I watched this movie for the second time last night, and I don’t regret it. This is the best movie I’ve seen all year, and a complete detour from anything you would expect of Indian movies that have made their way into mainstream cinema. Here in S.A, over the last couple of years there have been more and more Indian movies in the local cinemas. Durban has a huge Indian population – the province of KZN has the largest Indian population outside India, if the statistics have not changed. Still, I’m assuming most people have been exposed to some kind of Bollywood fiasco, and Slumdog Millionaire is anything but that (except for the credits at the end, which, to be fair is more of a nod to Bollywood than a subscription).
You will cry…
The difference from other Indian movies I have seen, is the balance between sobering reality and inspiring love story. Set in India when Mumbai was in the process of transformation, two small boys living in the slums are left homeless and parentless when their mother dies in a fight between Muslims and Hindhus.
…you will laugh…
The story begins with 18 year old brother Jamal Malik chained up in a police station, being interrogated for his suspicious winning streak on the Indian version of the popular TV game-show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He’s one question away from being the biggest rags to riches story in India when the police take him in for questioning. They’re convinced that he must be cheating – how could an uneducated slumdog, a chai-walla (tea-boy) at a local call-center possibly get to a stage in the game that educated doctors, lawyers and the like have never come close to?
…hold your breath…
As they go through each question with him, trying to figure out how he got that far, Jamal’s life story, and his motivation for being on the game show are revealed through his answers.
Slumdog Millionaire has been called ‘The Feel-Good movie of the decade’ – but if you’re used to fluffy, meet-cute American romances under that category, you’re likely to be surprised by Slumdog Millionaire’s storyline. It’s not a movie that lends easily to armchair travel or cheer-me-up vibes. There are many points in the movie where you realise that India is not just a place of mystical spiritual pilgrimages where middle-aged white people go to have ‘an experience’, but a harsh place where children grow up and live in conditions not unlike those Jamal, Salim and Latika endure in their lives – and it can be both shocking and heartbreaking. The feel-good aspect of the movie, though, would not exist without this aspect of the story, because it’s Jamal’s life despite his circumstances that inspires, and the atypical romance between him and Latika that brings an unexpected sweetness to the grimy, epic backdrop of class disparity in India.
… and *sigh* like a teenage girl.
I cried a couple of times during this movie, but had as many intense moments of joy – the kind of fluttering feeling I can only compare to the fluttering sensation of first love’s hope.
It is an emotional rollercoaster, but one worth riding for the exultant culmination, and the scenery along the way – not to mention the absolutely incredible sound in the movie, from the ambient sound to the original songs, it’s easy to see why Slumdog Millionaire took home 8 Oscars earlier this year.
Slumdog Millionaire made me feel proud to have the cultural heritage I do. Well done to the Slumdog Millionaire cast and crew – they deserve every award.
Okay, I just skimmed over your review because I was afraid of reading something that might ruin the movie for me. I can’t wait to watch it. It’s on my netflix list, but I don’t think it comes out for a couple more weeks.
Another movie that I thought was really good was The Namesake. I can’t tell you if it is accurate as far as Indian traditions, but I enjoyed it. It’s about an Indian family living in the US and the struggle between keeping their traditions and fitting into their new life. If you haven’t seen it, I would recommend it.
The Namesake rings a bell – will check it out, thanks for the rec
Would love to hear what you thought of Slumdog Millionaire once you’ve seen it!
You’ll be the first person I contact after I watch it.
Let me know what you think of The Namesake also, if you ever happen to watch it.
When i get back home, can we do a movie night with this?? im so keen to watch it!xx
Yes!!! Totally. We make a plan. We watch movie. We have fun. Yay!
So I got this movie for easter and it is great. It was everything it said it would be. I cried, I laughed, I sighed, and it was very unexpecting. I love it so much. I think I watched it like 5 times in a row and I don’t ever watch a movie more than once. This movie is truley unbelievable, heart racing, sensational, miraculous, exhilarating movie I have ever watched in my life.
Personally I liked Namesake better
You should have been here for all the “This is not how India is !! Danny Boyle is blind. ” sentiment. A couple of people actually walked out on the movie after the first 10 min . Sigh , we are such an emotional country
It’s been recommended to me, but I haven’t gotten around to seeing it yet. Can you explain what was the problem most people in India had with Slumdog Millionaire? I mean, I know they felt it misrepresented India, but in what way?
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The problem with the movie being that , we don’t take criticism well. The protagonist is brought up in one of the most famous slums around . Danny Boyle has done an amazing job portraying it the way it is , and you have to understand that it’s a little difficult for “cultured” city folks to deal with the conditions half the country lives in . Then we have the whole organized mafia dealing in children , injuring them to work on the pity when begging. I have myself seen a girl who had fresh wounds on her legs every few days . The problem is that we know it exists , and yet believe that if we look away , it ceases to be.
Then came to oscars , and many felt that it was a movie , directed by an “angraezi” (englishman) , solely to make India look bad.
It’s like this Nessie , people can tolerate of of their own ridiculing them , but not an outsider. In fact , there was an old Hindi movie , of which I forget the name , that portrayed the lives slum dwellers lead rather more effectively . But that wasn’t rebuked , only because it was a movie directed by one of our own.
then came “the” oscars .
people can tolerate “one” of their own .
i really should re-read what I write , same problem with my blog. but at least i edit that before anyone spots it
Ah. I understand that way of thinking applied to similar issues. It’s kind of amusing.
Btw , the movie is certainly worth a watch , but i feel that it did not deserve the acclaim it won . That somehow seemed like a marketing strategy to promote and bridge the two industries (hollywood and bollywood) together.
this film is very romantic !!
I watch this film twice !!
i like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE !!
Absoloodles! I hardly ever get a chance to borrow movies, so we’ll see when I do get the opportunity to get that one. My luck it’ll be on TV next week