EL SEGUNDO HERALD February 16, 2017 Page 7 Entertainment Film Review Check It Out Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford. SBA loans. Business credit lines. Cash management services. Commercial RE, construction and equipment loans. Ed Myska Senior Vice President 310.321.3285 emyska@grandpointbank.com 1960 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 1200 El Segundo, CA 90245 grandpointbank.com Five-Star Superior Rating by BauerFinancial In Heartwarming Lion, Destiny is Discovered By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com As its name implies, Lion is a dramatic and extraordinarily powerful film, now having been nominated for six Academy Awards. Directed by Garth Davis, Lion tells the incredible true story of five-yearold Saroo (Sunny Pawar) who, after being accidentally separated from his family in one of the world’s busiest cities, Kolkata, India, ends up over 1,000 miles away where he is later adopted by a loving couple in Australia. Two decades later and without even a last name to base his search on, his adulthood quest to discover his identity fuels an emotionally urgent and spiritual search for his true home. To see our quick video interview with the film’s star, Dev Patel, visit www.cinemacy.com. Based on the story A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, the film immediately tugs at our heartstrings by introducing us to young Saroo, played by newcomer Sunny Pawar, whose innocence and curiosity of the world bursts out of his large, doe eyes and small frame. After falling asleep on a moving train and traveling for an undocumented amount of time and distance, Saroo becomes a little boy lost in translation and environment who must survive in the threatening adult world amidst his confusion and isolation. Saroo’s fate is changed when he falls into the care of an orphanage and is quickly adopted by Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John Brierley (David Wenham). Years pass and Saroo, now in his late twenties (Dev Patel), is fully settled into life in Australia, taking college courses and in a steady relationship with Lucy (Rooney Mara). One night, sparked by a sudden and vivid flashback, Saroo decides that, with the help of Google Earth and only a handful of memories, he is ready to give all he has to find his childhood home and birth mother some 25 years later. Dev Patel’s Best Supporting Actor nomination is fully deserved in this role, as he brings the emotional crossroads that Saroo faces to life in an extraordinary measured performance. The complex emotions he balances of desperately wanting to find his birth family without wanting to hurt the feelings of his adoptive parents tip over when he can no longer hide his longing for answers to the life he once lived. Patel’s portrayal of battling this personally felt and complex family dynamic is resilient, industrious and confident – his story is a true hero’s journey. The world from five-year-old Saroo’s perspective is a big, scary place. Cinematographer Greig Fraser knows how to portray the feeling of being a small person in a big, overwhelming world in a very intimate way. Fraser, who had been working on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story simultaneous to Lion, uses his experience in the Star Wars universe to epically convey the feeling of a (no pun intended) “force” bigger than oneself. In the first half of the film, five-year-old Saroo is physically lost among the colorful and crowded streets of India. Yet in the second half, a now-older Saroo is emotionally lost, facing an identity-less and hopeless future that becomes the bleaker part of the film. In both instances, we feel the fevered and urgent energy pulsing from Saroo and the environments themselves, leading to a gripping climax and heart-filling ending. Lion has all of the elements that make up a great film: a phenomenal cast coupled with an impactful true story that leaves one with an optimistic outlook on life. While its emotional yearning can play a bit heavyhanded at times, Lion is an electrifying journey that creates a vast emotional scope on screen and, undoubtedly, an abundance of tears that will be hard to hide from your neighbor. Yes, I admit, I’m speaking from experience. Lion is rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sensuality. 118 minutes. Now playing in theaters. • Dev Patel in Lion. Courtesy of The Weinstein Company. Trombone Shorty By Troy Andrew and Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement By Carole Boston Weatherford. Reviewed by Katrena Woodson, Teen and Young Reader Librarian, El Segundo Public Library For this week, I will be reviewing a few picture books that are perfect reads for Black History Month. The first is an award-winning book titled Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier. Troy Andrews grew up in Treme in New Orleans, one of America’s oldest black neighborhoods where music is a major part of life and can be heard everywhere. In this autobiographical story, Troy tells about his life through his musical journey from playing on the streets to touring the world. He plays the trombone and started his first band at the age of six. Trombone Shorty is a very visually stimulating book as well as an extremely well-told story with heart. This is a story of a struggling musician and his triumphant ascent into a successful career that is bound to inspire young readers. This book is most suitable for readers ages four to eight. The second review is another award-winning picture book, Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford. This book is an illustrated biography that offers an expansive look at the civil rights movement. It focuses on a lesser-known voice from the civil rights movement, Fannie Lou Hamer. Many will have never heard of Hamer before reading this book and will likely be shocked and intrigued by her story. Hamer had humble beginnings as the 20th child of sharecroppers in Mississippi, yet her struggles to advocate for black rights reached not only local and state but national levels too. The book focuses on some painful truths and sheds light on the brutality of the fight for equal rights. Hamer’s determination and perseverance comes across on every page of this inspirational book. The quilted illustrations pair perfectly with the idea of the importance of community that Hamer valued so highly. It is a beautiful book with an extraordinary amount of information that is appropriate for young readers from 10-14 years of age. The El Segundo Public Library offers access to its collection of titles in a variety of formats, including traditional hardback, e-books and books on CD. To check out Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrew and Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, or any other title on your to-read list, please visit the library to apply for your library card, or please contact the reference staff for further assistance. • Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrew. Katrena Woodson.
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