Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier
Moving. That's probably the most apt adjective for this drama based on a true story. Lion tells the incredible story of five-year-old Saroo, who finds himself locked in a train after losing sight of his brother Guddu. The doors of the carriage would not open until 1500 kilometers later, in Calcutta. After days of wandering, the young boy is integrated into an orphanage before being adopted by an Australian couple.
Twenty years later, Saroo is going through an existential crisis and is trying to find his native village with the help of Google Earth software and the few remaining memories of that night when everything changed. For too long, he has been consumed by the desire to find his biological mother and brother. With all his heart, he wants his first family to know that he's all right, even after all these years.
The first part of the film, which introduces the viewer to the little boy's hallucinatory story from the night he was separated from his brother to the day he meets his adoptive parents, is a masterpiece in itself. The dark lighting, the omnipresence of scrap metal, the eerie sounds of the train - everything is seen through the child's eyes. The spectator finds himself in a veritable nightmare, extremely well staged, where the carriage is transformed into a prison; the men into monsters; and time, hunger and thirst into torments.
This aesthetic of fear is further enhanced by the offbeat charm of young Saroo, played by Sunny Pawar. The little boy is irresistibly expressive. The soundtrack, composed by Hauschka and Dustin O’ Halloran, features pianos and violins, and is classically dramatic, but not overdramatic. It brilliantly accompanies the dangerous streets of the Indian metropolis, the plight of the orphans and the emotions of the protagonist.
The second half, on the other hand, takes the film down a notch. Both the overplayed sadness of the adoptive mother (Nicole Kidman) and the pacing errors give the biographical film a taste of stupidly realistic re-enactment. The film goes from being a refined cinematographic work to a simple adaptation of the novel. I wanted to find my mother, written by the real Saroo Brierley. The adult Saroo is very well played by actor Dev Patel, who made his name in Slumdog Millionaire, But that's not enough. Garth Davis has chosen too sharp a break between the two moments of the film: the direction could do with a little more coherence.
Despite its shortcomings, Lion remains a very good American drama. Its nomination in six different Oscar categories (including Best Picture) is well deserved. Watching the film, you can't help but be moved by all those little Indians waiting for a father and a mother. We can't help but be moved by one man's tragic destiny, rooted in Indian geography. No one can ignore the burning quest for identity. «In reality», Saroo confesses to his friends, «I'm not from Calcutta; I'm lost.»
More generally, Garth Davis's first feature film conveys the beauty of love. This feeling can be the affection of adoptive parents, the expectation and hope of a biological mother who has lost her child, or the passion of two young adults (Rooney Mara offers a perfect performance as the beautiful Lucy, Saroo's girlfriend in Australia). But also, and above all, it can be the high, noble emotion that links two brothers. The love of the little lion for his big beast. In its essence, Lion is an ode to fraternity.
Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com
Photo credit: © avoir-alire.com
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