Lion

THE GIST: Five-year-old Saroo's family lives in poverty, but they're tightly knit and overall happy. One night, waiting on his older brother at the train station where he works, Saroo falls asleep in a train car and wakes up in Calcutta, over a thousand miles away. He doesn't speak the local language and can't explain where he's from, so he's eventually brought to an orphanage. One day, he's adopted by a loving Australian couple, and grows up in Tasmania. As an adult, he starts searching for his Indian family.

Lion tells a very interesting and heart-wrenching story that is all the more powerful for being based on real events.

Dev Patel does a good job in the role of adult Saroo, flanked by the always great Nicole Kidman as the adoptive mother. Overall, the entire cast of mostly Indian names, unknown to Western audiences, is spot on.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I'm always drawn to dramatizations of true stories, not sure why. This one doesn't disappoint at all, and along with the drama it has some lighthearted moments that only endear it further.

Grade: 7.5