Film: Slumdog Millionaire

STARRING: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Irfan Khan, Anil Kapoor
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Millions, 28 Days Later)
WRITER: Simon Beaufoy (Full Monty, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)
PLOT: Jamal, a boy from the slums is accused of cheated on Who Wants the be a Millionaire. Flashbacks of his life show how he got the answers and we see his real reason for being on the show.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS
4 This is the ultimate underdog story, but not in a cheesy sports movie way. Because of the hardships experienced, the love lost, the family torn and the unwavering desire for a better life, the audience is rooting for Jamal from beginning to end. Sometimes even vocally. This is an inspirational tale that shows that love is greater than money. It was truly uplifting.
4The characters and the actors who played them pull you into the movie almost immediately. Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the youngest Jamal is so endearing, you almost want to take him home with you. The child acting, in particular, is nothing short of superb. It probably helped that I didn’t recognize a single actor in the cast; as I found I was easily able to lose myself in their rich performances.
4 The cinematography and editing was captivating. Danny Boyle finds beauty everywhere, even in the slums of India. He also makes great use of the dutch angle (camera tilted almost 45 degrees), especially in a scene where Jamal gives a beggar child a large donation. Slumdog Millionaire is visually stimulating.
4 The driving soundtrack kept my heart pounding. Great song/music choices. One of the opening songs used for a chase sequence was so Trainspotting that I had a big smile on my face the whole time.
4 Even the subtitles were well done! They had color behind them and could be found in different places on the screen. I’m tired of the plain yellow subtitles at the bottom and testing my peripheral vision.

RECOMMENDATION
See it in the Theatre (this has Oscar written all over it!)

COMING SOON
Film review of Milk