's director maybe – cause never have I seen a film this authentic about India. Even the Indian
films don't come close. Almost everwhere where this film was shot, I've been. I travelled a lot in the cheapest parts of the trains in which Saroo gets locked and carried away at the beginning. I
recognised all filming locations in Kolkata, and even some in Madhya Pradesh. But it's not only about the filming locations: the way India was portrayed in Lion was so real, raw and authentic. Davis didn't try to draw the stereotypical
colour-religion-music image of the subcontinent in his film. He showed the country, its people and the life there exactly how it really is. In the most realistic, shocking, but also beautiful
way. Nothing else ever brought back my memories to my time in India so much. Everything in this film was to 100% accurately how it really is. You could almost smell the cities while watching it –
and that made it a truly mesmerizing experience. Lion looks, sounds and simply feels incredible. Same goes for the portrayal of Australia: Davis
never tries to draw a falsified picture of the country: he shows the washed out colours, the empty space, the pale faces of the Australians – but also the warmth, the love Saroo receives from his
adoptive parents. Everything feels as if you're really there.
Furthermore, from the first minute on you are hooked. You can't stop watching, you
find yourself deeply rooting for this main character. The fact this really happened exactly like this makes it only better. The fact that the filmmakers founded a NGO to bring back lost Indian
children to their families even more. This is a deeply shaking, breathtaking, beautiful, but also intelligent and ultimately satisfying film.
This is a story which had to be told, and I'm glad it exists.
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