Slumdog Millionaire

So, the academy awards are over and i have an exam early tomorrow morning. What better time to waste an hour and a half writing a movie review, right? For the record, it doesn't take me an hour and a half to think up what i'm writing (ed. whiny reader "it shows"), i just type painfully slowly.

Moving along, if you watched the academy awards this past sunday, i can only assume you have nothing better to do with ~5 hours of your life (i could say something dirty like "try touching yourself" but those jokes get old and 5 hours is an exceptionally long time), but i can also assume you got to see Slumdog Millionaire cleanup in half the categories, including a music category that had as its nominees two songs from Slumdog and one "other" - "Down to Earth" from WallE, which incidentally won best animated movie (called it!). You probably also got to see the "total surprise" of Heath Ledger winning best supporting actor (if you didn't predict that one coming, get your head checked).

Normally, i don't see the best picture movies until after the oscars (because i like hype backlash and being severely disappointed). But this time was different as i'd actually already SEEN the best picture winner and i have to say: it deserved it.

Slumdog Millionaire is characterized by a "rags to riches" story of a slumdog (ghetto urchin of india) and his journey through life along with his brother and another orphan girl. The movie was adapted from a book which i'm sure is better, but i probably won't read it (and neither will you, so don't even TRY to judge me on that). I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you're not retarded (it's a risk, i know!), so i can safely say "he also wins the million dollars" and you won't be surprised (if you are, slap yourself. HARD!).

The best thing about Slumdog is the WAY the story is told. The use of the game show to tell the story of the main character's life is actually very well done. While it's expected (by the characters, at least) that a lowly slumdog (Jamal) can't possibly know anything, the events of his life have lead him down a path of unique knowledge that just happens to pay off in spades later on... and as tacky as that sounds, from a literary standpoint, it actually works!

Now, like all movies, Slumdog Millionaire was required by law to have that romance story put into it. However, unlike most movies, the romance story actually seems to be an intricate part of the actual story and not some side-line element that's added in in a desperate attempt by executives to appeal to everyone in the world simultaneously (think action movie love stories).

Yes, Jamal spends his entire life (and hence the movie) pining for the woman of his dreams (the orphan girl, Latika, from his childhood), but it actually seems to evolve naturally from the story telling as opposed to just some random lust after a chicky who inexplicably works her way in and becomes the central piece of his life midway through.

What's more is that the love story itself is well developed and naturally touching. While you know in your heart of hearts that "everything will work out" (it's hol.... bollywood, after all), the barriers encountered along the way are largely believable.

The movie ends with everything coming up "Jamal" when he not only captures the 20 million rupee prize, but the girl of his dreams and the wonder of the nation in one fell swoop, nearly bringing this reviewer (and undoubtedly others in the audience) to tears "in the good way". The movie ends, as i'm sure all bollywood movies end, with the entire cast coming out to a dance number as the credits roll.

Now, as a critic, i'm OBLIGED to single out flaws and slander the movie for them as a result. However, there really isn't much out of place in this movie about spectacular odds and love conquering all. Even the acting was good! The child actors of india's slums seem to put the pampered rich child actors of hollywood to some sort of awful shame in this regard.

I guess the biggest thing that bothered me about the movie was the questions asked on the game show itself. Most of the questions asked (particularly in the latter half) were embarrassingly easy. I suppose the excuse used is that "it's india" and maybe the answers aren't that easy for people IN india, but that argument really doesn't fly all that well. I'm going to refrain from giving particular examples here, but suffice it to say that some trivia knowledge is pretty universal. The last question in particular is the sort of question you'd expect at ~1000$ level in the US version of the show. However, this is largely forgiven since the question (and answer) are very much plot derived and i'm sure anyone in the audience would know what the question is going to be long before the host even reads it out.

Anyways, i've purposely gone out of my way to be as vague about the movie as possible (probably because i'm a dick). But dick-hood aside, it's my hope that you will go out and see the movie yourself, since it is very much worth the admission price to see it in theatres even.

As a reviewer and writer, i give this movie a 5/5. Even though i've not seen all of 2008's movies, i agree with the academy: this is definitely one of the best.