Slumdog Millionaire
Written by Lex Walker
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Visual: 10.0
Audio: 10.0
Acting: 9.0
Writing: 9.0
Overall: 10.0
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Mia Drake, Anil Kapoor
Director(s): Danny Boyle
Writer(s): Simon Beaufoy
Genre: Adventure • Comedy • Drama • Indie • Romance
Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/
Release Date: November 12, 2008
Rated:
When people ask me if I think they'll like a movie, I usually ask
them what they like so I have context for my answer. With that said,
trust that I do not say the following lightly. The beauty of Danny
Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire lies in its universal appeal; an
appeal achieved without sacrificing cinematic brilliance, visual style
and a genuinely invigorating soundtrack. Slumdog Millionaire is for everyone,
everywhere of every age. The fact that it's rated R is
- a downright crime - and due to two instances of somewhat rough
brutalism. Beyond that, Slumdog Millionaire invokes a wonder
for a life well-lived; a life lived for more than money, fame or
success. This should be remembered as 2008's best film.
Jamal Malik's life could never be defined as easy. Orphaned at an
early age by an anti-Muslim riot, Jamal and his brother make their way
between a Fagan-like caretaker, stints as impromptu tour guides at the
Taj Mahal and beyond. Along the way they befriend a girl, Latika, whose
path converges and diverges with their own due to circumstances beyond
Jamal's control. But through it all, due to both the plot's sometimes
cheesy circumstances yet equally brilliant construction, the story of
Jamal and Latika presents the most compelling and heart wrenching story
the cinema's seen all year long.
This brings us to the present, wherein Jamal hangs by his hands in an abandoned
complex getting the Lethal Weapon shock treatment. Why? Because his recent
appearance on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire has captured the
imagination of everyone in India after he's
successfully reached the final question. While this may sound less
impressive to the American audience, the Indian Who Wants to be a Millionaire's
notoriety comes from stumping even the most educated men and women who
dare to take a place in the hot seat. So needless to say an uneducated
Slumdog making it all the way to the final round has more than just a
few people suspicious of his success - thus the rather brutal
interrogation. As the officer in charge traces Jamal's success question
by question we're shown his life story as it pertains to the answer of
each question. Questions which bring him ever closer to gaining the
attention of Latika, one of the show's many devoted fans.
In anyone else's hands the game show mechanism would have come
across as cheap and empty - but with such a strong story and
performances behind it, Slumdog Millionaire becomes a
narrative triumph. The evolution of the three main characters becomes
even more impressive when you take into consideration that each was
competently, and at times superbly, acted by three different child
actors to show their age progression. Each of these child actors, save
for the oldest, present day, incarnations can claim Slumdog Millionaire as
their first serious role - which will simply blow your mind when you
see how beautifully they all perform (especially the youngest of the
cast, unbelievable). The performances of greatest import undeniably
come from Dev Patel and Freida Pinto who take the story of matured
lovers with fate blocking every turn and make it more than just
believable - they force you to connect.
Like Trainspotting and all of Danny Boyle's films, Slumdog is equal parts audio
and visual. When aerial shots of chases through
dingy India streets aren't jarring your mind with a perspective that
lends context to the potential insignificance of any and all stories
that can happen in India - the audio will kick your ass. Slumdog Millionaire
takes the seemingly average story of seemingly average urchins and
shows how extraordinary their circumstances become through something as
simple as pure, unbridled desire to live a life beyond their means. The
camera work keeps the viewer bouncing from each equally intense and
entertaining scenario. The soundtrack, in typical Danny Boyle fashion,
gives the film a vibrance that at times will put a smile on your face
guaranteed. Just as Trainspotting was as much about its soundtrack (which is
why it was released on two separate discs) as it was about the video, Slumdog
Millionaire takes that setup and puts it in a vehicle with a subject matter much
more audience friendly (no heroine and no dead heroine babies on the
ceiling).
Slumdog Millionaire actually makes audiences stand up and
clap. Not in that cheesy way that parents will do at a Disney movie to
make their kids smile - it genuinely sparks a reaction from the deepest
parts of humanity and triggers something real. Oh...and the awesome
Bollywood dance number during the credits doesn't hurt either.
If Benjamin Button didn't exist - I'd tell you right here and now that Slumdog
Millionaire will win the Best Picture Academy Award. It still probably will;
Benjamin Button just
makes it slightly less certain. That should be all the reason you need
to go out and see it - because for once it'll be nice to have seen the
small limited release flick before people start making a big deal about
it. This is a truly great cinematic experience; you owe it to yourself
to see Slumdog Millionaire.
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