Lion - 3 smiles

The first half of "Lion" is exceptionally well done; the second half, which drags (among other problems) is not. The movie begins in a small village in India around 1990 where a young boy, Saroo (Sunny Pawer), works with his older brother, Guddu (Abhishek Bharate), to complete chores that will help their mother, Kamla (Pryanka Bose), put a little more food on the table. One day, Guddu tells Saroo that he will be traveling by train to a distant city to find work. Despite his age, Saroo insists on coming along. Guddu eventually lets him and long the way, the two become separated. Saroo eventually ends up in Calcutta not knowing where he is, how to speak the language or the name of the village he has come from. Fortunately, Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple, Sue and John Bierley (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham) and grows up with only dim memories of his biological mother and siblings. Twenty-five years later, an adult Saroo (Dev Patel), uses Google Earth to research his past and makes the decision to seek out his birthplace, hoping to be reunited with his mother and brother.

Director Garth David does an effective job of capturing the young Saroo's fear and confusion at being separated and stranded in a strange land. Non-professional actor Sunny Pawer (who doesn't speak English) conveys the essence of a child's view of a big, frightening world. The film loses traction when it shifts to modern day. Although there's nothing wrong with Dev Patel's portrayal, there's a disconnect between his Saroo and Pawer's. It's difficult for the audience to accept these two actors are the same person and the emotional intensity evident in the first half is missing, slowing things down. And although you want to find out how Saroo finds his mother, the adult Saroo is less interesting than the child. And Rooney Mara's role as Saroo's girlfriend is superfluous. Nicole Kidman, however, is effective as a loving mother who wants what's best for her son, even if it means sharing him with another mother. The documentary footage at the end of the film was shot by Davis for a 60 Minutes special detailing Saroo's life. "Lion" is an amazing tale in spite of its problems and certainly worth seeing.

Palm Springs Film Festival

My recent attendance at the Palm Springs Film Festival was enjoyable, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new people. Here is a thumbnail of each of the movies I saw, some of which will make it to theaters and others that won’t.

5:  Excellent. See it if you can.

4: Very Good. Also worth seeing.

3: Fair.

2: So-So

1: Skip it.

The Sense of an Ending - 3

A man learns that the events in his past as he remembers them are not accurate. Stars Jim Broadbent. The first 2/3 of the movie is very slow, making the movie longer than it needs to be. Things pick up when Charlotte Rampling’s character enters the story in the last 1/3.

Keep Quiet – 4

Documentary. Subtitles. Anti-Semite Csanad Szebedi becomes vice president of Jobbik, Hungary’s far-right-political party, while still a young man. Then he discovers he’s Jewish. What does he do? He converts to Orthodox Judaism. Is he sincere? That’s the question most of this movie explores. Again, it’s longer than it needs to be and because it’s subtitled, it seems even longer. But it’s an interesting story.

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail – 4

Documentary. Mostly subtitles. A Chinese community bank in New York City’s Chinatown is charged with malfeasance, the only US bank prosecuted for mortgage fraud in the wake of the financial meltdown of 2008. The director obviously wants you to be outraged that this small bank was even charged.  Interesting story about a bank and the community it serves.

The Idol – 4

Subtitles. Based on actual events, this entertaining drama recounts how a young Gazan man won Arab Idol 2013, despite long odds. There’s no American music here so if you don’t like (or can’t tolerate) Middle Eastern music, you might want to skip.

J: Beyond Flamenco – 3

Subtitles, but mostly music and dance. From legendary Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, captures the vivacity of the jota, a waltz-like castanet dance with its origins in Saura’s home province of Aragon. This project is about Spanish culture and an effort to preserve dances like the jota.

The Wedding Plan – 4

Romantic comedy where an Orthodox Jewish woman refuses to cancel wedding arrangements after her fiancé bows out. She insists that God will supply her a husband. The story is really contrived so if you can suspend disbelief, it’s more enjoyable. However, sometimes I felt like slapping Michal (Noa Kooler) and telling her to wake up.

Truman – 5

Subtitles. Lifelong friends reconnect for a short visit when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer. This movie is sensitively written and acted.  Director Cesc Gay explores a fairly well-worn tale with touching depth that’s neither mawkish nor manipulative. (Truman, by the way, is a dog. And he’s fine at the end of the movie.)

Searchers – 1

Subtitles. Based on John Ford’s 1956 western The Searchers, this one takes place in the Canadian Arctic. An Inuk man and his son pursue marauders who have ransacked his home and stolen his wife and daughter. This is essentially a chase movie in the frozen north. The cinematography for this monochromatic film is beautiful, but, even at  94 minutes, it’s tedious.

Kati Kati – 2

Subtitles. A hunting lodge in the Kenyan wilderness, a stand-in for purgatory, houses recently deceased souls. By the end, it’s clear that salvation will come only to those who acknowledge the past and their roles in it. The main character, Kaleche, has amnesia and her confusion matches the audience. The scenes roll out like a stage play and the ending only makes sense long after the movie is over.