Lion

I would be lion if I said I didn't tear up during this movie.

I judge movies by how much I forgot to think when I'm watching them. That probably makes no sense but basically good movie experiences are those where I just lose myself.

I loved this movie so much.

Some spoiler free fun facts about Lion:

1. Garth Davis (director) is actually a lion

Look at him:

1.1 He directed the weird tongue beer commercial back in 2004

1.2 This is the first feature film he has directed

He was watching the audience at research screenings and noticed that "there are people that start crying from the very beginning, there's people that start crying when he's adopted, so there's all these different types of criers, and then there's people that hold on to the bitter end then they finally give in."

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(me)

1.3 He's directing Mary Magdalene (2018) which reunites him with Rooney Mara YASS GAGA YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

“Rooney’s raw, brave approach to performances, coupled with her deeply magnetic inner life, holds all the dimensions needed to bring to life one of history’s most misunderstood woman — Mary Magdalene,” said Davis. “Having worked with Rooney on Lion, I know she is a once in a lifetime talent.”

Not Lion related but Rooney was fired from a job (the only time) because she had "too much inner life". 

2. Dev Patel spent 8 MONTHS prepping for the role

He spent 8 months perfecting his Aussie accent with a dialect coach over Skype. He also went to India 3 weeks before the shoot to travel on the trains by himself and wrote a diary of his experiences.

His accent is really fucking good btw haters gonna hate

2.1 The first scene he filmed was the last scene in the movie 

Can you even imagine having to get into that emotional space on the first day of filming rip - yes it was THAT scene.

Garth Davis goes, "I'm really sorry Dev. But his complete panic attack was used. I said, "it's good that you're feeling like this! This is how Saroo would be feeling!""

3. Nicole Kidman has an adopted son and daughter with Tom Cruise. 

According to Dev, "I was just watching her, and there was no acting....she was really acting from the gut because a lot of this film mirrors her real life. She has adopted children so for her there's a real personal connection to the material."

tbh I thought she was actually amazing in this especially in the scene when she's sitting in that chair by the window I WAS SO CLOSE TO TEARS THE WOMAN NEXT TO ME WAS LIKE WIPING THEM AWAY EVERY 5 SECONDS

3.1 She took painting lessons

I don't remember her painting anything in the movie though did she??

4. Garth made Dev and Rooney play ice breaker games

Including but not limited to:

- 36 questions to make you fall in you love

- act out a scenario as monkeys

- outline each other then paint pictures inside the outlines depicting what they think of the other person

• Rooney drew a bleeding heart for Dev ??? why you always gotta be so dark
• Dev drew a growing tree for Rooney x

tbh they cuter irl than they are in the movie cus their movie relo was strange af

4.1 The scene that scared Rooney (& Dev) the most was the rave/dancing scene so they got really drunk for it

“I try to avoid playing the girlfriend part in movies, but I’ve done it a few times when it’s been a story I want to support telling... and this was such a lovely story.” x 

5. Sunny (the kid who plays young Saroo) always had a translator with him because he couldn't speak English

5.1 Lion was the first Western movie Sunny had EVER seen and "it blew his mind"

Soooooooooooooo cute omfg

5.2 Sunny was picked from over 2,000 kids across India 

Garth: "For me, when I’m looking at all the kids, anyone who kind of touched that place in me, I thought we were getting close. But it was never a bull's-eye, really, until one day, this little Sunny came into the room and he was kind of pretty instant for me.

"As soon as I saw him, he just felt like the kid that I’d been imagining and feeling, and then we got him into the rehearsal space and I put a camera on him. I just felt like we were watching our movie."

In conclusion, therefore, finally, thus, all things considered, I implore you to go watch Lion. It is beautiful it is magical it is heartwarming it is all things good in the world. Also bring some tissues.

******

Ok back to my very mundane existence that is filled with none of the bravery, heartache nor adventure that makes up Lion...

When you see a fucking cricket on the wall and decide to be merciful because what did the cricket ever do to you then 5 minutes later it jumps onto the armrest next to your arm and you get jumpscared so bad your heart is going like fucking whiplash drums.

I just killed the cricket. 

So yes as you can probably tell I went with Amy, Feng and FD to watch Lion today with free tickets from ShowFilmFirst AUS. They were all so reluctant to watch this (why?? cus Rooney Mara's a poreless goddess ok I'm sorry?? cus the tickets were free?? cus I wanted to watch it AND NO ONE LIKES WHAT SERENA LIKES???). We had dinner with Mei beforehand at Naruone. Beef bulgogi stew so goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood omfg.

It is now 3:30am I feel like today has been well spent I'm content with life.

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