January 27th, 2009
By Divina
It has been a long long time since I saw a movie that made me run out and tell everyone I met to go see the movie. It has been an even longer time since I have been happy to pay full price on a movie ticket.
Slumdog Millionaire is that movie.
Slumdog Millionaire is about Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) a poor street kid with almost no education who goes on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire”. He is not there to win millions of much needed rupees, but to be seen by the girl of his dreams, Latika (Freida Pinto), because he knows she will be watching.
Yes it’s a love story but it’s also a comedy and a very dramatic representation of India.
The director Danny Boyle is a true cinematic storyteller, who doesn’t remember Trainspotting? (Am I the only one who has flash backs on that baby scene?) In Slumdog Millionaire, he takes the viewer on a tour of India. We see the beauty, the violence, the poverty, the corruption and the happiness of India. So yes, the cinematography was amazing in this movie.
Danny Boyle also gives us the opportunity to experience the lives of Jamal and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), but this is not a simple linear story but rather an excellent tapestry as the story comes alive through various flashbacks.
Poverty isn’t the only thing holding Jamal back. While Jamal is having an amazing winning run on the show, the show’s producers don’t believe some illiterate goffer for a Indian phone company can possibly know the answers to their questions, so they call on the police to interrogate him to see if he is cheating. After a night of torture and interrogation, Jamal tells the Police Inspector (Irfan Khan) question by question how living as a slum dog in Mumbai has taught him the answers to the questions.
Question by question, we see Jamal, Salim and Latika, lose their family, love and almost their lives, they survive all the challenges and most importantly grow up. The movie only takes place for Jamal from ages 5 to about 18. The boys’ struggles lead the viewer through some of the profound experiences that life has to offer and we cry, love and laugh along with them.
The three main adult characters that portray Jamal, Salim and Latika are so talented. I have no idea if they are famous actors in Bollywood but they shine in Slumdog Millionaire.
So yes, go see this movie even if you have to pay the full adult movie price. Slumdog Millionaire is up for multiple Oscars like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screen Play etc. and already won countless domestic and international awards. So go check out and see if what the fuss is about. Trust me it is worth your $10.50 and stay until the end of the credits for a full cast dance that is the signature of most Bollywood films.
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