Slumdog Millionaire

It’s true Slumdog Millionaire is an Indy film, but don’t use that as a basis of dismissal. Too many people are afraid of Indy films but let me remind you Pulp Fiction, Se7en, American History X, Garden State and now Slumdog Millionaire are all both great and Indy films.

December is a month full of blockbuster films, but don’t let your gaze get caught in all the lights. Do you choose the movie with the biggest names, biggest budget, or maybe instead you decide to go for the film itself. Slumdog Millionaire definitely won’t have a cast you’re familiar with, but they are talented actors. Their budget might not be the biggest, but what these guys lack in blockbuster budgets they definitely make up for in skill.

Before Slumdog Millionaire‘s story was told on the big screen author Vikas Swarup told the tale on the pages of the novel Q&A. Unfortunately I have not read the novel to be able to draw those correlations, but I feel a book turned movie always deserves its credit.

Slumdog Millionaireis the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) potentially winning a huge fortune on “Who wants to be a Millionaire” in his home country of India. Only problem is Jamal is nothing but a slumdog, a kid from the slums. How could such an uneducated person possibly know the answers being asked of him when geniuses don’t?

The movie tells the story of how Jamal learnt the answers to his million dollar questions. Not many people in India are unfamiliar with their own currency, but can name the president on a $100 US bill. The Jamal character is executed perfectly by Dev Patel (current age), Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (youngest Jamal) and Tanay Chheda (Middle Jamal). Seemingly a less than great actor at first all three come to life in the film when faced with something the character truly cares about whether it be love or even an autograph of a favorite movie stare.

Jamal maybe the main character but his brother Salim is right there with him for a good part of the way. Salim played by Madhur Mittal, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail depending on his age in the film, adds a nice character struggle to the film. You’re never quite sure just who Salim is deep down till the final moments of the movie.

The younger version of Jamal and Salim also give the audience a glimpse into some of India’s social struggles. Through the eyes of this pair of youthful brothers the audience is exposed to a seedy underworld of India. One where religious genocide, thievery and gangs are all unfortunate aspects the two must learn to deal with in order to survive.

So far we have an interesting plot and some good actors, which alone don’t account for my early build up of

the film. There needs to be more, and there is. Two factors, which unfortunately are not praised enough in films in my opinion, the actual filming and camera angles as well as the soundtrack.

The use of various angles and quick changes including zoom-ins and span-outs were executed perfectly at times to give a real sense of frenzy, making the viewer feel the true suspense of a scene. This was beautifully complimented by a soundtrack that perfectly meshed with the tone of each scene, kudos to Glenn Freemantle for his masterful work as sound designer.

Oh and here’s a heads up for all of you, Freida Pinto who plays Latika, Jamal’s love interest. She maybe a name you’re not familiar with and this may only be her first film, but you’ll be hearing and seeing that name a lot more, trust me.

Action, drama, suspense, romance and a bit of comedy, what more could you want from a film? In today’s economy I say it’s a good deal, so stop reading this and buy yourself a ticket for a movie that won’t disappoint. And now this review has too been written (see the movie to understand that one).

Movie Grade: A