LION

A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. —IMDB

Uneven. The first act, set in India, is superb and deeply affecting. The cinematography, editing, and soundtrack of this part is excellent and gripping. Sunny Pawar, who plays the young Saroo, is brilliant. The second half, set in Australia, doesn’t feel authentic and falls flat and would have been wasted if it hadn’t been for Dev Patel’s complex and powerful performance as the older Saroo. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham, the adoptive parents, are the weakest actors in the movie. Overall, worth seeing for the very special first part.