Director: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later..., Sunshine)Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Rubiana Ali, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Anil Kapoor
The Deal: Jamal is 18 years old and one question away from winning 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" when the show must break for the night. Unable to believe a slumdog (a person of poverty) could be doing so well on the show, the police arrest Jamal on suspicions of cheating. Through the interrogation, Jamal is forced recount his days growing up an orphan in the slums of Mumbai with his brother Salim. It is through these recounts that Jamal reveals how every one of the questions had some significance in a chapter of his life, ultimately leading to his reason for being on the show, the love of his life, Latika.
Thoughts: I have yet to read a negative review of this film, and rightly so, but I am left feeling that this film is overrated. It is a very good film, but I don't think it deserves the worship and head-over-heel rave reviews many have bestowed upon it. Does it deserve its awards? Yes. Is it the best film of the last 5 years? No. Please don't misunderstand my feelings towards this film, as I did enjoy it, and the remainder of this review will focus on the positives.
The acting was quite good in the film, and will most surely launch the careers of Patel and Pinto. Both gave excellent and heartfelt performances, and their romance felt natural. I was most impressed by Khedekar, Ali, and Ismail, the youngsters who stole so many people's hearts. For such young actors to successfully and ably carry a large portion of a film this serious is impressive. Kapoor was wonderful as the show host, truly feeling like a perfect choice to be India's Regis Philbin.
The story was original, and full of nice blends of humor into all of the suffering on screen. It was hysterical seeing a young Jamal jump into a pile of poop just so he could get a celebrity's autograph. Ultimately, what satisfied me the most was the game show questions themselves. What makes the show so difficult to win is that it seems the contestant must have an unlimited knowledge of random facts, so it leaves me smiling at the idea of a perfect set of questions to reward a contestant who had so much suffering before getting in the hot seat. It truly would be mesmerizing to think that legitimate and impactful moments of one's life could culminate into all the answers one needs, instead a pool of useless knowledge.
I would also like to mention the efforts both Danny Boyle and the production studio have made to remove the children from poverty as well as establish trust funds for the kids so that their parents don't waste the money from the film. Too often child stars don't see a penny of their earnings because their parents spend it all on themselves, but now these kids will have the money to stay out of poverty and get a proper education. Kudos.
Verdict: An original feel-good rags to riches story that grows on you more every viewing. Good acting and nice visuals make this arguably the best film of the year. ☆☆☆☆
Liked It? Try This: City of God (2002)
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