Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

I mentioned  earlier that on my day off I went to see Slumdog Millionaire. I would highly recommend that you see this wonderful film.

I went into the movie with very high expectations. The director, Danny Boyle, was responsible for the movie Millions which I think was one of the best movies of the past decade. And over the past several years I have really enjoyed other Indian-themed movies, namely Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake.

Then, in the movie's opening minutes I have to confess that I got a bit nervous. The movie jumps into the think of things pretty quickly. It became clear that the premise involved Jamal, the main character, competing in the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and that the majority of the story would be told via flashbacks. I wasn't sure if that would work for me and I worried I hadn't had the time to invest in the characters.

But as the story and plot developed, working through the different questions Jamal answers and how he came to know the answers despite his education-less upbringing in Bombay's slums, I found myself swept away. The story is remarkable and yet somehow believable and it was certainly told beautifully.  The acting was also delightful, especially by Dev Patel, the leading actor.

The picture above, which has been widely used in the promotion of the film, kind of gives away the movie's ending: the lead does indeed get the girl. But as is often the case, giving away the ending isn't a problem because how the characters get there is what really matters.

What really impressed me about the movie was that it wasn't just about the guy getting the girl. It was about hope, and faith, and love conquering in the face of unbelievable odds. It was about familial love and our faltering attempts to overcome our own weaknesses in order to love better. It was about our failures and our desperate attempt to make things right again.

Some have also pointed out that this movie is coming to prominence just as Mumbai is dealing with the fallout of the recent terrorist attacks. I think the movie is a celebration of life, love and joy, and so in that sense it's the perfect antidote to the nihilism of violence. Yet another great reason to see this charming movie.