Dev Patel Searches for Home in Oscar Contender ‘Lion’

Aryeh Harris-Shapiro

Dev Patel was introduced to mainstream film audiences in “Slumdog Millionaire,” which provided a perfect showcase for his combination of humor, vulnerability and intensity. In his recent “The Man Who Knew Infinity,” all eyes were on him even as he shared the screen with Jeremy Irons and Toby Jones. Patel and director Garth Davis stay on track with “Lion,” a true-story awards season contender that follows an adopted man seeking to reunite with his birth family.

Patel stars as Saroo Brierly, whose memoir is translated to the film. As a child, Brierly is separated from his family in Calcutta by accident and adopted by an Australian couple played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. Years later, after beginning to date an American classmate played by Rooney Mara, Brierly decides to return to India and find his long-lost mother and brother.

Early reviews of the film are mixed-to-positive, highlighting the emotional power of the film’s early scenes and Patel’s accomplished performance while acknowledging that watching him stare at computer screens during the film’s middle doesn’t make for particularly exciting viewing. This is director Davis’s first feature after directing many episodes of Jane Campion’s acclaimed series “Top of the Lake,” and most reviews praise his visual eye and his ability to find material in a fairly thin story. “Lion” has also been called Oscar bait by most critics, but although that term is often used dismissively, there’s nothing wrong with what it denotes. Lion may be yet another middlebrow awards-season contender predicated on the success of a central performance, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a well-made film or a moving experience.

Of course, the real question isn’t whether the movie is good, it’s whether it will find awards success for the Weinstein Co. This year’s contenders aren’t as numerous as last year’s, and Oscar pundits are predicting at least a Best Picture nomination for “Lion.” On the other hand, Davis likely won’t be nominated as director, and Patel himself might be left out in the cold – the Best Actor category is packed, and frontrunners are now Denzel Washington for “Fences” or Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea.” With any luck, “Lion” may leave a strong enough impression to propel its talented team to even greater heights.

“Lion” opens in limited release on Nov. 25.