Slumdog Millionaire (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Don't let the bizarre title scare you, I highly recommend seeing 'Slumdog Millionaire', directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine). The film tells the story of how impoverished Indian teenager Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) became a contestant on India's version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. But $$ is not what he seeks. Rather, the show is a sort of high-profile platform for him to rediscover the love of his life, Latika (Freida Pinto). Amazingly, he finds himself winning tons of prize money as he keeps answering difficult questions. Without any formal education, how can he know the answers? And how will his newfound knowledge get him closer to the girl he loves? This movie is a triumph of the human spirit. A joy. Well, not the slum parts. I'll explain ...
We're introduced to Jamal & his older brother Salim at a very young age. A poor boy from the slums of Mumbai, Jamal never could he imagine that he'd one day be sitting across from Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), the smug, semi-devious host of India's version of 'Millionaire'. Improbably, Jamal is able to answer nearly every question (using the occasional lifeline for the few he doesn't know). Upon receiving the final question worth 20,000,000 rupees, the episode runs out of time & will return the next day. Suspicious that this lowly slumdog is cheating, Jamal is hauled off for "questioning". After being tortured (difficult to sit through, folks ... but stay the course.), he explains to the head of police (Irfan Khan) 'how' he knew the answers. This results in flashbacks that cut in & out of the story; flashbacks designed to show just how he knew all the answers ... because by freak chance, he lived them.
We bear witness to 2 recurring characters in Jamal's young life: his violent brother Salim, & Latika (all played by an array of wonderful child actors). After having faced some adolescent horrors in the slums, the 3 labeled each other the '3 Musketeers'. After a scary sequence where some men attempt to blind them (and use them to sing on the streets for pity money), they are torn apart from each other. Years go by & Jamal is still hung up on Latika. They're able to re-connect. But circumstances tear them apart over & over again. One thing he can take away from their short-lived meetings ... Latika is an ardent fan of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. Watching his miserable life situations unfold (coinciding with the questions asked of him during the game show) is intoxicating. But 'Slumdog Millionaire' is more about the love story btwn. the dough-eyed Jamal & his Indian beauty, Latika. Will he win the big money? Can they be reunited?
The 1st thing I'd like to talk about is the difficult-to-swallow images we see throughout the film. Slumdog begins with such a hard edge that it's nearly impossible to believe that the movie ends on such a victorious note. It does. So, as I mentioned before, stay the course, and you shall be rewarded; as our protagonists also are. Jamal has to face a plethora of obstacles throughout his young life. And it's these obstacles that mold him into the young man he is while sitting on the game show soundstage. Vulnerable, honorable, humbled, & heartsick, we want nothing but success for Jamal. I give full credit to Dev Patel for laying down one Hell of a performance. And it's easy to see why he longs for Latika; Freida Pinto is beguiling. On a technical level, the film offers stunning, colorful cinematography, scintillating editing sequences, & a thumping, driving musical score that I want to buy immediately.
Though there are scenes involving excrement, death, & violence ... a good deal of Slumdog is funny, as well. i.e., 1) a massive Indian call bank where customer service operators try to convince European callers that they are, in fact, not in India. And 2) a glorious Bollywood song-&-dance number which occurs at the end credits. I commend Danny Boyle for immersing us in such an original (though, straightforward) narrative. It's rare to find a film that is both beautiful & ugly, fun & scary, heartbreaking & joyful. I found it difficult, at times, to understand all the dialogue (from some heavily-accented actors). And though India is shown in all her splendor (Taj Mahal), we also cringe at her impoverished society. That said, most people go to the movies for an escape. With a passionate love story, action-packed drama, & a momentous feel-good ending, 'Slumdog Millionaire' offers that 'escape' in spades.
We're introduced to Jamal & his older brother Salim at a very young age. A poor boy from the slums of Mumbai, Jamal never could he imagine that he'd one day be sitting across from Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), the smug, semi-devious host of India's version of 'Millionaire'. Improbably, Jamal is able to answer nearly every question (using the occasional lifeline for the few he doesn't know). Upon receiving the final question worth 20,000,000 rupees, the episode runs out of time & will return the next day. Suspicious that this lowly slumdog is cheating, Jamal is hauled off for "questioning". After being tortured (difficult to sit through, folks ... but stay the course.), he explains to the head of police (Irfan Khan) 'how' he knew the answers. This results in flashbacks that cut in & out of the story; flashbacks designed to show just how he knew all the answers ... because by freak chance, he lived them.
We bear witness to 2 recurring characters in Jamal's young life: his violent brother Salim, & Latika (all played by an array of wonderful child actors). After having faced some adolescent horrors in the slums, the 3 labeled each other the '3 Musketeers'. After a scary sequence where some men attempt to blind them (and use them to sing on the streets for pity money), they are torn apart from each other. Years go by & Jamal is still hung up on Latika. They're able to re-connect. But circumstances tear them apart over & over again. One thing he can take away from their short-lived meetings ... Latika is an ardent fan of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. Watching his miserable life situations unfold (coinciding with the questions asked of him during the game show) is intoxicating. But 'Slumdog Millionaire' is more about the love story btwn. the dough-eyed Jamal & his Indian beauty, Latika. Will he win the big money? Can they be reunited?
The 1st thing I'd like to talk about is the difficult-to-swallow images we see throughout the film. Slumdog begins with such a hard edge that it's nearly impossible to believe that the movie ends on such a victorious note. It does. So, as I mentioned before, stay the course, and you shall be rewarded; as our protagonists also are. Jamal has to face a plethora of obstacles throughout his young life. And it's these obstacles that mold him into the young man he is while sitting on the game show soundstage. Vulnerable, honorable, humbled, & heartsick, we want nothing but success for Jamal. I give full credit to Dev Patel for laying down one Hell of a performance. And it's easy to see why he longs for Latika; Freida Pinto is beguiling. On a technical level, the film offers stunning, colorful cinematography, scintillating editing sequences, & a thumping, driving musical score that I want to buy immediately.
Though there are scenes involving excrement, death, & violence ... a good deal of Slumdog is funny, as well. i.e., 1) a massive Indian call bank where customer service operators try to convince European callers that they are, in fact, not in India. And 2) a glorious Bollywood song-&-dance number which occurs at the end credits. I commend Danny Boyle for immersing us in such an original (though, straightforward) narrative. It's rare to find a film that is both beautiful & ugly, fun & scary, heartbreaking & joyful. I found it difficult, at times, to understand all the dialogue (from some heavily-accented actors). And though India is shown in all her splendor (Taj Mahal), we also cringe at her impoverished society. That said, most people go to the movies for an escape. With a passionate love story, action-packed drama, & a momentous feel-good ending, 'Slumdog Millionaire' offers that 'escape' in spades.