Is Slumdog Millionaire the movie it’s hyped up to be? It won Best Motion Picture and every newspaper and magazine has raved about it. But, is it really all that great? Well, let’s see…
Uneducated slum kid Jamal Malik is going for the 20 million rupees (one million dollar) question on India’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Who will be watching? A. The whole of India? B. Destiny? C. You? D. All the above? Final answer: …
D.
Slumdog Millionaire is a stunning masterpiece and the must see movie of the year. Set in modern India, this fairy tale story of romance is brutally realistic with wealth in poverty, abuse in prestige, and betrayal in family. Filmed in an explosion of color and sound, Slumdog is an instant classic.
Based on Q&A, a book by Vikas Swarup, director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later and Millions) comes together with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty) and composer A.R. Rahman to bring Slumdog to life. And by winning best motion picture, it’s clear Boyle succeeded in making this movie a powerful masterpiece.
We meet Jamal (Dev Petal) as he’s being brutally questioned by the police who think he’s a fraud. How can an uneducated slum kid reach the 20 million rupees question when lawyers and doctors couldn’t? The answer is surprisingly simple: his life. And what a life Jamal has lived.
Orphaned by anti-Muslim rioters, Jamal, Salim (Madhur Mittal), the wild older brother, and Latika (Frieda Pinto), Jamal’s beloved, take the world on by themselves. Every incident, from escaping the police as kids to panhandling for adults to working as “tour guides” at Mumbai palaces, gives Jamal his answers.
True to form the adults of the film aren’t so apt to believe in Jamal’s luck. Police inspector (Irrfan Khan) and the show’s host (Anil Kapoor) will discover the truth behind Jamal’s answers before he returns for the 20 million rupees question.
No worries though, this gritty, honest, and visually eye-popping film is no cheat. Slumdog Millionaire hits hard and true and won’t be forgotten any time soon.
15/04/2009 at 2:05 pm Permalink
I really think it’s interesting how America reacted to this film. I really did love this film and I was fortunate enough to go to the Austin Film Festival this past fall and see Danny Boyle speak. I hadn’t seen Slumdog yet, but he said he made it to challenge himself because it’s unlike anything he’s ever done. I appreciate that in a director because I think too often they get sucked into genres that they are making big money in. He took a risk with Slumdog and look how it turned out. Eight Oscars anyone?