Slumdog Millionaire User Review

Slumdog Millionaire reviews

Rating

5/5

Author

dwchien

[ Profile | Reviews ]

Best thing

The kids, the love story, the brotherhood

Worst Thing

What was the marketing team thinking?!

Review

For those of you living in a Third World Country, this story isn�t so special � because you see it every day. But for those of us oblivious to how lucky we are not living in a Third World Country, this is one special, special film.

�Slumdog Millionaire� attempted to take the most clich� of love and brotherhood tales and reinvent this vehicle away from the 30-day day-time drama that is so popular outside of the English speaking countries. Director Danny Boyle succeeds with his style of coverage and editing, never committing to a third or first person narrative. He basically tells this story like the way your grandfather would � through his imagination.

The story begins with an 18-year-old Jamal, being tortured for allegedly cheating on the Indian version of �Who Wants to be a Millionaire�. He is one question away from winning the biggest prize money in television history � 20 million rupees. In trying to answer the officers� inquiry as to how he knew all the answers thus far, he tells the story of him and his older brother, Salim, and the girl he is searching for, Latika.

The plot shows Jamal and Salim in three different stages � young, middle and now. The young Jamal and Salim gave us why they were orphans, how they lived on the road, and how they came to know this little girl name Latika.

Through the slums of India, these �three musketeers� lived on the road until they were picked up by a local gangster. At this �gangster�s paradise� is where we learned how big a bond the two brothers had between them. Throughout the film we get the normal fights between the two brothers, but this is where we realized this film is just as much about the two brothers as it is about the love story.

Nothing breaks your heart more than to see children in peril, and this plot tells the story of these three children surviving what presumably is an every day event for all the children in these Third World Countries. Suddenly we, the viewers, are whisked away as guardian angels to make sure they are OK. We do so by caring about all three characters. Salim saves Jamal from the gangster but in doing so, loses Latika. Thus begins Jamal�s lifelong search of his first love.

The middle Jamal does find Latika. He and Salim are grown, working as thieves and street vendors. Through Jamal�s influence, the two gave up the life of crime in order for Jamal to find Latika. Unfortunately, two brothers, two paths. One takes the safe road to mediocrity, the other through the fast lane of hell. The �gangster� reference became Salim�s life, and Jamal, pure and straight-forward.

The final act of the plot takes us to why Jamal is even on this game show. He knew Latika would be watching. Does he win the show? Does he find Latika? The last 15 minutes are so emotion-filled that I can�t even begin to describe it.

What worked in �Slumdog Millionaire� is that all the actors are so real. Perhaps they weren�t really actors but basically took a moment from their real life and simply looked into the camera. That young Jamal is cute as a button. And the scene between him and young Latika when they first met is simply mesmerizing. Boyle, not known for love stories, perfectly instills �Latika�s Theme� whenever she would appear. I tell ya, we immediately knew what Jamal was feeling, and how agonizing it must be not to be with her.

The film is gloriously lit throughout every scene. Boyle is a master in angles to contemplate inner thoughts. Plus he knows how to pace this thing; I mean, this could very well have been a 3-hour tear jerker. Now I do need to warn you that arriving at the theater with your usual tub of popcorn and large Cherry Coke ain�t gonna cut it for this film. You�ll throw them away just 5 minutes into the story. The images of the state of these people are simply unbearable. But you need to get past that. Once the story gets to why they�re orphans, you should be hooked.

My only problem with this film is that the marketing team really failed to capture the magnitude of emotions in its campaign. I really didn�t see all the important elements that �Slumdog Millionaire� has to offer except that it is a tale of love. It is so much more than that. By the first glance of the now Jamal, I wouldn�t hear what he had to say even if you paid me. He�s not the best looking nor inviting fella in the world; plus he just looks like you want to beat the crap out of him for no particular reason at all. So to rely on his mug and the tag that he�s searching for true love?! This film could have easily out-sold �The Dark Knight� across the world. Don�t get me started on �The Dark Knight� � Gotham City is Chicago?! The best equipment he had to save someone was a Lamborghini?! What the fu*k is going on?!!?

�Slumdog Millionaire� dared to tackle the clich� themes of love, greed and brotherhood and weaved it wondrously through this fast-pace, MTV-style of 21st Century cinema. A heart-felt congratulation to all involved for being the big winner on Oscar night. A well-deserved and fitting representative of the films of 2008.

Date reviewed