Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire
Where do I begin with this review? Going into the movie, I had tremendous expectations as friends, reviewers, and colleagues all heaped substantial praise upon the film. I’m happy to say, the film delivers on all fronts and definitely deserves the hype (and no doubt the forthcoming Oscars).
When I think about what makes a film good, I think about the technical aspects, things like acting, directing, cinematography, dialogue, music, and most importantly story. When I think about what makes a film great, I think about all the intangibles, things you can’t necessarily categorize. There are just certain things that make a film special that you can’t quite put your finger on. All the elements of the film come together to form a magnificent work of art.
Films like ‘Slumdog’ come along very rarely and when you have the opportunity to view this film, you had best not squander it. Slumdog Millionaire is a masterpiece and you owe it to yourself to see this film.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Fuses
Rated: R for some violence, disturbing images and language
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Drama
Theatrical Release: Nov 12, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $67,244,456
Synopsis: “British director Danny Boyle takes another intriguing career turn with this heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or “slumdog”) who has landed an appearance on India’s version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal’s story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a tightly woven story that has been expertly edited into shape. The contrast between Jamal’s upbringing and his chance of escaping it on the show are adeptly juxtaposed. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending succession of challenging situations. But the way Boyle ties together Jamal’s life experiences with his answers on the show is quite brilliant, and the film really does run the full gamut of emotions as we see him growing up, falling in love, coming close to death, and teetering on the brink of escaping from his terrible predicament. The film belongs to Boyle’s cast, who are mostly unknown outside of India. Patel, in particular, gives a startlingly mature performance that audiences are likely to remember long after the credits role on this affecting feature.”
Starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto
Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy
Producer: Christian Colson
Composer: A.R. Rahman
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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http://mseaview.blogspot.com Markus Seaberry
