Review: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Travis:

Holy crap! This movie surprised the Hell out of me! I knew this movie was likely going to be good, based simply on the other reviews I’d read and the fact that it’s directed by Danny Boyle. What I didn’t expect was the type of movie I would experience once I planted myself down into the seat. It’s kind of a tough break, as I am still a staunch supporter of ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ for Best Picture, but no other film came close to being a serious competitor than this, and I may even go against the grain and separate my picks for Best Picture/Director based on my seeing ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

Danny Boyle (‘Trainspotting’, ‘Sunshine’) is right up there with Darren Aronofsky as one of my top favorite directors working right now that I think are just starting to tap into what they’re potentially capable of. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is Boyle’s newest film, having made huge waves with festival audiences worldwide, the marketing thus far for the film I’ve found doesn’t really give a clear picture of what this story is all about. This is a smart move though, because as an audience we enter the theatre with a very vague, even slightly misleading, notion of what we’re about to see and then it hits us like a ton of bricks. The story follows two Indian brothers as they grow up from young boys into young men. These two brothers are from the slums of India, an area sullied with filth, crime, corruption, violence and pollution. The massive community of ramshackle shacks are deeply rooted in poverty and the children must endure attacks between rival religious sects, unsanitary living conditions, abusive law enforcement officers and the constant risk of being abducted for use as beggars or even prostitutes by organized crime syndicates.

The two brothers, Jamal and Salim, have a very different outlook on life and their potential futures from a very early age. Salim, the older of the two brothers, is ambitious and opportunistic. He looks at the world as his for the taking so long as he’s willing to do whatever is necessary. Jamal, on the other hand, is a simpler boy in the sense that he only wishes for happiness. After the boys’ mother is killed during a violent raid from a rival religious attack, the boys must venture out into the world on their own and learn how to survive by whatever means necessary. Early in this journey, Jamal meets Latika, a girl his age whom he quickly becomes attached to. Through the many hardships and dangerous encounters the three children face, the bond between Jamal and Latika grows stronger and into something more than just friends, whereas the bond between Jamal and his brother grows further apart as Salim slips further down the slippery slope towards a life of crime. In the end, this amazing story is one of enduring love and undying hope despite the most cruel and brutal of circumstances.

Every aspect of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is breathtaking. The film is utterly beautiful, but not necessarily in an “Ivory Merchant” kind of way. Boyle has managed to take some of the most disturbing images of poverty and desolation and turn them into bittersweet poetic landscapes, detailing the supporting character that is Jamal’s world. The cinematography in ‘Slumdog’ is absolutely brilliant, utilizing dramatic lighting that allures but doesn’t distract and the various action-packed chase sequences are masterfully crafted. Perhaps one of the most effective tools in Boyle’s arsenal (and he employed many to great effect) was his incredible use of traditional Indian music with a modern, often hip-hop appeal, that works to set the mood for a clashing of the “old” India with the “new” India. This is a crucial element to Jamal’s story.

So, you’re probably asking yourself where the heck the game show comes into play? I waited this long to bring it up because the game show, while important to the story, is the part that is being marketed to potential audiences. We don’t get to see the “real” grit of the story in the trailers. Jamal manages to land a spot on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? whereas he hopes to win the ultimate prize. No, it’s not the money, but rather a chance to reunite with his long, lost love Latika, who through an unfortunate series of heart-breaking events was separated from Jamal years before his appearance on the game show, which is watched by virtually everyone. He hopes that Latika will see him and make an effort to contact him… the chance at winning money is just a bonus of which he shows little interest in. The amazing thing about this plot, which is creatively woven throughout the film with Jamal’s recollections of his turbulent childhood, is that he manages to get so far in the game because he’s experienced so much in his life and can recall various things that allow for him to answer the questions.

Danny Boyle has created a compelling modern fairy tale with international appeal. His film succeeds on so many levels and truly does deserve so massive award recognition. Don’t be mistaken, this is a foreign film and certainly deserves being nominated for Best Foreign Film, although it probably will not. Finally, for those of you more familiar with Indian film, Boyle treats us at the end during the credits with a full-length Bollywood style song and dance set to enjoy.

[Overall: 5 stars out of 5]