Slumdog
Millionaire,
a favorite pick at the academy awards, was so incredible that I was
overwhelmed by awe both times I saw it. From start to finish the
movie is a magnum opus. Not only is the acting and cinematography
splendid, it also manages to pull off just about every genre, from
action and drama to comedy and romance, magnificently! I did find one
snag in the film, but it is not enough to take away any of the
veneration this movie greatly deserves.
The
story opens with Jamal Malik (Patel), an introvert and love driven
boy, being tortured by the cops. Jamal was suspected of cheating in
the Indian equivalent of
Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire,
for he had made it to the point where he was one question away from
winning the top prize of twenty million rupees. This was a problem
due to his age and background. Jamal is in his late teens to early
twenties and works at a service center, so how is it possible that he
knew all the answers? The cops, after failing to torture the “truth”
out of him, opt to question each and every one of his answers to
figure out how he knew them. What ensues is a journey through Jamal’s
childhood. Each question that was asked during
Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire
corresponded to voyages and hardships he and his brother Salim
(Mittal) faced as youngsters, growing up as poor slumdogs in Mumbai.
Furthermore, a romance involving Latika (Pinto), the gorgeous,
careworn love interest, unfolds within the aforementioned excursion
through Jamal’s past.

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The
story is riveting and rich not only due to the incorporation of all
different genres, but how seamlessly it was able to hurl you through
the ever-changing film categories. Without a moment's rest, the movie
takes your heart and yanks it through all possible emotional states.
As well, I loved the themes that were integrated into the film, such
as love and war. While both brothers were well equipped with street
smarts, the ways in which they acted were day and night. Salim was
more forceful. He used anger, violence and fear mongering to
establish his place on the survival chain. Jamal, being the polar
opposite, opted to compassion and love as a driving force.
The
actors chosen to play each character as they grew were right on the
ball. Each actor looked so much like the character they were playing
that I could have easily believed that this movie was filmed over a
span of eighteen years. The acting was just as splendid. Dev Patel,
the recluse, smart, love struck protagonist was astounding. His love
for Latika was so real and powerful. Every time she left or was taken
away you could see his heart breaking, and when she came back, he
would light up. In fact, all of his emotional responses throughout
the film were magnificent. All the other actors were great as well; I
have nothing negative to say about any of them. Even the younger,
adorable versions of the characters, whom I’d expected to be rather
poor acting wise, were splendid to watch.

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Moreover,
the musical arrangement in this film was perfect. Though it was
mostly upbeat, to keep with the pacing of the film, the music added
greatly to the heart racing intensity of this film. The songs that
were chosen perfectly complemented the scenes they were assigned to.
Unfortunately,
there was one issue that kind of bothered me. There was a point where
the pre-teen brothers, after being tossed off a train, start giving
tours of the Taj Mahal to English speaking tourists. There is no
point where we see the boys learning or ever talking the language, so
how are they all of a sudden giving tours in fluent English? They are
slumdogs, the bottom of the social and economic barrel, living with
people in the same situation, and they somehow managed to learn
English. Maybe they did learn the language, but it never showed me
where or when.
I
am usually not such a fan of movies with subtitles, as I prefer to
watch a movie rather than read it, but this one was so amazing that I
completely overlooked that little factoid. You will be thrown on an
emotional, romantic, action packed thrill ride, but by the end you
will be smiling from ear to ear.
9.5/10