The other review by Raja Sen has 5/5 stars..smthng wrong with Raja.. Ghajini 5 stars/ Now SDM 5 stars.. but no complaints.. :)
--- In [email protected], "Chord" <purev...@...> wrote: > > Too bad most of the world doesn't agree with rediff. > > > > --- In [email protected], Vithur <vithurm@> wrote: > > > > Blame it on the hype. > > > > The reviews -- mainly from the United Kingdom and the United States, > where > > the film was released first -- for *Slumdog Millionaire > > [Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=slumdog > > millionaire> > > ]* compete with each other in discovering superlatives. It is being > billed > > as *the movie* of the year gone by, and has catapulted its > protagonists Dev > > Patel and Freida Pinto into competing with Oscar heavyweights in > major award > > nominations. > > > > So expectation is par for the course, I hope you will agree. > > > > But after watching director Danny Boyle's attempt at encapsulating > the India > > story with a miraculous tale, I for one was majorly under-whelmed. > > > > Let me try to explain why. > > > > - *Also Read: Showcasing Slumdog > > Millionaire<http://www.rediff.com/movies/slumdog09.html> > > * > > > > And for those of you who want to watch the movie first unencumbered by > > premature knowledge of plot turning points, please click away to another > > page, because it is impossible to critique this particular film without > > giving away what classify as 'spoilers'. > > > > So where was I? The film. Do you remember a recent movie that had the > > tagline -- 'he was arrested for raping his daughter'? Well, > > *Under-trial<http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/09ut.htm> > > * too was based on 'real events'. > > > > The point I am trying to make is that a film about real events need > not end > > up real enough, or engaging enough. That is precisely what *Slumdog > > Millionaire* suffers from, IMHO. > > > > The premise is brimming with potential. A slum kid rises above fate to > > win *Kaun > > Banega Crorepati *-- the sets are ditto, as is the background music > for the > > show -- and the love of his life. He is helped by destiny, as each > of the > > questions on the quiz show is linked to an event in his life. Wow. > > > > But the execution falls very flat because of two basic flaws: The > language > > barrier, and a wishy washy story line. > > > > It starts off with Jamal Malik being given the 'third degree' in a > police > > station because the cops are sure the slum kid has cheated on the > game show. > > > > > > I agree custodial torture is not limited to Abu Ghraib. But what is not > > taken into account is the usual fall guy in 21st century India -- > the media. > > If a 'slumdog' -- as the police inspector (Irrfan Khan > > [Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=irrfan khan> > > ]) calls Jamal -- were to be poised to win Rs 20 million on *KBC* > and if the > > country knew it (as it does in *Slumdog*), I doubt he would be > subjected to > > any other grilling apart from that most profound of television > journalism > > questions: "*Aapko kaisa lag raha hai?*" (How are you feeling?). > > > > And if he was arrested for cheating, it would be an even bigger > story, with > > reporters grilling the police and PYTs (pretty young things) doing PTCs > > (piece to cameras, the bit where the reporter faces the camera and > signs off > > with usually insights like: 'What will happen next remains to be > seen. With > > cameraperson in Mumbai > > [Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=mumbai> > > ], , ') in front of Jamal's slum. > > > > Instead, Jamal narrates to the police inspector just how he knows > the answer > > to each question. > > > > So we flashback to him as child diving into potty -- isn't once enough, > > given that Boyle's gritty and edgy *Trainspotting *featured such a > > nauseating scene too? -- to get Amitabh Bachchan's > > [Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=amitabh > > bachchan> > > ] autograph. > > > > For all the Amitabh-crazed fans, maybe the megastar does oblige children > > caked in faeces; be sure to try it the next time. > > > > More such flashbacks reveal the scars life has inflicted on Jamal > and his > > brother Salim. The Bombay riots that orphaned Jamal; how he and his > brother > > Salim met Latika, the love of Jamal's life, as children; the > underworld don > > who has children's eyes gouged out so that they can earn more as > beggars; > > how Jamal and Salim escape him and land up in Agra > > [Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=agra> > > ]; how they come back; how Jamal and Salim and Latika are thrown > apart; and > > how, eventually, love conquers all. > > > > Again, fantastic -- and seemingly real -- premise; but shoddy > experience. > > > > For starters, the kids (who deliver heart-warming performances, > faring way > > better than those who play their adult avatars) and his brother speak in > > Hindi, and suddenly when they turn adolescent they start talking in > > *pucca*English. Huh? > > > > *Arre,* that's because the film is meant for a world audience, and > you can't > > have an entire film in subtitles, you might say. Fine, but then why > do the > > police officers have to speak 'Indian' English and why does the > 'slumdog' > > have an accent? > > > > And no, a semi-literate office help in a call centre does not develop an > > accent. > > > > In fact, a lot of the 'how he knows the answers' flashbacks are too > > contrived. Sample this, Jamal knows Samuel Colt invented the revolver > > because Salim got a gun -- it is never explained how -- and shot > dead the > > vile man who heads the beggars' racket. In my hometown, the pistol > goes by > > monikers like 'machine' in the netherworld; I doubt the average > underaged > > Mumbai underworld operative knows a Colt 45, or Samuel Colt. The > first gun > > is usually what is called a 'country' revolver. > > > > And then there is the stereotyped, half-baked, black and white > > characterisation, almost bar none. For example, Prem Kumar (Anil > Kapoor [ > > Images <http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=anil > kapoor>]), the > > *KBC *host, is the typical villain who taunts the *chaiwallah* on > his show; > > and the audience joins in with jeering laughter. Agreed, slum > children get > > life's rawest deal, but not on live television. More likely, sugary > > treatment on the show, and bitter backstage. > > > > It is also not explained just why Prem goes after Jamal with such > malice, > > beyond a muttered 'It's *my *show'. > > > > I can go on and on -- like point out that call centres serving > customers in > > Scotland don't keep telephone directories of Indian cities > accessible at the > > click of a button, and that mobile phones are not listed in telephone > > directories yet (that's how Jamal finds his brother again) -- but > the point > > is that *Slumdog Millionaire* is miles short of what I had expected > it to > > be. > > > > The really key events, the struggles of survival, are glossed over, and > > instead we get montage (albeit beautiful) shots hurrying towards a > climax > > that leaves you untouched. A R Rahman's music is good, but not the > master's > > best. But then, maybe on second hearing it will grow on you. > > > > But -- maybe it's just me -- you never really feel for the adult Jamal. > > Maybe it has something to do with the acting. > > > > I have no problems with the 'West' taking up themes of poverty and > > highlighting the real India. I can completely understand a foreigner > being > > obsessed with the filth and the poverty -- I too was stunned by the > plight > > of the homeless in New York -- of India. I thought *Slumdog *is > brilliantly > > shot, and I am willing to forgive Ram dressed as a mix between Shiva and > > Krishna in a foreign film. > > > > But I do have a problem with a story that pretends to be real when in > > reality it is just a *masala *film -- the kind we churn out by the > dozens in > > Bollywood. > > > > Yes, *Slumdog Millionaire *is just superficial fluff, mainly because > of its > > gaping plot holes. It should have been much better researched, and they > > really should have stuck to one language. > > > > Maybe the makers -- and half the world, apparently -- believe they have > > married Bollywood escapism with Western sensibilities, but it is not > a match > > made in cinema heaven. It is more along the lines of 1970s Bollywood > > tear-jerkers, the kind where the hero transforms from street urchin > to gang > > lord in one running shot and where long-lost brothers are reunited by > > tattoos. > > > > Blame it on the hype. > > > http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/09review-slumdog-millionaire- sumit.htm > > > > -- > > regards, > > Vithur > > >
