Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is the new film from Danny Boyle, director of such eclectic fare as the underappreciated sci-fi flick Sunshine, the zombie movie 28 Days Later, and the dark comedy Trainspotting. Slumdog Millionaire follows the story of Jamal Malik, a kid from the slums of Mumbai, as he competes on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. Suspected of cheating, we flashback to situations from his life that help him know the right answers.

Kinsey and I were both amazed by how good this movie was. Everything, from the directorial style to the soundtrack, effectively captured the aura of the story, creating an interesting and modern spin on the typical fairy tale/love story/rags-to-riches story. Its amazing how hopeful and uplifting a movie featuring torture, mob violence, and murder can be. The acting was competent (I think the movie featured a lot of nonactors or at least inexperienced actors) but the real star of the film is director Danny Boyle. Just his ability to make a feature-length film in the slums of one of the largest cities in the world is enough to justify that praise. But also the way he captures the feel of these places is really well done. The frenetic pace and handheld style of the images shot in the slums build layers of grit and tragic beauty that you can almost feel. At certain points you could almost say that he shows the slums in too beautiful a light, but that is quickly balanced by stark images of slum reality.

There are only a few small faults I can find with Slumdog Millionaire. One of them, and I've been struggling with this, is the way the film presents its story. The relationship between Jamal's life and the questions on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? seem a little too tidy at times, especially considering the last question. But once you appreciate this film as a fairy tale, that conceit gets easier to swallow. But, overall a wonderful film that I really recommend everyone see.

Wade: 4.5 stars Kinsey: 5 stars