Thursday, January 29, 2009

'Slumdog Millionaire' Review


Dev Patel as Jamal in the film Slumdog Millionaire. Watch the trailer: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/slumdog-millionaire/31044/main
This movie has been getting great reviews and has won or been nominated for several awards. We had to see what's all the fuss over this small movie. Tuesday night we went to Bargain Night/$5 for an early showing. I was surprised to see the theater filled. I guess the publicity and word of mouth is stimulating viewer interest. We managed to find decent seats.
So how good is Slumdog Millionaire? Very good and better than I expected. At first I was turned off by the graphic depiction of poverty, crime, and cruelty in the slums of present day India but the story ends on a positive/feel good note. The plot concerns two young brothers, Jamal and Salim, whose mother is killed in an anti-Muslim riot. They meet an abandoned girl who moves in & out of their lives over the years. They learn to fend for themselves learning survival skills worthy of Dicken's Artful Dodger. This part of the story will remind you of Oliver Twist, only more cruel as they become wards of a supposedly friendly orphanage master who makes Fagin look like Bozo the Clown.
The story is told in two sets of flashbacks. Jamal becomes a contestant on India's version of TV's Who Want's To Be A Millionaire. The smarmy host's questions trigger memories that provoke the correct answers. When he's arrested for cheating after one session, more memories are revealed during his torturous interrogation. Jamal is released and returns to the show.
The razzle-dazzle editing is never distracting and there's some good Indian music (no traditional ragas but Bollywood pop) along the way. The dialogue is a mix of English and subtitles but don't let that shy you away from this movie. I predict Slumdog Millionaire will win the Oscar for Best Picture. As good as this movie is, I would never want to go to India.

No comments: