If ever life imitated art, the unexpected success of Slumdog Millionaire is a prime example. From being nearly relegated to the direct-to-DVD market to becoming the Oscar-winning, feel-good hit of the year, this film’s success mirrors its story about an underdog from the slums of Mumbai going for riches on an Indian game show. A triumph in edgy filmmaking, this is a very rare kind of film that has the capacity to shock, disturb, fascinate and elate you through its breakneck pacing and tightly packaged drama. Slumdog Millionaire is a shining example of everything we love about movies.
Jamal Malik is a young man working the low end of the totem poll as an assistant (basically a coffee boy) for a cell phone company in Mumbai. By sheer luck he qualifies for the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Using the chance of a lifetime to get in touch with a long lost love, Jamal is suspected of cheating when he answers several questions correct. How could a common street rat know the answers to some of the show’s most difficult questions? Scenes of Jamal’s interrogation are intercut with flashbacks showing how the life of a common slumdog can yield a wealth of unanticipated knowledge.
One of the biggest highlights of the film is its uncompromising cinematography, which plants the audience into the heart of the impoverished shantytowns and desolate living conditions that exist in the shadows of India’s major cities. Director Danny Boyle doesn’t sugar coat anything but he also isn’t passing any judgment when he shows us some of the worst living conditions imaginable. In this way, he succeeds as a director. Whatever his motivation may be, he is leaving the audience to make our own decisions about the actions and places we see on the screen.
The content of these scenes of utter depravity are all shocking and, at times, terrifying. While Boyle may use some of these things to hammer home the living conditions of India’s poorest, he never shows anything for the sake of being gratuitous. This prevents the film from being tasteless despite some of the reprehensible things that we see. If nothing else, these scenes make us feel even more compassion and empathy for our protagonist. Some scenes play out for laughs, rightfully lightening the mood and giving the film balance. Some of these scenes may push the boundaries of suspension of disbelief for select viewers, but Slumdog Millionaire’s crisp pace moves you along before you can get comfortable enough to dwell on it.
In fact, comfortable is the last word I would think to use in describing this film. Danny Boyle never lets Slumdog Millionaire rest on its laurels. Sure, there must have been stretches where Jamal and his brother got by with minimal conflict but those are the kinds of scenes that fail to serve the story and only drag a film out. By trimming out the fat that hogs up many films (especially those that come to mind when you think of the Oscars) the film retains its edgy intent and never lets you back away from the edge of your seat for very long.
While pacing, cinematography and editing are all crucial components of telling a story via film, much more is needed to create the full package. Fortunately, Slumdog Millionaire also features fantastic acting from its adult and child stars alike. The children used to show Jamal and his brother were actually cast out a real slum in Mumbai. Their performances are effortless and give the film its heart. Dev Patel is terrific as the overwhelmed adult Jamal and Anil Kapoor is electrifying as the charismatic game show host.
All the sights, sounds and colors of India are amazing and blaze by to composer R.A. Rahman’s beautiful contemporary soundtrack. The beats fuel the most intense scene and the gentler tracks add that extra touch to the film’s tender moments. Even though most of the soundtrack is in either Hindi or Punjabi, it doesn’t take away even a fraction of its enjoyability. It adds an extra layer of Indian culture on top of a film that already contains more than most Westerners know about the second-most populous nation on Earth.
When everything clicks in a movie, something magical ensues. Slumdog Millionaire gushes with that magic. Underdog stories are nothing new to cinema but they are seldom done so right as this film. Perhaps it’s because Slumdog Millionaire was made outside of the major studio system. Maybe it’s because the film captures a glance at a world so foreign and unfamiliar to us Westerners. Whatever it is, Slumdog Millionaire is a success on every level and was deserving of every accolade thrown its way. If you love movies, this is an absolute must-see.
RATING: 4.25 out of 5
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