Slumdog Millionaire

Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
2008
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A poor Indian boy named Jamal (Dev Patel) spends his life trying to find the love of his life, Latika (Freida Pinto). His best chance comes when he is picked to appear on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Review:

Tim: After all the acclaim, the word of mouth, the awards, the buzz, it should come as no surprise that this movie is a bit of a letdown. Let me first say that this is a great movie. Director Danny Boyle gives us an intense, thrilling, interesting romantic dramedy. The movie features a brilliant story, tight filmmaking, and good performances. This is a great movie. However, I have to question whether this was truly the best movie of the year. It did pick up 8 Academy Awards- Best Picture, Cinematography, Director, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Sound, and Adapted Screenplay. That is impressive any way you look at it. Still, I wonder if it truly deserved the Best Picture Oscar.

The movie works because it is a brilliant tale, told simultaneously in the hot seat on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, as well as specific scenes throughout Jamal's life. This gives the movie an almost epic feel. You also can't hear someone talk about this movie without mention of the locations, many of which are simply amazing to see. Boyle gives us an up close and personal look at the slums of India, and it is hard to shake some of these scenes. Life is not easy for our slumdogs, and it is good for Americans to watch and realize how much of the rest of the world lives.

The film's cast is at least decent. I loved Dev Patel. I thought he did an exceptional job and I really liked watching him in this movie. He was the perfect actor for the role. I was a little disappointed in Freida Pinto. The character of Latika was so critical to the film, and I thought it was the weak point. I never really bought the chemistry between Jamal and Latika. This movie would have worked so much better if this relationship was as powerful as it needed to be. I just didn't buy it. The rest of the cast all give good performances, but there are few absolute standouts.

This movie really works best not when you look at any one part, but as the movie as whole. This is a film where the total is greater than the sum of its parts. It is certainly entertaining, memorable, and fun. As I mentioned, I expected a bit more from Slumdog Millionaire, but regardless of whether this was the best movie of the year or not, it is a great movie nonetheless.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Millions