Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
By Shane Rivers
Danny Boyle, the talented British director, debuted with 1994’s crime-thriller Shallow Grave. Since then, he’s become something of a cinematic chameleon, able to blend into any movie genre with ease. There was 1996’s drug-addled Trainspotting; 2002’s horror flick 28 Days Later, often credited with revitalizing the zombie film; Sunshine, a highly original sci-fi effort from 2007; and a handful of others. This time around, Boyle sets his sights on a drama based in India, and the resulting product is the acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire, a film which manages to inspire and entertain with good-old-fashioned storytelling.
The film begins with Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) just one correct answer away from winning the top prize on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. But because he’s a poor boy from the Juhu slums, the show’s host, Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), suspects him of cheating. Jamal is grabbed by the police and subjected to torture, but he maintains that he knew the answers all along. When a police inspector (Irrfan Khan) wants details, Jamal begins to tell the story of how events in his life led him to his present situation. The rest of the film jumps around in time, and several actors are used to portray Jamal at various stages of his life–the same goes for his volatile brother Salim and his true love, Latika (Freida Pinto).
An excellent cast of actors helps Slumdog Millionaire achieve its success, and Dev Patel benefits from a script which allows his character to display a broad emotional palette. While he’s usually a humble, keep-his-head-down kind of guy, he becomes something else entirely when someone threatens or insults his precious Latika. The younger versions of Jamal, Salim and Latika also get plenty of dramatic opportunities, as their lives are marked by constant hunger, poverty, and the threat of unsavory adults (including a creepy turn from Ankur Vikal).
I especially enjoyed Ankil Kapoor as the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He claims to have escaped from the slums himself, but he’s less-than-supportive of Jamal’s efforts to do so. When the camera is on, however, he’s the picture of oily game show charm. Having once worked in the television industry, this double personality is one I know all too well.
The film’s original score by A.R. Rahman also stands out, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the jaunty soundtrack from Bend It Like Beckham. Even when a lead character is diving into a pool of human feces, the music remains upbeat and filled with hope. Modern Indian music has more toe-tapping potential than I would’ve imagined, but I’m sure anyone familiar with Bollywood cinema won’t be at all surprised. Looks like I need to broaden my world music horizons.
The idea that Jamal’s life experiences allow him to become a millionaire by answering trivia questions is pretty thin; in fact, some might find it downright ridiculous. But since the premise is presented to us from the beginning for the film, it allows the audience to accept the notion and suspend the appropriate level of disbelief. If this fact had been revealed later in the movie, however, I don’t think it would’ve worked at all.
Slumdog Millionaire is the latest in a long string of solid efforts by Danny Boyle. Given the film’s success at the box office and on various award shows, it certainly won’t be the last. If nothing else, the next time you call a company’s customer service line, it’ll give you something to talk about with the person on the other end of the phone.
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This Slumdog Millionaire movie review is copyright 2009 Small World Marketing and Shane Rivers. This Slumdog Millionaire review should not be reprinted without the permission of the copyright holders.
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[...] Slumdog Millionaire – When a young man from India finds success on the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, it draws the suspicion of both the local cops and the show’s slimy host. How could a person of such humble origins know the answers to such difficult questions? As the story unfolds, we learn the answers in a series of inspiring and heart-wrenching flashbacks. The biggest Oscar winner from 2008, it stars the distractingly beautiful Freida Pinto. [...]