My generally dubious mental health this week has lead me to not want to go out, or to be fair, to do much at all. It turns out that a night at the cinema was a good idea.

I knew nothing about “Lion“, apart from that my friend wanted to see it. Oh my goodness, what a film.

At the opening credits we learnt that this film is rated PG. Thank the lord I didn’t think of taking my daughter to it. Presumably they simply look at violence and sex levels and grade accordingly – not thinking about the emotional upheaval watching something like this could do to a child. She worries enough about every day without taking on the tragedy of Indian slums and children going missing as well.

This is a story of a little boy lost and Sunny Pawar is by far the most amazing child actor I’ve ever seen. What with him and the beautiful Dev Patel it was destined to be good. But I had no idea how epic the real life story was, or how emotional I would find his journey. Saroo begins his life in India, and through a series of frightening and upsetting moments find new parents in Australia, leaving his home behind him. He is loved and wanted but something is missing so he sets off on another journey to find what he has lost.

We joked afterwards that maybe a comedy would have been more appropriate in the light of my general low mood, but actually no. This was the right thing. A clever, engaging, heartbreaking and heartwarming story that helped me put some things in order in my head.

Incredible, and so so affecting. I’m still feeling emotional about the story this morning. So so good.