Download Slumdog Millionaire movie

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan.[2] It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup. Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

After its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and subsequent screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival,[3] Slumdog Millionaire initially had a limited North American release on 12 November 2008 by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, to critical acclaim and awards success. It later had a nationwide grand release in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2009 and in the United States on 23 January 2009.[4] It premiered in Mumbai on 22 January 2009.[5] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on 31 March 2009.[6]

Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Original Song. It also won five Critics' Choice Awards, four Golden Globes, and seven BAFTA Awards, including Best Film. Slumdog Millionaire has stirred controversy concerning language use, its portrayals of Indians and Hinduism, and the welfare of its child actors.

Set in 2006, the film opens in Mumbai with a policeman torturing Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a former street child from the Juhu slums. In the opening scene, a title card is presented: "Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it? (A) He cheated, (B) He's lucky, (C) He's a genius, (D) It is written." Jamal is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati) hosted by Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor). He has already won 10,000,000 rupees (about US$200,000) and has made it to the final question, for 20,000,000 rupees, scheduled for the next day. Following up on a tip-off from Prem Kumar, the police now suspect Jamal of cheating, because the other possibilities — that he has a vast knowledge, or that he is very lucky — seem unlikely. For almost every question, Jamal had a life experience that enabled him to answer it.

Jamal then explains that, while at least the question about Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was very simple, he knew the answers of most questions by chance, because of things that happened in his life, conveyed in a series of flashbacks documenting the details of his childhood. This includes scenes of him obtaining Bachchan's autograph, the death of his mother during anti-Muslim violence (rekindling memory of the 1993 anti-Muslim attacks in Mumbai in the slums),[7] and how he and his brother Salim befriended Latika (Rubina Ali). He refers to Salim and himself as Athos and Porthos, and Latika as the third of the The Three Musketeers, the name of whom they never knew.

In Jamal's flashback, the children are eventually discovered by Maman (Ankur Vikal) while they are living in the trash heaps. Maman is a gangster (a fact they do not actually know at the time they meet him) who pretends to run an orphanage in order to "collect" street children so that he can ultimately train them to beg for money. Salim is groomed to become a part of Maman’s operation and is asked to bring Jamal to Maman in order to be blinded (which would improve his income potential as a singing beggar). Salim protects his brother, and the three children try to escape, but only he and Jamal are able to do so, catching up to a train which is departing. Latika catches up and takes Salim's hand, but Salim purposely lets go, and she is left behind as the train accelerates away.

The brothers make a living, traveling on top of trains, selling goods, picking pockets, and cheating naive tourists at the Taj Mahal by pretending to be tour guides. Jamal eventually insists that they return to Mumbai since he wishes to locate Latika, which annoys Salim. They eventually find her, discovering that she had been raised by Maman to be a culturally talented prostitute whose virginity will fetch a high price. The brothers attempt to rescue her, but Maman intrudes, and in the resulting conflict Salim draws a gun and kills Maman. Salim then uses the fact that he killed Maman to obtain a job with Javed (Mahesh Manjrekar), a rival crime lord. Salim returns to the room where the three were staying and orders Jamal to leave. Jamal, knowing his brother is here to claim Latika as his own, attacks his brother violently before being overturned by Salim and confronted by a revolver as Salim threatens to kill him. Latika intervenes and tells Jamal to leave, breaking his heart and sacrificing herself to keep him safe. With Maman's men searching for Salim, Salim and Latika flee to an unknown location, leaving Jamal alone to fend for himself.

Years later, Jamal has a position as a "chai wallah" (tea server) at a call center. When he is asked to cover for a co-worker for a couple of minutes, he searches the database for Salim and Latika and succeeds in getting in touch with Salim, who has become a high-ranking lieutenant in Javed’s organization. Jamal confronts a regretful Salim on tense terms. Jamal asks him where Latika is. Salim, annoyed and bewildered that his brother still cares about her, responds she's "long gone." Salim invites Jamal to live with him, and after Jamal follows him to Javed's house, he sees Latika (Freida Pinto) there, and she also notices him. He bluffs his way in, pretending initially to be a dishwasher and then later a chef. Jamal and Latika have an emotional reunion, but elation quickly turns to despair after Jamal discovers that Latika is with Javed. Upon discovering this, Jamal tries to persuade Latika to leave. She rebuffs his advances and insists that he forget about her and leave, but instead Jamal confesses his love for her and promises to wait for her every day at 5 p.m. at Mumbai's largest train station, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T.), until she comes. One day, while Jamal waits there, Latika attempts to rendezvous with him, but she is recaptured by Salim and Javed's men. Javed slashes her cheek with a knife as Salim drives off, leaving a furious Jamal behind with a crowd of onlookers.

Jamal again loses contact with Latika when Javed moves to another house outside of Mumbai. In another attempt to find Latika, Jamal tries out for the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, because he knows she'll be watching. He makes it to the final question, despite the hostile attitude of the host who feeds Jamal a wrong answer during a break. At the end of the show, Jamal has one question left to win two crore, or 20 million rupees (about 400,000 U.S. dollars), but the host calls the police and Jamal is taken into police custody, where he is tortured as the police attempt to learn how he, a simple "slumdog," could know the answers to so many questions. After Jamal tells his whole story, explaining how his life experiences coincidentally enabled him to know the answer to each question, the police inspector calls Jamal's explanation "bizarrely plausible" and, knowing he's not in it for the money, allows him to return to the show for the final question.

At Javed's safehouse, Latika watches the news coverage of Jamal's miraculous run on the show. Salim gives Latika his phone and the keys to his car. He urges her to run away and to "forgive him for what he has done." The final question asked of Jamal is to name the third musketeer in the story of The Three Musketeers. When Jamal uses his Phone-A-Friend lifeline to call Salim, Latika barely succeeds in answering the phone in time and they reconnect. She does not know the answer to the final question, but she tells Jamal that she is safe and (in unsubtitled Hindi) says "I am yours" before the phone connection cuts off. Jamal simply guesses the correct answer (Aramis) to the question of the one musketeer whose name they never learned, and wins the grand prize. Simultaneously, Salim is discovered to have helped Latika escape and allows himself to be killed in a bathtub full of money after shooting and killing Javed. Salim's last words are "God is great." Later that night, Jamal and Latika meet at the railway station and they share a kiss. It is then revealed that the correct answer to the opening question is "D) it is written," implying that it is destiny. During the closing credits, Jamal and Latika — along with dozens of bystanders and even the juvenile versions of themselves — dance in the C.S.T. train station to the song "Jai Ho," the title of which epitomizes victory.

Differences from the book Q & A

In the book, the story is told to his lawyer, rather than the police. The Bombay Hindu-Muslim riots play no role in the book, as the ethnic or religious heritage of the main character is uncertain. In the book, the central character is instead named 'Ram Mohammad Thomas' by the village elders, choosing a Hindu name, Muslim name, and Christian name to maintain the balance among all the religious communities after his mother abandons him at birth. Ram grows up in an orphanage, and his only 'brothers' are his fellow orphans; Salim is his best friend. He was adopted by a Christian priest as a youth, which is how he learns English, and then is nearly molested by a visiting priest. The priest scenes are not included in the film script, and the movie does not explain how Jamal learns fluent English. Latika is not his childhood friend in the book but rather a prostitute named Nita with whom Ram falls in love when he visits a brothel at age 17.

Production

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy wrote Slumdog Millionaire based on the Boeke Prize-winning and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-nominated novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup.[8] To hone the script, Beaufoy made three research trips to India and interviewed street children, finding himself impressed with their attitudes. The screenwriter said of his goal for the script: "I wanted to get (across) the sense of this huge amount of fun, laughter, chat, and sense of community that is in these slums. What you pick up on is this mass of energy."

By the summer of 2006, British production companies Celador Films and Film4 Productions invited director Danny Boyle to read the script of Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle initially hesitated, since he was not interested in making a film about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which was produced by Celador.[9] However, Boyle soon found out that the screenwriter was Beaufoy, who had written The Full Monty (1997), one of the director's favorite British films, and decided to revisit the script.[10] Boyle was impressed by how Beaufoy wove the multiple storylines from Swarup's book into one narrative, and the director decided to commit to the project. The film was projected to cost US$15 million, so Celador sought a U.S. distributor to share costs. Fox Searchlight Pictures made an initial offer that was reportedly in the $2 million range, but Warner Independent Pictures made a $5 million offer to win rights to the picture.[9]

Gail Stevens came on board to oversee casting globally. Stevens had worked with Boyle throughout his career and was well-known for discovering new talent. Meredith Tucker was appointed to cast out of the US. The film-makers then travelled to Mumbai in September 2007 with a partial crew and began hiring local cast and crew for production in Karjat. Originally appointed as one of the five casting directors in India, Loveleen Tandan has stated that she "suggested to Danny and Simon Beaufoy, the writer of Slumdog, that it was important to do some of it in Hindi to bring the film alive [...] They asked me to pen the Hindi dialogues which I, of course, instantly agreed to do. And as we drew closer to the shoot date, Danny asked me to step in as the co-director."[11] Boyle then decided to translate nearly a third of the film's English dialogue into Hindi. The director fibbed to Warner Independent's president that he wanted 10% of the dialogue in Hindi, and she approved of the change. Filming locations included shooting in Mumbai's megaslum and in shantytown parts of Juhu, so film-makers controlled the crowds by befriending onlookers.[9] Filming began on 5 November 2007.[12]

In addition to Swarup's original novel Q & A, the film was also inspired by Indian cinema.[13][14] Tandan has referred to Slumdog Millionaire as an homage to Hindi commercial cinema, noting that "Simon Beaufoy studied Salim-Javed's kind of cinema minutely."[13] Boyle has cited the influence of several Bollywood films set in Mumbai.[15] Satya (1998) (screenplay co-written by Saurabh Shukla, who plays Constable Srinivas in Slumdog Millionaire) and Company (2002) (based on the D-Company) both offered "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals of the Mumbai underworld" and displayed realistic "brutality and urban violence." Boyle has also stated that the chase in one of the opening scenes of Slumdog Millionaire was based on a "12-minute police chase through the crowded Dharavi slum" in Black Friday (2004) (adapted from S. Hussein Zaidi's book of the same name about the 1993 Bombay bombings).[14][16][17][18] Deewaar (1975), which Boyle described as being "absolutely key to Indian cinema," is a crime film based on the Bombay gangster Haji Mastan, portrayed by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, whose autograph Jamal seeks at the beginning of Slumdog Millionaire.[14] Anil Kapoor noted that some scenes of the film "are like Deewaar, the story of two brothers of whom one is completely after money while the younger one is honest and not interested in money."[19] Boyle has cited other Indian films as influences in subsequent interviews.[20][21] The rags-to-riches, underdog theme underlying the film was also a recurring theme in classic Bollywood movies from the 1950s through to the 1980s, when "India worked to lift itself from hunger and poverty."[22] Other classic Bollywood tropes in the film include "the fantasy sequences" and the montage sequence where "the brothers jump off a train and suddenly they are seven years older".[21]

Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, the host of last episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) aired prior to the release of this movie, was initially offered the role of the show's host in the film, but he ultimately turned it down (the role is played by another Bollywood star, Anil Kapoor).[23][24][25] Paul Smith, the executive producer of Slumdog Millionaire and the chairman of Celador Films, had previously owned the international rights to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[26]

Cast

• Dev Patel as Jamal Malik, the protagonist, a Muslim boy born and raised in the poverty of Mumbai.[27] Boyle considered hundreds of young male actors, and he found that Bollywood leads were generally "strong, handsome hero-types." Boyle's daughter pointed Dev Patel out from the British television ensemble drama Skins, of which he was a cast member.[9][12]
  • Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as Younger Jamal
  • Tanay Chheda as Early Teenage Jamal
• Freida Pinto as Latika, the girl with whom Jamal is in love. Pinto was an Indian model who had not starred in a feature film before.[9] Regarding the "one of a kind" scarf she wears, designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb says, "I wanted to bookend the journey—to tie her childhood yellow dress to her final look."[28]
  • Rubina Ali as Younger Latika. Rubina is a child from the Mumbai slums in real life.[29]
  • Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar as Early Teenage Latika
  • Madhur Mittal as Salim, Jamal's elder brother.
    • Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail as Younger Salim. Azharuddin is a child from the Mumbai slums in real life.[29]
    • Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala as Early Teenage Salim
    • Anil Kapoor as Prem Kumar, the game show host. Boyle initially wanted Indian actor Shahrukh Khan to play the role, but things didn't work out. Khan is the real life host of the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Kapoor has also starred as a guest on the show with Amitabh Bachchan and won Rs 5,000,000. [30]
    • Irrfan Khan as the Police Inspector
    • Saurabh Shukla as Constable Srinivas
    • Mahesh Manjrekar as Javed
    • Ankur Vikal as Maman
    • Rajendranath Zutshi as the Millionaire show producer
    • Sanchita Choudhary as Jamal's mother
    • Shah Rukh Munshi as a slum kid. Shah Rukh is a child from the Mumbai slums in real life.[22]
    • Mozhim Shakim Sheikh Qureshi as a crippled slum kid. Mozhim Shakim is a child from the Mumbai slums in real life.[29]
    • Janet de Vigne as the German tourist at the Taj Mahal.
    • Devesh Rawal as the boy in costume as the God Rama, painted blue.

    Release and box office performance

    In August 2007 Warner Independent Pictures acquired the North American rights and Pathé the international rights to distribute Slumdog Millionaire theatrically.[12] However, in May 2008, Warner Independent Pictures was shut down, with all of its projects being transferred to Warner Bros., its parent studio. Warner Bros. doubted the commercial prospects of Slumdog Millionaire and suggested that it would go straight to DVD without a U.S. theatrical release.[31] In August 2008, the studio began searching for buyers for various productions, to relieve its overload of end-of-the-year films.[32] Halfway through the month, Warner Bros. entered into a pact with Fox Searchlight Pictures to share distribution of the film, with Fox Searchlight buying 50% of Warner Bros.'s interest in the movie and handling U.S. distribution.[33]

    Following the film's success at the 81st Academy Awards, the film topped the worldwide box office (barring North America), grossing $16 million from 34 markets in the week following the Academy Awards.[34] Worldwide, the film has currently grossed 326,000,000 (aprox).[1]

    North America

    Slumdog Millionaire was first shown at the Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2008, where it was positively received by audiences, generating "strong buzz".[35] The film also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2008, where it was "the first widely acknowledged popular success" of the festival,[36] winning the People's Choice Award.[37] Slumdog Millionaire debuted with a limited North American release on 12 November 2008, followed by a nationwide release in the United States on 23 January 2009.[38]

    After debuting on a Wednesday, the film grossed an impressive $360,018 in 10 theaters in its first weekend, a strong average of $36,002 per theater.[39][40] In its second weekend, it expanded to 32 theaters and made $947,795, or an average of $29,619 per theater, representing a drop of only 18%.[39] In the 10 original theatres that it was released in, viewership went up 16%, and this is attributed to strong word-of-mouth.[41] The film expanded into wide release on 25 December 2008 at 614 theaters and grossed $5,647,007 over the extended Christmas weekend.[38] Following its success at the 81st Academy Awards, the film's takings increased by 43%,[42] the most for any film since Titanic.[43] In the weekend of 27 February to 1 March, the film reached its widest release at 2,943 theaters.[1] As of 31 March 2009, the film has grossed $139,341,484 at the North American box office.[1]

    Europe

    The film released in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2009, and opened at #2 at the UK box office.[44] The film reached #1 in its second weekend and set a UK box office record, as the film's takings increased by 47%. This is the "biggest ever increase for a UK saturation release," breaking "the record previously held by Billy Elliot's 13%." This record-breaking "ticket surge" in the second weekend came after Slumdog Millionaire won four Golden Globes and received eleven BAFTA nominations. The film grossed £6.1 million in its first eleven days of release in the UK.[45] The takings increased by another 7% the following weekend, bringing the film's gross up to £10.24 million for its first seventeen days in the UK,[46][47] and up to £14.2 million in its third week.[48]

    As of 20 February 2009, the film's UK box office gross was £22,973,110,[49] making it "the eighth biggest hit at UK cinemas of the past 12 months."[50] As of 2 March 2009, following its success at the 81st Academy Awards where it won eight Oscars, the film has returned to #1 at the UK box office, grossing £26 million as of 2 March 2009.[51]

    The film's success at the Academy Awards led to it seeing large increases in takings elsewhere in Europe the following week. Its biggest single country increase was in Italy, where it was up 556% from the previous week. The takings in France and Spain also increased by 61% and 73% respectively. During the same week, the film debuted in other European countries with successful openings: in Croatia it grossed $170,419 from 10 screens, making it the biggest opening there in the last four months; and in Poland it opened in second place with a gross of $715,677. The film was released in Sweden on 6 March 2009 and in Germany on 19 March 2009.[34]

    Asia-Pacific

    In India, the premiere of Slumdog Millionaire took place in Mumbai on 22 January 2009 and was attended by major personalities of the Indian film industry, with more than a hundred attending this event.[52] A dubbed Hindi version, Slumdog Crorepati (स्लमडॉग करोड़पति), was also released in India in addition to the original version of the film.[53] Originally titled Slumdog Millionaire: Kaun Banega Crorepati, the name was shortened for legal reasons. Loveleen Tandan, who supervised the dubbing, stated: "All the actors from the original English including Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Ankur Vikal dubbed the film. We got a boy from Chembur Pradeep Motwani to dub for the male lead Dev Patel. I didn't want any exaggerated dubbing. I wanted a young unspoilt voice."[54]

    Fox Searchlight released 351 prints of the film across India for its full release there on 23 January 2009.[55] It earned Rs. 2,35,45,665 in its first week at the Indian box office,[56] or $2.2 million according to Fox Searchlight. Though not as successful as major Bollywood releases in India during its first week, this was the highest weekend gross for any Fox film and the third highest for any Western release in the country, trailing only Spider-Man 3 and Casino Royale.[55] In its second week, the film's gross rose to Rs. 3,04,70,752 at the Indian box office.[56]

    A few analysts have offered their opinions about the film's performance at the Indian box office. Trade analyst Komal Nahta commented, "There was a problem with the title itself. Slumdog is not a familiar word for majority Indians." In addition, trade analyst Amod Mehr has stated that with the exception of Anil Kapoor, the film lacks recognizable stars and that "the film ... is not ideally suited for Indian sentiment." A cinema owner commented that "to hear slum boys speaking perfect English doesn't seem right but when they are speaking in Hindi, the film seems much more believable." The dubbed Hindi version, Slumdog Crorepati, did better at the box office, and additional copies of that version were released.[57] Following the film's success at the 81st Academy Awards, the film's takings in India increased by 470% the following week, bringing its total up to $6.3 million that week.[34] As of 15 March 2009, Slumdog Crorepati has grossed Rs. 15,86,13,802 at the Indian box office.[58]

    The film's success at the Academy Awards led to it seeing large increases in takings elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia, the takings increased by 53%, bringing the film up to second place there. In Hong Kong, the film debuted taking $1 million in its opening weekend, making it the second biggest opening of the year there. The film was released in Japan on 18 April 2009, South Korea on 19 March 2009, China on 26 March 2009, Vietnam on 10 April 2009[34], and 11 April 2009 in Philippines.

    Critical reception

    Awards and honors

    Slumdog Millionaire is highly acclaimed, named in the top ten lists of various newspapers.[59] On 22 February 2009 the film won eight out of ten Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including the Best Picture and Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song (two songs were nominated from the film; "Jai Ho" won the award), losing only Best Sound Editing to The Dark Knight. It is only the eighth film ever to win eight Academy Awards[60] and the eleventh Best Picture Oscar winner without a single acting nomination.[61]

    The film also won all four of the Golden Globe Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Drama Film; five of the six Critics' Choice Awards for which it was nominated; and seven of the eleven BAFTA Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Film.

    Reactions from the Western world

    Slumdog Millionaire has been critically acclaimed in the Western world. As of 16 April 2009, Rotten Tomatoes has given the film a 94% rating with 193 fresh and thirteen rotten reviews. The average score is 8.2/10.[62] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 86, based on 36 reviews.[63] Movie City News shows that the film appeared in 123 different top ten lists, out of 286 different critics lists surveyed, the 3rd most mentions on a top ten list of any film released in 2008.[64]

    Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four out of four stars, stating that it is, "a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating."[65] Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern refers to Slumdog Millionaire as, "the film world's first globalized masterpiece."[66] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post argues that, "this modern-day "rags-to-rajah" fable won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, and it's easy to see why. With its timely setting of a swiftly globalizing India and, more specifically, the country's own version of the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" TV show, combined with timeless melodrama and a hardworking orphan who withstands all manner of setbacks, "Slumdog Millionaire" plays like Charles Dickens for the 21st century."[67] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times describes the film as "a Hollywood-style romantic melodrama that delivers major studio satisfactions in an ultra-modern way" and "a story of star-crossed romance that the original Warner brothers would have embraced, shamelessly pulling out stops that you wouldn't think anyone would have the nerve to attempt anymore."[68] Anthony Lane of the New Yorker stated, "There is a mismatch here. Boyle and his team, headed by the director of photography, Anthony Dod Mantle, clearly believe that a city like Mumbai, with its shifting skyline and a population of more than fifteen million, is as ripe for storytelling as Dickens’s London [...] At the same time, the story they chose is sheer fantasy, not in its glancing details but in its emotional momentum. How else could Boyle get away with assembling his cast for a Bollywood dance number, at a railroad station, over the closing credits? You can either chide the film, at this point, for relinquishing any claim to realism or you can go with the flow—surely the wiser choice."[69] Several other reviewers have described Slumdog Millionaire as a Bollywood-style "Masala" movie,[70] due to the way the film combines "familiar raw ingredients into a feverish masala"[71] and culminates in "the romantic leads finding each other."[72]

    Other critics offered more mixed reviews. For example, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film three out of five stars, stating that "despite the extravagant drama and some demonstrations of the savagery meted out to India's street children, this is a cheerfully undemanding and unreflective film with a vision of India that, if not touristy exactly, is certainly an outsider's view; it depends for its full enjoyment on not being taken too seriously." He also pointed out that the film is co-produced by Celador Films, who own the rights to the original Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and claimed that “it functions as a feature-length product placement for the programme.”[73][74] A few critics also panned it. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle states that, "Slumdog Millionaire has a problem in its storytelling. The movie unfolds in a start-and-stop way that kills suspense, leans heavily on flashbacks and robs the movie of most of its velocity.... [T]he whole construction is tied to a gimmicky narrative strategy that keeps Slumdog Millionaire from really hitting its stride until the last 30 minutes. By then, it's just a little too late."[75] Eric Hynes of IndieWIRE called it "bombastic", "a noisy, sub-Dickens update on the romantic tramp's tale" and "a goofy picaresque to rival Forrest Gump" in its morality and romanticism.[76]

    Reactions from India and the Indian diaspora

    Slumdog Millionaire has been a subject of discussion among a variety of people in India and the Indian diaspora.

    Controversies

    Slumdog Millionaire has stirred controversy on a few topics including its portrayals of Indians and Hinduism and the welfare of its child actors.

    Soundtrack

    The Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman, who planned the score for over two months and completed it in two weeks.[77] Rahman won the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and won two out of three nominations for the Academy Awards, including one for Best Original Score and one for Best Original Song. The song "O... Saya" got a nomination shared with M.I.A., and the song "Jai Ho" won the Oscar, which A. R. Rahman shared with lyricist Gulzar. The soundtrack was released on M.I.A.'s record label N.E.E.T. On Radio Sargam, film critic Goher Iqbal Punn termed the soundtrack Rahman's "magnum opus" which will acquaint "the entire world" with his artistry.[78]

     Hide 
    

787 Comments »

Not worth the hype or awards

Just finished seeing this movie. Kept wondering why this film got such
much good reviews and Oscar awards, beats me. From the start the
storyline is so predictable, the boy is able to answer every question
because of life incidents. One more question and a flashback to show
how the boy knew the answer from real-life incidents. If such films
with illogical scenes can win Oscars, then I doubt the quality of
evaluation.The plot is so weak that bad guys are after the male and female leads
who are the only good characters in the whole film, so unnatural. Its
more like a fairytale or folklore story or a B grade popcorn movie and
not something deserving a Oscar or classical status. Only exception
being male lead's brother role, this character has depth and to an
extent properly developed and has shades of real-life.The incidents are also so dramatic and cinematic like slum-kids in
India speaking fluent English. It may be possible after the kid turns
adult but not as kid. Also the scenes in which foreign tourists asking
small kids to explain them about Taj Mahal.Being Indian, I amn't offended that slum areas are shown, slums exist
everywhere and even otherwise lot of tourists see India they know about
it and they have seen the difference in India when compared to the past
10 or 15years.The only part that I liked in this film is the innocent kids and their
good acting in the first part. The kids would have deserve awards.

wibas from India - 27 June 2009

Luck favors the brave..!!

Yeah..!! Luck favors the brave, yet here the brave one happens to be a
slumdog.. The movie starts off with the gigantic, yet attractive
RAHMAN's background music. This movie once again proved that if you are
giving a good movie with elite story and no-matter who the stars are,
the audiences are simply gonna love that. I am proud to be one among
those audiences..!! I didn't know when i was about to see this movie,
that this was gonna be the 2 hours train travel through an ordinary
Indian's life experience with carefully added ingredients of poverty,
love, one-manship, mafia, too many questions and exact answers with
lovely background for them. The story was nicely told through an
innocent boy who has been longing to see her lovely lover.It deserved all the Oscars for what its nominated and won the same..!!

sundargtcs from India - 26 June 2009

An uneducated orphan makes it to a popular game show and manages to answer all the questions.

First, I'll get out of the way what did work in this film. One, the
scenery and cinematography. Two, though cleaned up, the abject squalor
one sees in India, even in areas of prosperity. Three, that the
audience is shown, for the most part, how Jamal knows the answers for
most of the questions. That aspect of the film I really liked, and how
his past was revealed through these questions. Otherwise, this film was
a mess. First off, I found this movie one of the most boring films I
have ever seen. I had no sympathy for any of the characters, even
though we get a decent back story on the 3 main characters. None
elicited any emotions from me whatsoever. The acting was sluggish, and
for the most part, actually quite bad, and by most everyone in the
film. I could see why the production company had so much press, even
negative, to promote this movie. Another problem I had was that for a
lot of the Hindi spoken we did not get subtitles, and some of it was
important to the story. And though I noticed that all these uneducated,
lower caste people spoke such good English, for some reason this did
not bother me. Much. A "smart" street kid would learn a major language;
otherwise, how else to survive? Well, that's how I saw it. And I waited
a long time (Netflix) to get this movie, only to take 5 hours to get
through it. It's a basic love story (for a girl; for one's brother; for
one's life), and a story of how even the lowest can "make it" (have to
have that happy ending you know), so if you want that, then this is the
movie for you.

ltlacey from United States - 26 June 2009

And the moral of the story is…

As art, it's reasonable. Although I'm a fan of Boyle's work since
Shallow Grave – and I consider Trainspotting one of the best movies of
the 90's – Slumdog Millionaire disappointed me. It's the classical
Hollywood self-overcoming cliché with the "I love you" conclusion. The
old argument: if you are a good boy, God will help you in the end, no
matter what are the obstacles you must face. As a social reflection,
the movie is revolting. The moral of the story clearly is: only poor
people are truly happy. So, if rich countries keep India, Africa or
Brazil in poverty, they are doing us a favor, since they are helping us
either being happy or going to heaven. And I could not avoid saying
Boyle's movie sounded to me like a bad taste fairy tale version of
Fernando Meirelles' masterpiece Cidade de Deus (City of God). 3/10

rr-rr-rr-1 from Brazil - 25 June 2009

so bad

I am a 48 year old American male and I love everything from Gone With
the Wind to the Terminator. I like 95% of all the westerns and about
the same with documentaries and most genres, BUT SLUM DOG IS ONE OF THE
WORST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN , PERIOD . Everybody I watched it with
said the same thing, it was junk. I have enjoyed watching paint dry
better, this movie is junk. Everybody we saw it with was wondering if
we even saw the right movie that won all the academy awards. This movie
is not worth watching on cable if all the other channels where not
available. I am just shocked to say the least. I am a 48 year old
American male and I love everything from Gone With the Wind to the
Terminator. I like 95% of all the westerns and about the same with
documentaries and most genres, BUT SLUM DOG IS ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES
I HAVE EVER SEEN , PERIOD . Everybody I watched it with said the same
thing, it was junk. I have enjoyed watching paint dry better, this
movie is junk. Everybody we saw it with was wondering if we even saw
the right movie that won all the academy awards. This movie is not
worth watching on cable if all the other channels where not available.
I am just shocked to say the least.

(sub34@aol.com) from United States - 24 June 2009

Average enough, but a bit mis-sold as a "feel good" film

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning
** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Slumdog Millionaire is not a conventional 'rags to riches' film. That
is, to say, it's not a rags to riches story told in a conventional way.
It doesn't play out like the sort of heart warming family tale that you
could sit down and enjoy your Sunday roast with that the genre is
famous for following the convention of. Indeed, it feels a tad mis-sold
with the front cover loudly proclaiming it 'a feel good film.' Instead,
it unflinchingly takes us feet first into the cold and unfeeling world
of the poverty and desperation of the slums of India that are as awful
as those in, say, Jamaica. It's strange as India does statistically
have a stronger economy than the UK, not to mention being much bigger
than us, yet it's still known as 'a poor country.' And Indians do have
a reputation as quite affable, gentle people. Yet SM shows us some of
the more unsavoury ones who are truly rotten eggs. Which brings us onto
another downbeat aspect of the film, in the shape of a truly unsettling
scene involving a child being blinded so more pity will be taken on him
as a beggar. It takes a nasty jolt like this to wake us up to the true
human cost going on behind the poorness and despair, and the parasitic
exploitation that festers behind it.Indeed, The News of the World ran the story of how the child stars were
made to return to their lives of poverty after the film enjoyed Oscar
night and how the father of one of them was even driven to sell them so
she could have a better life. There is poverty in the UK, but I can't
imagine a situation where a child would be sold out of poverty. All in
all, the film serves as a depressing eye opener to the unseen world of
India and you come away with less of an impression of having seen a
'feel good' film and indeed actually having seen quite a downbeat and
disturbing one. That's not to say it doesn't have it's more positive
moments or that it's any less involving, just you go in for one thing
and come out with something a bit different. And that never works for
me. ***

davideo-2 from United Kingdom - 22 June 2009

The worst can be the best

Outside of being a wonderful film with a gripping story, the
inspirational nature of this film is second to none. The way the most
painful moments in the life of the protagonist wound up making him
stronger and stronger as the movie moved forward was wonderful. How
better to tell people that even their darkest moments may, in some
small way, make them stronger in the future. What a great film! I also
think the selection of actors made this film a great success. The
reality brought to the screen by individuals who are most likely all
too familiar with the difficulty faced by the "slumdog" population made
their pain as realistic as possible.

fish_1-1 from United States - 22 June 2009

Spoon-fed Millionaire

Is there anyone else that this self-serving schlock missed so badly
with? It seems obvious to me that Mr. Boyle, having missed every time
with western audiences thought that he could cash in with the Bollywood
crowd and score himself some Rupees for his overdue retirement party.
To make such an unrealistic, manipulative film and simply label it a
"fairy tale" is an insult to every well-written fairy tale ever penned
and to use (and I emphasize the word "use") the residents of these
slums in such a manner that undermines their abject poverty is boo
worthy. Danny Boyle should be booed for having tried to manipulate so
many people's emotions with such flaccid trash. Stop bandwagoning this
miserable piece of sub-art, Slumdog apologists and cultivate yourself
an objective opinion. The emperor is wearing no clothes, ladies and
gentlemen and his name is Danny Boyle.

Todorojo-1 from United States - 21 June 2009

Only slightly above mediocre at best.

Bearing in mind that this one saw it after it stamped on the Academy
Award competition, I was expecting it to be as good as everyone (i.e.
my parents, who saw it before it received all the hype) said it was.
Unfortunately, it fell short of the mark. A "feel good" film? Are you
kidding me? Points scored for A.R. Rahman's soundtrack and the issues
played out in the film, but otherwise, an overrated film reaching
slightly above mediocre at best. No way should it have won eight
Oscars. Maybe about four or five at the most because of the reasons
above.Here are my grades: Acting: C Cinematography: B Music: A Plot: B/A.

caitlin-rix from United Kingdom - 18 June 2009

Boyle generates feel good motive in stunningly set drama

Jamal Malik (Patel) is accused of cheating on Who Wants to be a
Millionaire with one question left and when questioned by authorities,
he recounts his life story.Danny Boyle's 2008 Oscar winner brought many to see the light in the
dark dramas of the other Oscar potentials amongst David Fincher's
Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. All
strong conceptual dramas and amongst these stood the Englishman's
sentimental feel good picture about an apparent cheat on a game show
that delighted viewers all over the world.Filmed in Mumbai, Slumdog is a complex rags to riches story that shines
with a warm intensity whilst generating a strong drama of life in the
slums of India with Boyle once more establishing himself as one of the
finest scenery directors to grace our screens.At first the Oscar dominator starts as a slow paced establisher by
bringing out the sequence of the present of Dev Patel's Jamal being
punished in Prison, through a literally shocking manor. From there he
starts explaining his life story and how he came to be on Who Wants to
be a Millionaire and how he was doing everything for one person.Danny Boyle certainly handles flashbacks exceptionally well. From
Trainspotting to The Beach he swerves the story into a conundrum of
possibilities and expectations. As we travel back and forth through
events we learn more and more about the accused and Boyle again is
establishing the character to fit our viewing requirements. From the
desperate surge of rivalry with his brother to the desperation of
finding his lost love, Jamal's sentimental plot resounds around the
tightly woven Oscar winning script.What is astonishing about this film however is Boyle's direction and
never before has an Oscar been more deserved. From the sharp sweeping
shots of India to the sophisticated televised moments Boyle's
continuity is to be greatly appreciated as the way the story flows in
comparison to Boyle's established scenery setting helps generate the
importance and hardness of growing up in the slums and being the most
popular person in India.Dev Patel's first major role is vastly different from his beautifully
lively Anwar in Skins. The sentiment and repressed desire fits
exquisitely to the story's emotional core whilst Frieda Pinto gives
good balance.There are flaws in this picture. The first part of the film is
immensely boring and the pace and energy of the situation takes a while
to generate the feeling of proclaimed "destiny". Anil Kapoor is
exceptionally annoying as the TV presenter whilst the dance sequence at
the very end gives of an unforgivable cheesy vibe.But there can be minimal doubt that Slumdog deserves its praise with a
sentimental feel good motive and once more Boyle is on top form with
stunning scenery direction.

Stampsfightclub from United Kingdom - 17 June 2009

Suspension of disbelief

The movie requires a massive dose of suspension of disbelief to be
enjoyed, but if you don't mind that, it's fun to watch. Not a
masterpiece, by any means, but satisfying nonetheless. It's a fairytale
of the 21st century and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure that
most people who condemn its many implausibilities wouldn't react that
way if the movie hadn't won any Oscar, but that's just how thing work
in our world. A movie can have its flaws, especially if it's from an
outside country and reality, but God forbid it to win any award or
commercial recognition. In a sentence: if you're too cynical, don't
bother watching it.

somviciado from Portugal - 15 June 2009

A Very ordinary movie or may be even less than ordinary…

When suddenly there came a phenomenon which proclaimed India's arrival
at the world cinema stage , the cynic in me rubbished the whole thing
as a gimmick. The credibility of the academy awards has taken a severe
beating due to constant and regular stoop downs over the years.Take for example Rocky (1976-77) or Training day .Please forgive me but
i seriously have my doubts over the claim of Gandhi as an Oscar winner.
A Beautiful Mind, American Beauty ….you name the movie and all that
is there for us to see is mediocrity. mediocrity in direction,in
screenplay writing and most importantly in characterisation and acting.
Just like the mannerisms of Kingsley in Gandhi were hardly Indian
Slumdog is hardly in touch with the reality which it wants to
realistically potray. Firstly, Indians do not speak or talk or laugh or
react the way they do in this movie. All their sensibilities, dialouges
emotions and reactions are completely western. The movie is
melodramatic to the point of being called bollywood jargon. I can bet
my life on this that there have been brilliant Hindi movies with
brilliant Hindi actors which should have won Oscars but didn't merely
because the content they supplied was intrinsically Indian.I would like
to compare Slumdog with Khosla ka Khosla . KKG is a new generation
mainstream Hindi movie which quite realistically depicts the life of a
middle class Indian and his family. their manner of speaking, laughing,
their emotions are so honestly depicted that one cannot think
otherwise.Slumdog to be honest is a farce . Not only does it lack honesty but
also credibility. It is a typical feel god movie with ordinary
performances by most of the cast. Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto are not
impressive at all. The success of Slumdog thus once again proves that
the Americans cannot treat foreign cinema like it deserves to be.
Unless a movie has been made in line with American sensibilities it
won't succeed at their award ceremonies.

sammy from India - 15 June 2009

Slumdog is seriously overrated

Now the Oscar dust has settled, what remains of Slumdog Millionaire?
Nothing much. Slumdog was a victim of its own buzz and the hype that
surrounded it was, naturally, unsustainable. Watching the film on DVD,
I was aware of its severe limitations as a cinematic experience.
Originally intended for a DVD/TV crossover, the film very much belongs
to that genre. The biggest problem of the film is its adult protagonist
played by Dev Patel. For UK viewers, he is best known as one of the
ex-cast members of the overrated teen drama Skins, and it's this TV
baggage he brings to Slumdog. Furthermore, he is not the charismatic
hero of Bollywood film but very average looking and limited in his
acting talents. His co-star Freida Pinto as the adult Latika doesn't
have to do much except look beautiful, and she does that very well.
Embarrassingly, both are upstaged by the trio of child actors who bring
a daring self-effacement to their roles. Is is they who bring a
haunting authenticity to the film, being slumdog children themselves;
and it's this blurring of roles and reality that is so intriguing.Why is it overrated? The film's central conceit of the Millionaire quiz
and flashbacks is clever at the start but soon loses its effect.
Director Danny Boyle is confused about where to reveal the origin of
the answer – sometimes it's revealed after the question is asked; other
times it's revealed before. There's an inconsistency about the flow of
this narrative strategy and often I found myself guessing the outcome
before it came and I don't want to be in this situation in a film. The film's dynamic flow staggers midway and the linear narrative takes
hold. What we get is a run-of-the mill Bollywood romance that seems too
Hollywood for its own sake. The final scenes are desperately out of
place in the film and seem insulting to the audience following many
harrowing scenes. To say the film's ending is badly handled is an
understatement. Boyle seems to have been confused about how to end the
film, so what we get is an abrupt cutaway to the protagonist Jamal,
sitting like a beggar in the station despite being the most famous TV
star in Mumbai. Just didn't ring true. The Bollywood credits further
reinforces the trivial tone. No wonder it won so many Oscars!

howie73 - 15 June 2009

One of the best movies this year!

After seeing so many movies in my life, I'm the owner of a video-rental
store for 25 years, it's hard to be thrilled by another movie. This one
did. I can fully understand why it got the Oscar for best movie and I
was impressed by the sound quality (DVD) too, for what it earned
another Oscar. The story is original, the images impressive and the
cutting of the movie more than excellent. I can't understand how
children can act so good in movies like this one (and others). When
seeing more then 40 movies a month it's exiting to find another gem in
this business. There are of course many good movies these days that
give enjoyment enough while watching it, but when I'm touched and moved
by one I know it's one out of thousands. I can write so much more about
this movie but want to add only that I will advise this movie to most
of my customers. I CANNOT BELIEVE MORE THEN 1000 VOTERS GAVE THIS MOVIE
A 1. There must be something wrong with you…

tvoorbij-1 from Netherlands - 14 June 2009

enjoyable if occasionally outlandish melodrama

Winner of eight Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture of 2008,
"Slumdog Millionaire" is like a Charles Dickens story updated to the
techno-savvy 21st Century. The movie focuses on a trio of impoverished
orphans living and loving and contending with a slew of heartless
villains in the slums of Mumbai, India. Jamal, his older brother,
Salim, and their compatriot, Latika, a young girl they take under their
wing, undergo enormous trials and tribulations as they struggle to
survive in a world that has pretty much abandoned them to the vagaries
of fate. In true Dickensian fashion, the story also provides generous
doses of melodrama, implausible coincidences, hairbreadth escapes and
heart-tugging sentimentality to help mitigate the suffering.Based on the novel "Q & A" by Vikas Swarup, the movie starts off with a
now 18-year-old Jamal being interrogated - and, indeed, tortured - by
the Indian authorities who don't believe that an ordinary kid from the
slums could be racking up so much money as a contestant on "Who Wants
to Be A Millionaire?" (he's fast approaching the 20,000,000 rupee mark)
without somehow cheating. With this unlikely but clever narrative
device serving as a framework, the movie then travels back in time to
show the skeptical police investigator just how it is that Jamal does
indeed happen to know the answers to all those questions.Written by Simon Beaufoy and co-directed by Loveleen Tandan and Danny
Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later"), "Slumdog Millionaire" somehow
manages to push the envelope in the areas of plausibility and
credibility without sacrificing its authenticity in the process. One
moment it may be being brutally honest in its depiction of the effects
of grinding poverty and cruelty on the human body and spirit - and the
next it's indulging in the veriest of feel-good fantasies, as Jamal
stands on the brink of the ultimate rags-to-riches fable, getting both
the money and the girl, in the best Horatio Algers tradition. Yet, the
movie never feels exploitative or compromised as a result of this
dichotomy - a dichotomy, in fact, that clearly reflects the Indian
culture of both wealth and poverty, traditionalism and modernity from
which the story arises.The flashiness of the editing and the liveliness of the directing keep
the film hurtling ahead at a breakneck pace, while the cast of mainly
amateur actors - playing the children at various ages - engages our
sympathy from the outset. Dev Patel and the gorgeous Freida Pinto are
both splendid as the oldest incarnations of the two main characters.
And don't step out before the closing credits, a fun and lively bit of
Bollywood hoopla designed to send audiences out of the theater with a
spring in their steps and a smile on their faces - a smile that is well
and honestly earned, I must say.

Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States - 14 June 2009

Slam Dunk Millionaire

Beautifully shot and composed, this fast moving tale is also very
well-acted by players unfamiliar to Americans. Distilled, the script is
patently simple and has been done many times. But, it is the treatment
here that makes SM different and compelling. Danny Boyle handles his
directing chores to turn in a tightly woven story of
rags-to-rags-to-riches.The child actors are wonderful and expressive. The adult Jamal, played
by Dev Patel, comes off a little wooden. Freida Pinto as the adult
Latika does a bit better, but all she is really asked to do is look
beautiful, which she does effortlessly.This movie is relentlessly depressing, living in a world of a nearly
sub-human subsistence struggle. India is presented as a filthy,
corrupt, and thoroughly disgusting place; one spends much of the movie
thanking God for allowing you to not have been born there. There is the
occasional inappropriate background song. And there are some elements
that simply do not work, such as the child diving into a pit of
excrement and then obtaining a celebrity's autograph. For these things,
I gave it nine rather than ten stars.Well worth a viewing.

(j.lacerra@yahoo.com) from Philadelphia - 13 June 2009

Overrated

It was pretty good, but the critics seemed to overrate it a bit. It
just seems that every arty, substantial movie that gets made are sure
to win Oscars. The cinematography and direction was great, but the
story and characters was mediocre as the character development was
ridiculous since the movie doesn't really show why Jamal loved Latika
(let's not forget that he saw her only twice since they were kids).
This was more of an obsession than real love. The only character that
wasn't that two dimensional was Salim. Best directing and
cinematography? Maybe, but the fact that the movie won best writing and
movie is laughable. Also the little kid actors were awesome and other
than that, there were better films released in 08.And are we really supposed to believe that playing for such high stakes
on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, they would ask a cricket related
question, in India of all places?

mmapwDotCom from United Kingdom - 11 June 2009

One of the best movies of last year!

Whenever I think back about 2008, I will always think about The Dark
Knight. I love that movie, it blew me away, but then there was this
hidden gem, that I didn't see till this year. Where to begin? There is
so much to say about this film but I am at a loss for words. How do I
describe the way it made me feel? It's a drama, a romance, an adventure
with action, a story of survival and social injustice. It will tug at
your heartstrings and stimulate your mind. Shocking images of poverty
and violence will assault your senses, but a story of enduring love and
perseverance will counter the scenes of sorrow and deprivation. Top
notch directing and acting, excellent cinematography, and most of all
great storytelling make this a cinematic experience not soon to be
forgotten. Told in a series of flashbacks, we see the events that
shaped the life of our protagonist and enabled him to answer the
questions as they were presented to him. Good character development
brings us close to the ones we feel for as well as the villains we
loathe. This film is a masterpiece. A work of genius. To put it simply,
it's awesome. Of course it will have it's detractors, and some viewers
will undoubtedly find reasons not to like it. That will be their loss.
It did win several Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and in my
opinion it deserves it. To say I highly recommend this would be an
understatement.

deathlok_lover from United States - 11 June 2009

Bolyes behavior towards the 2 children makes this movie trash to me

The main actors as children - are a important part of the story.I can't enjoy any part of the movie knowing these precious children are
in harms way.To just dump them back in the slums is where HE belongs.HE has put them in danger with their fame - then dumped them back in
the slums. They deserve a safe existence and good education-NOW.I want the truth - where is the "proof" the film set up trusts - and if
they did spend the money to protect and educate them now thru college.All praise and glory he thinks he deserves - makes him - nothing but
the most horrible (can't even call him a "human being")of the worst CREATURE to ever exist.

artscapesg from United States - 9 June 2009

Not very realistic, though very well shot

I watched this movie when it debuted at the box office but didn't
bother writing a review till now. The movie was entertaining on all
fronts, just all this critical acclaim isn't rightfully earned. A lot
of things shown in the movie are just very unrealistic, I know this
because I am Indian myself. First things first, performances were very refreshing. Of course I knew
most of the actors as I've seen them on screen while growing up. (Anil
Kapoor/Saurabh Sukhla/Mahesh Manjrekar/Irffan Khan, all of them were
good. Dev Patel as Jamal did a fine job, he is not a thorough looker,
but that is what the role demanded. Freida Pinto as Latika was good
too, though she needs to polish her acting skills more. Madhur Mittal
as Salim was outstanding, I haven't really seen him before but he sure
has command over acting. All the kids were absolutely amazing, they
acted so natural without having acting classes or whatsoever. Superb!
Out of all the younger actors, in my opinion Tanay Chheda stood out as
the strongest. Music was of course outstanding, because the music has been done by
maestro A.R.Rahman, I have always been a fan of him, though this is not
his best work, I'm glad he got an Oscar for his composition, and made
his name a trademark in the market of international music. Jai Ho and
Ringa Ringa are absolutely foot-tappable numbers.Now the bad points… I understand the kids later grew up at places
where tourism is a big thing, so they learned English. But it is
certainly not realistic that the police cops were also talking in
English to Jamal when he was being questioned, not just them… almost
everybody was talking English. It would have been much better if they
would have just talked in Hindi with included subtitles for viewers.
Instead of letting the protagonists talk in English because it looks
better than subtitles, that made it totally fake.Second thing… Kaun Banega Crorepati? (Or Who wants to be a
millionaire?) was never a Live thing on TV, sure, of course I
understand that they can make it live because someone has reached the
last 3 questions, but they should have somehow narrated that in the
story, just demands a little creativity. Thirdly, Salims character should have been written better. It still
remains unclear/confusing why he changed in the last moment. It would
have been better if Danny would have let Salim converse with Jamal
first (On the phone even..) that he realised his mistakes and is about
to make up for everything.These three things caused me to cut three points off the total mark for
Slumdog Millionaire. The hype isn't really needed, its a fine product,
but not flawless.:) Overall : Watch Slumdog Millionaire if you love good cinema! Thumbs
up!

rajandey from Netherlands - 9 June 2009

'…a bold and brilliant achievement…'

Danny Boyle has made his name as a director who alters between genres.
From gritty drug dramas, to deep space horror quests, he's truly a man
who delivers in all aspects of cinema.Slumdog Millionaire follows the life of Mumbian slumdog Jamal. A street
kid that all his life experience are the answers to the questions of
the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'.The whole concept of the movie is brilliantly original and how the
movie plays out is ultimately rewarding. It's a mix mash of many
different moods. At times it's a thriller, others it's a tense drama;
but overall it's a romance that visits true depths of excellence.The direction is on-par with all of Danny Boyles work. It's sharp,
inspired and full of breathtaking cinematography. The imagery is
dynamic and whole thing looks wonderful.Never mind the young cast, there's plenty of talent here from the two
leads. Not exactly Oscar worthy, but they do deliver a much likable
quality to the picture.The movie looks very real and at times it's quite disturbing, but
shamefully it never captures the heart aching quality that could have
made this one of the years greatest.Slumdog Millionaire above all is just really entertaining. The entire
thing is so epic and captivating and never lets you go once your in.Some of the music choice does let down movie down though? The producers
probably thought it was necessary to throw a load of modernised
Bollywood tones in there, just because the movie is filmed in India.
There's also lots of irrelevancy (massive dance sequence at the end)
but this is a bold and brilliant achievement.Overall: Slumdog Millionaire is a goldmine of emotions and a master of
genres. A brilliant and at times breathtaking movie that is both epic
and memorable. Not the perfect Oscar draw but any fans of cinema will
find it very rewarding.

DVDreview2009 (gas911@hotmail.co.uk) from United Kingdom - 7 June 2009

So Overblown

After all of the hype and awards for Slumdog Millionaire, I expected
more. The film is really quite average in every way. It has three
things going for it: 1) Freida Pinto is drop-dead gorgeous, 2) the
ending 'music video' at the train station is fun and invigorating, and
3) Freida Pinto is drop-dead gorgeous. That's about it.From beginning to end, the story zig-zags around like a snake in a
traffic jam. Sensible dialog is lacking much of the time, character
development seems like an afterthought, and the film is often
ploddingly slow and boring.The plight of the poor in Mumbai is a topic worth exploring, but
Slumdog does a poor job of it. There is little depth to the storyline,
aside from the outhouse scene. I have to admit — that looked pretty
deep to me!

comquest from Atlanta, GA - 7 June 2009

A Film That Works Better As An Inspiration Rather Than A Film

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a movie that's a victim of its marketing . The
screenplay is adapted by Simon Beaufoy from a novel by Indian writer
Vikas Swarup . These two things should be remembered before watching
the film . Beaufoy was the writer of THE FULL MONTY a film that was
marketed as a comedy of sorts when in fact it was a rather downbeat
gloomy narrative saved only by the upbeat ending . SLUMDOG is the same
type of movie except it's even more gloomy , not to mention violent at
some points . " The feel good movie of the year " ? yes but you'll have
to wade through a lot of misery to get there The entire subtext revolves around the Hindu philosophy of Karma ie
things happen for a reason , even the worst things happen for a reason
and it's important to remember this . This is the only thing you should
think of before watching the movie . The plot turns are not
coincidences because Karma has chosen Jamal Malik for great things but
first he must undergo heart breaking soul destroying things that he can
never forget . In short this film is easier to respect than to enjoy or
even like but the fundamental core of the story is food for the soul .
You suffer heart breaking divorce ? Take comfort that in a future part
of your life that you're free to live your life the way you want . You
have no life , no friends , no future and every day is composed of
watching dire movies ? Slag off the films on a website and someone will
you give you Roger Ebert's job . Make a film set in Indian slums with
subtitles and expect it to go straight to DVD because there's no way no
one will watch it or nominate it for awards. Or will they ?Anything is possible screams SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and anything is . It's
not a film that's likable and while Danny Boyle is an exceptional film
maker I doubt if this is his masterwork , certainly 28 DAYS LATER and
TRAINSPOTTING were better films . But as far as SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
goes it's a reminder that the future is unwritten and perhaps maybe
destiny has great plans for all of us

Theo Robertson from Isle Of Bute , Scotland - 4 June 2009

American Academy Declares Bankruptcy

I can't say this movie is so much awful as it is unappetizing and
uninteresting. Unattractive characters, contrived situations,
uninspired direction, unintelligible dialog, it's all there.Truly, awarding this movie "Best Picture" marks the end of the American
Academy and any claims it had to intellectual or creative integrity. It
shows that an institution as venerable as the Academy is completely
capable of rotting from the inside, largely thanks to the younger
members. How pathetic that millions of viewers have been scammed by this
pretentious mess.

rhklwk-1 from United States - 2 June 2009

Oscar waste…again

After winning eight Oscars I was all set to experience a masterpiece. I
dunno, but I didn't get it. Do I need to watch it again? Is this a new
genre? What am I missing? I did not enjoy the cinema theater experience
- as I rented it and watched it in HD. That might've contributed to my
lack of understanding or sensory deprivation.Hence, I saw what seemed like a "young love" story set against the
sometimes horrid background of Mumbai, India. The slums and all that
goes with it. The flashback sequences with the young children, then as
young teens is compelling. Then suddenly we're thrust into the future
rooting for the still young Jamal Malik the contestant on India's
version of "Who wants to be a millionaire." All of the questions
somehow reflect and ignite memories of his street urchin childhood.
This is not an innovative concept. We can all guess the ending.I grant you - the photography is beautiful and I guess the kudos for
sound, editing, etc., that the academy bestowed are probably deserved.
Dev Patel as the older Jamal seems out of sync. He's just too pretty
and does not fit the part.Well… One of the best movies… ever made? Nope! Not even the best of
2008. Good, compelling, interesting and no more.

sfiver from Las Vegas - 1 June 2009

don't bother wasting your time on this movie

First of all the story wasn't great and frankly just stupid. I saw in
the cinema only because it got good reviews but i was let down so much.
Danny Boyle is a great director and i respect him but he should not
have made this useless movie. First somehow Jamal k. Malik wins the
"who wants to a millionaire" game show based on past experiences that
don't make any sense (if he grew up in the slums how could he be so
smart no education). Then after he celebrates by singing and dancing in
such a fake accent it is not even funny. Then just randomly run in the
streets how weren't they killed there would be cars.Then gets arrested
(which would not happen in real life)for cheating and gets
interrogated. I think the Oscars are rigged because it was not Oscar
worthy in my opinion, because the Oscars it got was only really dumb
things like music and cinematography. Hear my words don't bother with
this movie you'll waste your money.

scottyfunke from United Kingdom - 31 May 2009

Slumdog

How can you tell this kind of story without being boring or banal ?
This way…Boyle takes a good script and crafts it into a greater movie. I also
felt little bit disconnected with the story, it's reality etc. along
the movie. But it somehow kept my attention up.I doubt if it's a 8 Oscar movie, but I think it really deserves 8
points and worth watching.. It's actually two sides, I think some
satisfy their guilt by rewarding Oscars to this kind of movies (and
nothing changes for slum people), on the other side, if you get any
chance to awaken people about poverty in the World it's better to use
that chance.

snncy2000 from Turkey - 31 May 2009

A good movie for our age, but Best Picture?

First off, I'm going to say that "Slumdog Millionaire" is a good film
and very Oscar-worthy, but I do not think it deserved the Best Picture
Oscar. It was filmed fairly well and the story is very inspirational
and touching, but compare it to films like "It's A Wonderful Life"
which barely received any attention in its day and you may possibly
catch my drift. I will tip my hat to the people behind the film for
painting a vivid picture of two brothers in the slums of India. This
film would probably have had a bigger impact on me if it didn't
dominate the Oscars this year. "Milk" or "The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button" were more applicable for the big prize, but that's my opinion.
Despite all if its hype, this movie is still a good film and will hold
a deserved place on a list of best films of 2008.

ToonGuy92 from United States - 30 May 2009

Overrated Garbage

After seeing this movie in theaters, I found it to be quite mediocre at
best.It's a completely tried story with clichés left and right. The only
thing that separates it from a pile of otherwise identical plots is
that it involves poor Indian people…Walking out of the theater, ESPECIALLY after that ridiculous dance
scene, I thought this film to be a 6/10 at its very best.As time went by, this pedantic crap film got nominated for a bunch of
Oscars… my rage could not be contained.Then the craziest thing happened, and it won best picture as well as a
ton of other Oscars. Now it's even #60 of all time here.This pains me… a lot. I had no idea such a terrible movie could play
the race card and win best picture.

andrewjmusic from United States - 30 May 2009

Good movie

I finally saw the film which got great critical acclaim and Oscars too
Though it isn't really an Indian movie because it's made from Danny
Boyle an outsiderThe film is well handled and also shakes you at times like the acid
scene and also the scene when he is torturedThe interrogation is well handled and also is the game show though with
some errors but that is forgivenThe love story though clichéd is well handled The brotherly angle looks
half baked as the brother suddenly changes towards the endThe film is well handled and till the climax keeps you engulfedDirection by Danny Boyle is good Music by A.R Rehman is superbAmongst actors Dev Patel does his part very well, though his accent
distracts in the English version at times Freida is good ANil Kapoor is
good in his part, Irrfan is good too Saurabh Shukla is decent while the
kids are flawless

silvan-desouza from India - 24 May 2009

outstanding blend of film methods

the more you know of cultural, economic, social conditions the more you
will appreciate and richly enjoy this film.India has fully embraced Western technology; it's one reason their
economy is thriving despite the immense demands on their resources for
thousands of years. And there are millions of Indians who speak
English. where do you think all those 'customer support 800' calls wind
up? this film is off the scale as far as realism and plausibility is
concerned, a very tight story line, very fast paced with no loose ends.there are more bollywood productions every year than Hollywood which
has been in 'recycle' mode for a long time now, not much new from
California. this film is pioneering quality and well worth watching.

widescreenguy from London Canada - 23 May 2009

Average…in every way. Disappointing…in every way.

I put Slumdog into the DVD player and I was psyched! Everyone was
raving about how great it was and I just couldn't wait. As I watched it
I was looking for the good aspects of the film, that great aspect that
made it as great as it was supposed to be. Was it there? If it was I
didn't find it. I found predictable, average, and no redeeming
qualities.The plot. Okay, I get it, it sucks to live in the slums. Can we skip
that because I prefer not to spend hours looking at other's sucky
lives. Was I supposed to be amazed they were kidnapped? Was I supposed
to be shocked they spooned out their eyes so they'd make more money? I
wasn't. I already knew all of that, and, quite honestly, they do that
much younger and without all the voice training years. All that was was
a plot stall to explain a few questions that no one would remember
anyway.The acting. What's supposed to be hard to play there? These characters
had so little depth to them that if you can show happiness and sadness
and a blank face you get the part. They showed all three of those
emotions really well, but…I thought there were more emotions than
that.And then it was predictable. The couple ends up together. So wasn't
expecting that. Despite the fact that they spent half their life not
knowing each other in between childhood and ending up together they
still love each other. How sweet.So why did this win the Oscars? Because it was 'Hindi.' It wasn't.
White people made it to look like they're not racist. They're not and I
don't think anyone thinks they are, so stop embarrassing yourselves.

ckdolphinlvr from United States - 23 May 2009

The world must be ending

I have every movie danny boyle has ever done, and when he put out this
piece of junk i could not believe it. the wrestler was the best picture
of the year and i think in some sort of sick and twisted way we were
all trying to help India out by throwing money and awards on this waste
of time. i fell asleep twice in this movie and i have never fallen
asleep in the theatre. i know danny you have deserved Oscars for others
especially sunshine that was a gem that got no love and for that i
blame our society. when everyone looks at this and says wow and never
even heard of sunshine i just want to cry. that movie was truly
impressive. this is a borefest and had no business being considered for
an Oscar, especially when the changeling, wrestler had what it took and
i mean dang do we just not want to give clint eastwood any more awards.
gran torino was excellent and it was not even mentioned. something is
happening in American cinema and i don't like it thats why i stick to
the foreign movies, at least they push boundaries and do something
different this was just another bore, and has no business being even
considered for all that it had been. sorry danny hope you hit your
roots, and do something worth it in the future.

bishopmichael28 from United States - 22 May 2009

powerful social melodrama

I confess that I have too little knowledge about the genuine Indian
cinema, and I need to rely on films like this one to understand the
culture and the people of the country. Danny Boyle's surprising Oscar
blockbuster is a strong and colorful explosion of images of different
segments of the Indian society, from the lowest unlucky kids in the
slums, born to violence and abuse to the gangsters and nouveaux riches
privileged of the developing India of today. Kids abuse, crime,
poverty, religious and ethnic tensions, the old and the new India all
get their place on screen, and the viewer can feel the rhythms and the
immense power of this country even if he never visited it.The structure of the story is inspired by the trivia 'Millionaire' TV
show, the main hero being a semi-an-alphabet tea boy in Mumbay who
reaches to the almost final win stage raising the suspicions of the
police. Under a harsh interrogation he starts revealing the secret of
his matching answers - all questions relate one way or another with
experiences of his life. It's a little bit like the Forrest Gump hero
connected to all important events of the American history of the second
half of the 20th century. Here it is his own life, a life of violence
and tragedy that seems to fit with the show questions and provide him
all answers. One can interpret this as a fine saying about the
relationship between popular television and life, but this is not the
focus of the film. The biography of the superbly acted hero feeds the
colorful and realistic rendition of the Indian landscape presented
through the eyes of kids unhappy by birth and destiny and filmed with
pace and non-hesitating realism, sustaining the interest for most of
the film.It is the final part that changes the tone and turns the movie into
melodrama and romantic story. I have mixed feelings about this change
of tone, including the finale which makes a deep reverence to the
Bollywood style. On one hand the director seems to give up to the cruel
and dark vision that dominates the first part of the film. He seems to
have feared that if the register stayed there we would have got 'just'
a strong and violent social drama, lacking too much the human
dimension. With the romantic component controlling the final part of
the film the whole message looks different, the film is closer to
popular entertainment, and even the TV trivia game ends by being seen
from a different perspective. The success of the film is no doubt due
to this change of register in the final quarter of the screening time.
Maybe all successful films (and certainly these who aim to wining Oscar
awards) need a certain dose of melodrama. Due to this final the film
achieved success, but I am not convinced that it really got better.

dromasca from Herzlya, Israel - 22 May 2009

Why didn't they care for the children in the movie?

MUMBAI, India — The nine-year-old girl who starred in Slumdog
Millionaire dodged pieces of falling debris Wednesday as she tried to
salvage twisted metal and splintered wood — all that remained of her
bubble-gum pink home after authorities demolished part of a city slum
where she lived.Months after their movie swept the Oscars, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin
Mohammed Ismail, 10, are both sleeping on hard dirt, wondering when
they too might go from slumdog to millionaire. Azharuddin's home was
demolished last week."I'm feeling bad," Rubina told The Associated Press. "I'm thinking
about where to sleep."

Changeling 1980 from United States - 21 May 2009

Fantastic

ATTENTION: SPOILER…somewhere =.= Maybe it's a bit too late to watch
this movie because I've just watched it yesterday. My aunt took me to
the cinema and let me choose the movie. I chose Star Trek but she
didn't agree and said that she'd watched it enough since 1966. And I
explained to her that this is the best version of this series but…no.
And I still had to watch Slumdog Millionaire. I'd heard it's a good
movie but just see…u come to the biggest cinema in your country (Viet
Nam to me) to watch a drama? I'd rather stayed home but she bought the
ticket. "All right, see what u want,Yes, I'm a 14-year-old boy so I
have to do what u say, OK…"-I thought. And just in 5 minutes I was
attracted to the movie. "It's quite good"- I thought. A nice place,
good music, good camera's angle etc. With a huge bag of popcorn (it's
really a huge bag), I started to eat and enjoy the movie in front of
the big screen. "Well, It's worth the price of the ticket…"-I thought
when the chase between the bad guys and the kids begin. But when I see
the kids stealing the shoes, trainers of the guests in Taj Mahah , I
thought: "Oh dear! I'll never come to this place!" But it's fun. The
most important thing that make the movie exciting is the way it tells
the story. Jamal flashed back his life and I could see how he answered
all the questions. But I can't believe that everything is so easy, come
on, it's just luck. He's a lucky boy but he didn't intend to win 20.000
rupies at first, he just wanted to find his lost love with a little
hope that she would see him on TV. But he did it more…I wouldn't say
more about the plot, u can go and watch it yourself. Last but not
least, If u want to visit India, watch this movie first and be more
careful. No offense to Indians but u know, the movie talks about the
dark side of a sociality, also love and hope of the people who want to
escape from that side…

translator_of_t from Viet Nam - 21 May 2009

Simply beautiful

This movie has it all. It has action, drama, mystery, thrills,
violence, revenge, and most of all, love. I watched this movie again
immediately after it ended. This has got to be one of the most
beautiful movies I've ever seen. When I had first heard of it, I was
told the basic plot line, "a guy is suspected of cheating on who wants
to be a millionaire, and he tells his life story explaining how he knew
the answers." However, I didn't realize it was going to blow me away
like it did.Seriously, I thought the acting, directing, set, everything, was
breathtaking.Watch this movie.

a_chariot_fan from United States - 19 May 2009

Awesome Film

I thought this movie was absolutely brilliant. It is a typical "Against
all odds" type of movie but the display of the 3rd world slums in
Mumbai was simply amazing. I found it to be compelling and thought
provoking as well as it invoked a certain compassion for the troubles
face by many of the youth in this country and many alike it.Though it may have been predictable at parts I found that the movie was
well directed and the cinematography was just excellent. The movie
wraps up well and answers most of the questions you'll find during the
movie.A recommended watch.

Cody-guitarist from Canada - 18 May 2009

Krusty presents: The Cheesy and Schmaltzy Show.

Since it received no less than 8 Oscars, I foresaw that Slumdog would
not be of my liking, but I was frankly still baffled that the picture
did not even meet my poorest of expectations, turning out to be just
another overcheesed melodrama and an altogether incoherent mess of a
film.With leads totally bereft of any charisma and zero chemistry between
them, I progressively wondered who exactly I was supposed to root for.
I think at some point I went for the game show host, since he was
apparently paying the game money out his own pocket? and was obviously
the victim of a swindle, much like myself.Come on, people don't instantly become of interest or garner sympathy
just because they had a rough time. It takes a believable backdrop, a
solid script and character development to achieve this. This picture
fails terribly on all these counts and does so rather conspicuously,
much like a cartoon or a parody. Oh, this was a realistic portrait of a
typical slum in Bombay? They muse recently painted and vacuumed the
place then.Heavy handed and utterly contrived situations furthered my annoyance as
the movie turned into an inconceivable question and answer game where
queue back sequences, in perfect chronological alignment, conveniently
allowed the main lead to be able to rush through the game show, never
showing the proper emotion or physical reaction such a tense situation
surely would bring. No wonder the comic book villain cops didn't buy
the lead's explanation that he simply knew all the answers. Our poor
lead is beaten and tortured as the morally bankrupt cops try to force
out a confession. But after a few weepy lifetime tales, the cop
miraculously turns from foe to friend acting like the father one never
had. Please give us a break.And what was up with these kids being able to speak perfect English all
of a sudden? Since when is the WWTBAM show broad-casted live? And since
when do you only need to answer 6 questions in this quiz and what in
God's name is so glorious or symbolic about being shot to death in a
bathtub full of money? Why is it that nowadays films with a script and story line that would
really only be suitable for young children with its simplistic and
utterly unrealistic plot points, seem so fit to gather so much general
acclaim from a mature audience? I know people are easy to manipulate
with these sorts of rags to riches claptrap, but surely this level of
schmaltz and insultingly lame and predictable story progression would
open up a few eyes here and there?I guess that the better the movies come, the worse they actually are.

CineCritic2517 from Netherlands - 18 May 2009

The feel-bad movie of the year

The feel-bad movie of the year "The feel-good movie of the year!"
promises the quote headlined on the DVD jacket; and that certainly was
what the movie was marketed as. Remembering previous movies by director
Danny Boyle–stories about miserable people in dead-end situations–I
wondered what his idea of a feel-good movie could be.I found out soon enough: a story about even more miserable people in an
even more definitely dead-end situation, beginning in torture and
ending in a double murder, with betrayal, abduction, theft, robbery,
mutilation, and more murders along the way. The movie's claim to
feel-good status rests on a "happy ending" which takes up perhaps five
minutes and feels more like an appendix, the story proper having
concluded as it commenced, miserably. The ending didn't make me feel
good, and I don't understand how it could inspire such a feeling in
anyone who was paying attention.How did it make me feel? Confused: because it seemed to follow from
nothing that had preceded it. The boy and the girl live happily ever
after, in prosperity and contentment. But, wait, that isn't the ending;
that's our inference from the ending. The movie doesn't show it, and
isn't shown in effect doesn't happen. The actual ending is that the boy
and the girl come together and kiss. Yet even that is–well, what is
it? It isn't realistic or logical, and couldn't have been intended to
be taken as such. But neither is it romantic, because the movie lacks
the layer of sentiment that such an ending would require. It isn't
fantastical, because the movie lacks this layer, too. And it isn't
ironic, a deliberate counterpoint to reality. However you read it, it
makes no sense.This conclusion led me to look back at the story more critically, and I
found it the same all through. I don't understand what mode it's in.
It's based on what sounds like the kind of "happy idea" characteristic
of traditional comedy: a poor boy competes in a TV quiz show and amazes
everyone by knowing all the answers, because every one is something he
has discovered during one of the major events in his life. But the
movie isn't a comedy of any kind, and so I don't know why it should be
built around this idea. And even supposing it were a comedy, I wouldn't
know what the idea meant. Again, it isn't a realistic premise; it's not
likely to occur in life. Is it intended as optimistic, in showing that
all experience brings knowledge with it? Or darkly comic, in that after
the horrors the boy has endured, all he has to show for it is a few
negligible bits of trivia? Or inspirational, in that he turns lifelong
defeat into victory? One can only guess.The best clue the movie offers is the structure, as far as it can be
perceived through the director's efforts to fragment it. From it I
would guess that in the original novel was distanced a step or two from
reality. The story is laid out in a series of discrete episodes from
the boy's life, each containing the answer to one of the questions on
the quiz show. In the movie we hear the question, see the flashback
relating to it, and then flash-forward again to the boy's answer. This
seems more strained and artificial than it would in a novel, in which
it wouldn't be acted out literally.Paradoxically, however, the movie's attempts to disguise the
repetitiveness of the device only make it seem more intrusive. Had it
been stuck to, and treated in the same way as a recurring pattern in
music, it might have given the movie a solid form. As it is, it's
broken up distractingly. Sometimes we're in the studio as the quiz show
is going on, sometimes we're in a police station watching it; the
shifts are so random that often we don't know where or when we are. In
fact, it isn't until well into the film that we learn the boy isn't
only replaying his life in memory, he's also telling it to the police.
Once we know this, we can't be sure whether we're seeing events as he's
recollecting them, as he's recounting them, or as they originally
happened. Clarity appears not to have been the director's primary
objective.What he does seem to have been after is to keep things moving. And he
does. This is a running, jumping, and not-standing-still film. For
instance, it contains two street chases that go on far longer than
needed–if either sequence was needed at all–seemingly just to add
some action in. The scenes of violence raise the same suspicion, and
come off seeming sensationalized, however undoubted the reality they
reflect. Possibly Boyle has a genuine concern for the victims, but his
hyping of the atrocities they suffer leads one to call it into
question. So does the fact that the same kinds of bad things happen
even in his zombie and space movies. And frankly, I felt a lot of it
was just ego, the director superimposing himself onto the material. In
places, indeed, he does so literally. In what would have been the
movie's one enjoyable sequence, a dance number in the Bollywood style,
he continually pastes credits on top of the dancers, as well as cutting
away from them every few seconds. He can't keep himself out of it.And so he hashes up the narrative, jumping from one stage of the boy's
life to the next while paying scant attention to how he got from one to
the other, and never slowing down to show us what his life is actually
like. What he feels and thinks–especially in his relations with his
brother, so critical to the story–the movie doesn't tell, except in
the most generalized and movielike way.If I'm going to watch a meaningless movie, I'd rather it be a
feel-better one.

galensaysyes - 17 May 2009

WOW!!! What a waste of 2 hours of my life I will never get back!

This was the worst movie I've seen in 15 years I have been on this
planet, and I've seen some terrible movies in my time; such as, The man
who fell to earth starring David Bowie, and Junior, a terrible 'comedy'
starring the worst duo in the history of film making (Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito). I recommend to anyone who is
considering watching a drama based romantic movie; watch Titanic or the
Notebook, both of which are reputably good movies which are not
remotely over-rated. So if you are just walking by the video store and
see this movie, KEEP WALKING! Unless of course you want to endure the
pain of watching the worst Danny Boyle film you will ever see. This
film, in my opinion, may be the end of Mr Boyle's career.

haydenbebbington from United Kingdom - 9 May 2009

'Jai Ho' !!!!!

Danny Boyle is easily up there with my favourite directors,he seems to
catch real emotion and beauty in such everyday things, this film is
beautifully shot and acted, it really is such a beautiful film. I
really loved the format the idea of the film being set around who wants
to be millionaire and with all the terrible things that had happened to
the main characters being the reason they eventually broke free,it is
so bittersweet at the end, the final scenes are so gripping, Also i
loved the fact that it was so true to life,the characters, situations,
settings, all real India! Watch this film - also really loved the
dancing at the end !! Fab !! 'it rocks' !!!!

nina_perkins from United Kingdom - 9 May 2009

It was okay

Malik (Patel) goes on a TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire in
the hope that his long lost love Latika (Pinto) sees him and still
cares. The setting is India.If the powers that be wanted a FEEL GOOD movie to win Best Picture they
got their wish. It was okay. I wouldn't have nominated it for Best
Picture (it won for that), and I certainly wouldn't have nominated the
Director for the Best Director Award (it won for that too). (Don't hold back Bob, tell us how you really feel)The beginning of this movie was confusing. I had no idea what was going
on, the scenes shifted so fast and the sub-titles came and went with
the wind. The sub-titles were too small, often yellow on a gold
background and they didn't stay on the screen too long even if they
weren't yellow on gold. I never did take that speed reading course. Oh,
and get this: the sub-titles were not always in the same place, like on
the bottom of the picture where sub-titles usually are. No, you had to
look for them depending on who was speaking. Creative, but annoying.
Also, the Nervous Camera was much in evidence quite a bit in the
beginning. And, a lot of the scenes were dark like it was always night
time. I almost shut it down.But, I figured out the key and just let everything go and then half of
the movie came around and things began to make sense and, thank God,
things slowed down so we could all understand what was going on. Sort
of. And, the sub-titles went way, good riddance. And, you will (like
me) figure out all the answers to the questions put to Malik on the
show. Very clever, I must say. Really clever. Reminded me of The Usual
Suspects (great movie, btw).But, here is the KEY for those of you who really try to follow
everything in the beginning: THIS IS A LOVE STORY. As long as you know
that and you remember the names Malik and Latika, that is all you
really need to know. Don't bother to memorize anything else. You'll
hurt yourself like I did. The music from time to time was very good (won for Best Original Score
and for Best Original Song).Why everyone went ga ga over this is beyond me. It's okay. The acting
all around is excellent, but ga ga? No way. I guess the other nominated
movies weren't of the Feel Good ilk. And, we want to feel good, don't
we? Huh?Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: I really didn't hear
anything, but they talked so fast……………

(bob-rutzel-1) from United States - 7 May 2009

Flawless

I find that even if there is a lot of violence and a lot of
coincidences, this film is a masterpiece: it is the movie of the
year.It shows the reality of the chaos in India but the happy end with
the Bollywood scene, humour and heartbreak is like in a fairy tale.
That is why there is an unlikely and an unrealistic part. And without
all the coincidences (all the questions have a link with Jamal's life)
We can not make the film. This movie is a visuual wonder to : It
engrosses you in the story until the end and the music is wonderful but
beyond the beauty of the pictures , the characters honesty hits you
right in the face.Actors and actresses' performances are amazing.In
conclusion the plot is good the way the film has been shot is genius
and the actors are perfect the high number of reviews about SM shows
the important impact of this film and that is why , it deserves all the
recognition it got. This movie is a mixture of light and darkness and
it is a family film with shocking brutality though. Contrasts make its
originality and success. It is a master piece, there is no cheating 8
Oscars were the destiny of the film.

alexandre-sarazin from France - 4 May 2009

Definitely worth all the awards it got!

I have to say that I didn't like this movie at first. I was half-way
through the book when I watched the movie. I didn't get a chance to see
it in theaters and I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. I
decided that I really wanted to see the movie before I finished the
book. I bought the movie and watched it that night. Now the reason why
I say that I didn't like it at first was because the book was
completely different from the movie.After maybe ten or fifteen minutes into the movie, I completely
disregarded what I read and actually watched it as a movie and stopped
comparing. I found it to be so great, they made a real slum look so
beautiful. This was definitely worth watching and I love it.If you read the book first, don't compare it. It is what will ruin a
movie for ya. I do recommend that anyone that has seen the movie, they
should read the book. The book is amazing, just like the movie!

Mandi49505 from United States - 4 May 2009

over-hyped senseless mess

I hated 'The English Patient', hated 'Benjamin Button', and I advise
the director to take his Oscar and do what Jamal did when he was locked
in that toilet as a kid… then ask your mommy to wash it all off.This is a disturbing film, definitely not for kids. The torture
scene… well, why would someone playing WWTBAM be tortured by electric
shock? He throws up blood, is beaten, etc. And then, all seems well, as
he is served coffee and has no scars. huh? Did I say HUH?Yes, the real India is shown. It is indeed mostly slums. But you know
vat boyz & girlz?! So is most of Mexico, Brazil, Africa, China,
Romania, Albania, etc. Watch a PBS documentary on the world's slums
instead. Overpopulation is to blame, specifically in South America,
Africa, Asia, especially in China and India.Now how is it that ugly dark kids turn out to be tall handsome bleached
personages? Oh ye, and they do speak English quiet well, don't they?Where did Salim get the gun to shoot Maman? Why did he shoot the
gangster in the end and throw all that $$$ in the tub, and where did
the $$$ come from?How in the wide world of alien cattle mutilations did Jamal end up on
the show in the first place? What imbecile doesn't know the 3rd
Musketeer was Aramis?What's with the dancing in the end? Is it supposed to signify
something? Oh yes, Jamal and Latika walk off into the sunset to live
out their lives in bliss and happiness. Got it.

TheTerminatorsky from United States - 4 May 2009

Game Show Contestant Jamal Malik uses answers from the hardships of his life to win twenty million rupees and find the girl he lost years ago

When I popped the DVD Slumdog Millionaire (2009) into my DVD player I
wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. What I saw
was a very emotional, inspiring and message filled movie. Directors
Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tanden certainly knew what they were doing
when putting this cinematic feature together and credit is also due to
the screen writer Simon Beaufoy. The theme is a mixture of the
importance of love and perseverance in the harsh world we live in. You
see the more harsh side of life that exists in every country but more
just have turned a blind eye to it.The movie starts out with Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel, being
interrogated for being suspected of cheating on the popular game show
"Who Want to be a Millionaire?" And the question is asked, "Jamal Malik
is just one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do
it? A. He cheated B. He's lucky C. He's a genius D. It is destiny"
After watching him being tortured for a bit he is placed in a chair in
an office, where him and two officers watch the show and each question
they ask him how he knew the answer. Each question brings back a memory
from his life in the slums of India, some are good memories, but mostly
there are sad ones.The shots used to transition from the present of him being questioned,
to the show and then on to the flashbacks are brilliant. Through the
television screen till you're on the state as one of the cameras
filming the show, and from there you see him close his eyes in
remembrance or gaze into the distance, you hear the sounds from the
scene before the scene itself comes into focus. You are introduced to
Jamal and his older brother Salim, played by Madhur Mittal as an adult,
when they are little kids and are being played by Ayush Mahesh Khedekar
(Jamal), Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (Salim). They are the musketeers,
causing mischief and trouble where ever they go in the slums, whether
it's playing on landing strips and out running cops, or charging people
to use bathrooms near the beach.During one of the flashbacks there is a fight and the boys' mother is
killed. They find a little girl by the name of Latika, played as a
child by Rubina Ali, alone and at first they outcast her on Salim's
orders, but once Salim is asleep Jamal invites here in and befriends
her. She becomes the third musketeer to their ranks. Latika and Jamal
grow very close and even though they get separated as children he never
forgets her. In fact he makes a point of going and finding her when
they are teenagers, and finding her again when they were adults. He
loves her more than anything and she's the reason he got on the game
show, he knew she'd be watching it.The manipulation of time as they grow up makes the movie flow quite
well and keeps the storyline going. When they transition from being
kids to teenagers they are rolling down a hill after being thrown off a
train. You see them slowly age through the flying dirty as they roll
and yelp. Then when they sit up they are now teenagers and the Taj
Mahal is standing before them in the distance. The next age jump from
teenager to adult is a jump of time span. Years that went by where not
much happened.As the movie nears its climax you see that Jamal has become a symbol to
all 'slumdogs'. He made the show, he's answered every question correct
and thousands of people gather around any television set that is
available to them to watch this man, who has suffered much go from
having nothing to having millions. When all he really wants in the end
is to be with the girl he loves the most.I would most definitely say that this movie, through its capturing of
the pain, the happiness, the sadness, earned all eight Oscars it won
out of the ten it was nominated for. At the end I was moved by it. I
was sitting right there with all the other Indians rooting for him to
win, him to show that even a slumdog can know the answers, have
knowledge, become some one and achieve something in the world. Then in
the end, he achieves the only goal he's ever truly had: To be with
Latika. Definitely earned a thumbs up from me for those who like
inspirational movies that don't involve a lot of action but contain a
lot of meaning. Life teaches us the answers to the questions we are
asked. So the answer at the end is "D. It is Destiny".

themaeyu from United States - 4 May 2009

Over-Boyled

The film captures the color and vibrancy of Mumbai, but the script is
stupid, amateurish, contrived, melodramatic, and completely illogical.
The preposterous notion that a game show contestant suspected of
cheating would be tortured by the police is an insult to India. A
competent director may have overcome the shortcomings of the script,
but Boyle is obsessed with his distracting visual style (tilted camera,
fast inter-cutting, excessive closeups) at the expense of story and
character development and acting. His over-indulgent style is better
suited to music videos. Also, as with his earlier "Trainspotting," this
one features a revolting toilet scene. What's with that?

kenjha - 3 May 2009

Kinda not a big deal

This movie was all right, it wasn't bad but it also wasn't spectacular.
I really think that the movie industry needed that one special film to
push for awards season and Slumdog was a safe bet. The film wasn't
nearly as gritty and dramatic as City of God (and I was told that it
would be) and all in all, I expected a little bit more out of Danny
Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave). There were more
than a few plot holes that I guess every movie critic that saw the film
decided to ignore (like how the heck does he actually get onto the
show?). Also, Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.'s music is terrible for the film
and sounds kind of corny when played in context with some of the
scenes. I mean, let's face it: "Paper Planes" was old the minute the
first screening of the Pineapple Express trailer was finished; and
Slumdog Millionaire plays this particular song like three different
times in the film. Also, the dance sequence at the end of the film is
just plain dumb (I'm guessing its paying tribute to Bollywood films or
something); it really takes away from the dramatic punch and tone that
the film had been trying to establish.

johnhomicidal from United States - 30 April 2009

Typical Boy and Girl Can't Get Together Until the End of the Movie Movie

I am not sure what all the hype is about this movie. It started out
very slow and continued slow and did not become entertaining until
halfway or more through the movie–worth seeing, but certainly nothing
much above average. I suspect people liked it because it was not the
typical Hollywood movie. I did not like the way it continued to
flashback from the present to the past but I typically do not like
movies that use this tactic excessively as this movie did. It was
predictable in that the main character panned for a girl through the
entire movie and circumstances always kept the two apart and only at
the end of the movie did they finally get together. I thought it could
have been edited better so that it did not drag so much in the first
half of the movie. Certainly it is worth it to see if nothing more than
it is very different than the typical Hollywood movie–no big name
actors and while it is done in English, all of the actors are or appear
to be native to India.

ccmulder from United States - 30 April 2009

Street Smarts.

A strange combination of "Rocky" and "City of God" which ends up being
the most unexpected and amazing crowd-pleaser of recent memory. Young
Dev Patel is being tortured by Mumbai police officers as it seems he
has somehow cheated on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?". Immediately, the flashbacks begin and we see the
character throughout his rough and turbulent life in the slums of one
of the largest and most unforgiving cities in the world. Comedy,
tragedy, crime, and intense drama blend together to prove Patel has the
street smarts necessary to actually go the distance. Older brother
Madhur Mittal, who has become a cutthroat thug, and one true love
Freida Pinto (who just illuminates an already visually bright
production), prove to be the most endearing people in Patel's life.
Scene-stealer Anil Kapoor (as India's answer to Regis Philbin) nearly
steals the production as the demented and acid-mouthed game show host
who is tough to completely figure out. The movie also appropriately
serves as a tribute to the former city of modern-day Bombay. Brilliant
direction by Danny Boyle and an amazingly smart screenplay by Simon
Beaufoy highlight a film which dominates in every major aspect of the
cinema—from its mind-blowing editing to its revolutionary
cinematography and finally to its addictive soundtrack and score. One
of those films to embrace and experience again and again. A flat-out
modern-day masterpiece which almost got a direct-to-video release (!?).
5 stars out of 5.

tfrizzell from United States - 29 April 2009

People are sheep..

It's astonishing to see how ghastly efficient the propaganda machine of
the movie business operates these days. I can't wait to read the first
post doctorates on the study of how the whole world was manipulated
into wholeheartedly believe that this atrociously saccharine Bollywood
snoozer is worth even single nomination, aside from a couple of razzies
that is.Watching this pathetic excuse for entertainment being drowned in
acclaim, it made me wonder how all those professional movie critics
somehow managed to forget the vast legacy of western cinema before they
almost unanimously crawled up the arse of one D. Boyle and his snotty
little film.You can almost forgive them, but then you realize that it's actually
their job to tell you what I'm telling you now. The Academy Awards have
turned into a Schmaltzolympics by favoring this sort of totally
unimpressive and manipulative dross we all look down on the rest of the
year. And people are sheep. But what else is new.Bah!

(amalgam@live.nl) from Uncle Joe's basement - 29 April 2009

It's Not Really THAT Good…

Solid, fun, exuberant, vibrant, and over-rated. Good times, but im
conflicted about this. Unique setting for a well worn subject, rags to
riches, star crossed lovers, betrayal, destiny, etc. Pop culture
inspired, music and TV shows which cross cultural boundaries. Novel
narrative structure, and use of flashbacks. Its fun, and not every
movie is. It's engrossing and over all enjoyable, it will please most,
and I was smiling at the end.Its a good pop corn, movie fun, light, you could pop it in on a bad
day, and be whisked off. I don't think its fair to say don't nitpick
this cus its nice, it is, but its not perfect, and its being hailed as
the best thing since sliced bread. Its a great romantic comedy though,
and as an exercises in genre, it works well. The torture sequences
really weren't as brutal or prolonged as they were being made out to
be(not that any torture would be easy).The signature scene is the boy dipped in s&#t, to get his heroes
autographs(its referenced at the end too), sometimes you have to
suffer, wade through crap, to get what you really want. But the "it is
written" ending was a cop out, a pleasant one, but it is what it is. At
the end the tea server, is rich and gets a hot girlfriend, bad guys
kill each other, just like "True Romance". I'ts romantic and boisterous
as a Bollywood song, and depending on your mood, just as cheesy or as
colorful.

Joseph Sylvers from United States - 28 April 2009

Good but overrated

I finally saw this movie on DVD last night and i thought it was pretty
engaging and gripping especially the first half of the movie, showing
the harsh realities of kids growing up in the slums of Bombay. But
unfortunately, the movie sort of fell apart in the final 30 minutes or
so. Seemed like it was a deliberate part by the director to make
everything right in the end and make it a feel good, love story, when
instead the dark story of how the little kids grew up in poverty could
have been developed further. The chemistry just wasn't there between
Jamaal and Latika and we never know why exactly is he so in love with
this girl and never gives up on searching for her time and time again.
I have read several comments here from my fellow Indians about how they
are all upset that this movie shows the ugly side of India to the
western audience. i don't think it was Danny Boyle's intention to
insult Indians here at all. Danny Boyle when responding to Indian
critics asked them to treat this simply as a work of art, which is
exactly what it is - a beautifully told love story set in the backdrop
of Bombay slums, nothing more, nothing less. It is unrealistic to
expect a western filmmaker to portray India the way "mainstream
bollywood" directors do. Fact is more than 60% of the country still
lives in poverty, despite the growing economy and higher incomes and
purchasing power of the middle class, and if this makes you
uncomfortable, then just stick to watching the song and dance bollywood
musicals.

r_gokul from Columbus,OH - 28 April 2009

You don't have to be a genius to have great knowledge

Jamal Malik, who is played by Dev Patel in the movie Slumdog
Millionaire, is just one question away from wining a million rupees, on
the popular game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. A young man, who
grew up in much hard times in Mumbai India, has just found himself in a
tuff situation again, being one question away from becoming a
millionaire. Jamal Malik, a former street child along with Salim played
by Rubina Ali, and Latika, played by Freida Pinto has dealt with a lot
growing up and is now faced with the opportunity of a life time, but
what will happen? Though out the movie we understand what has happened
to our young contestant. The movie opens with Jamal being interrogated
by an Indian police officer, asking how he knew all the answers to the
questions, because it seems unlikely for a slumdog to have the
knowledge to win such a show. Is it because (A) he is cheating, (B) he
is smart, (C) he is lucky, or (D) it is written. The Police inspector
played by Irrfan Khan proceeds to review the show with Jamal, only to
find out that for almost every question he has a life experience that
has thought him the answer. We proceed to learn more about this young
mans situation though a serious of flash backs he has while being
interrogated. These flash backs show us details of his childhood which
include scenes of the death of his mother during an anti-Muslim
violence raid, how Salim becomes his big brother and the relationship
that they have, and how Latika and Jamal become destined to be
together. We get to see how the three of them struggled for food and
money and how they went about obtaining such things. We gain an
understanding of the relationship with Latika and the love that Jamal
has for her. Slumdog Millionaire shows us that you do not have to be a
genius to have great knowledge.Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy, this movie was an
adaptation of the novel Q & A, by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It was
set and filmed in India. The director use of color and lighting was
extraordinary in this film. Bright colors showed some of the uniqueness
of the film as well as the lighting. The lighting in the film gave an
audience member an understanding of the situation and played well with
the emotions of the film. One of my favorite uses of color was when
Latika is standing within the train station trying to find Jamal and
she is wearing a bright yellow head scarf which brings light to her.Often times we watch shows and wonder if we could do what that
contestant is doing, never truly understanding what that person has
gone though or how the came to know the answers. Slumdog Millionaire
shows us that you don't have to be a genius to get everything that you
want; just understanding what one has gone though can be an even
greater life lesson.

lillbitever from United States - 28 April 2009

IncredibleMrD's review: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire was a fantastic film that definitely deserved it's
Best Film Oscar win. The story was amazing and had a great message
about love. It showed a realistic view of parts of India that were
sometimes unpleasant to watch, however the goodness of the film made up
for the disturbing parts.The acting was great, especially the two youngest boys who did a
fantastic job. The music was also amazing. I love the song
"Millionaire" and I've listened to it over 10 times on youtube! I give
Slumdog Millionaire a 10 out of 10 and if you can handle some R rated
violent scenes, you should see it as soon as possible.

IncredibleMrD from United States - 26 April 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

The story of an orphan, his brother and the girl they knew growing up
in the slums of Mumbai in India won the Academy Award for Best Picture
and numerous other Academy Awards. It earns it's "R" rating and is for
adults and older teenagers only. The rags to riches story of Jamal is
one that has been told over and over and could have been told without
showing the violence and still would have had it's impact. The story
would have been be just as good with a "PG-13" rating. You will sit
through two hours of sickening violence before reaching the happy
ending in this movie. I did appreciate the cinematography and some of
the fine acting but that didn't make up for the fact that I wanted to
vomit at times because of the violence and and couldn't fall asleep for
hours after seeing the movie. I recommend skipping it. I was sorry I
watched it.

lovesdaffodils74 from United States - 26 April 2009

Good but not so exceptional

What a good movie! I really liked the plot and how the film is brimming
with coincidence. OK, it might be a little far-fetched but that is what
makes the story somehow magic. The way Danny Boyle brilliantly directed
the film makes me look forward to watching other movies from
him.Slumdog Millionaire showed interesting aspects of India, far from
the clichés we often have in mind. However, I am not sure it deserved
all its eight Oscars. if the film is a very good one, it is certainly
not a masterpiece of the cinema history. As for the actors, I think Dev
Patel and Freida Pinto acted both very well. The children were very
good too. I have not read the book from which the film was written but
it seems to be a good transcription. Well, to conclude with, if you
have not seen Slumdog Millionaire yet, get out of your house, run into
your car, pick up your girlfriend (can also be your boyfriend, friend,
whoever) and drive to the nearest move theater as fast as you can. I
promise you will have a great time.

b-zyrtec from France - 24 April 2009

A Masterpiece

I've always been moderately fond of Danny Boyle's films. I wouldn't
call myself a fan, I just notice his name on the end of films that I
like quite regularly. Slumdog Millionaire is different. I loved it, and
was shocked to see his name flash up at the end!Although the plot is somewhat convoluted with a bit of ambiguity in its
chronology, the story is intriguing, and although I went when I was
kind of focused on something else (namely a meal at my favourite Lygon
Street cafe), I was engaged quickly, and the film held my attention
until the end.There are some great performances from some child actors, and
spectacular performances from the adult cast, but the star of this film
is definitely the cinematography. From the slums of Mumbai to the Taj
Mahal to the beauty of India's countryside, even the most dire of
circumstances is presented beautifully, composed with a delicacy that
is not common in films about this subject matter.There aren't many films that successfully depict the horrible realities
of our world and retain a sense of possibility and optimism, but
Slumdog Millionaire does this beautifully. I suppose I will have to
reassess my opinion of Danny Boyle. If he makes another film as good as
this one, that is!

Trevar Chilver from Australia - 23 April 2009

Just wonderful !!!

This film is one of the best Indian films I have ever seen! India makes
something like 200 films a year and this one is the most realistic and
interesting I have seen. The casting is not only Indian…Okay! But the
kids who have the main roles in the slums have been chosen there! To
begin with, the speed effects When the characters are running(Thanks to
the digital camera) bring forth a superb explosion of lights and
colors! I think that this film is more interesting to see with a big TV
screen or at the cinema because the visual effects and the soundtrack
are two of the things that make the film superb. The film shows how
poor Indian people are but also how hopeful they can be. The plot looks
like a fairy tale, with the baddies and the goodies and love story
between the boy and the girl.Maybe for some people, sometimes the
actions can be too unlikely, but that makes the interest of the plot.
The Bollywood number at the end of the movie adds a touch of humor in
the movie theater and I know that many people loved it. When you watch
the film, you can guess that Danny Boyle has been very happy and
motivated shooting it. All the characters and the soundtrack are
Oscar-worthy. The movie deserves all the recognition it got. However,
from my point of view there should be more explanations about how Jamal
knew the answers : sometimes I understand the fact of his life, but not
the reason why he remembers the exact answer. Except one or two
details, this film is a masterpiece of Indian cinematography and a
visual wonder. No problem : the plot is aimed at all people of all
ages.

france-lmn from France - 23 April 2009

not worth watching

when i saw the movie i felt so cheated by the movie reviews,its really
a depressing movie.except for the background score which is OK compared
to rehaman's work in earlier movies like (lagaan,dilse,guru) etc.and
the performance of the child actors were amazing.other than that there
is nothing great about the movie. some scenes in the movie are too
disturbing and they project India and Indians in a really bad way.
especially the instance when a US tourist car is looted and the driver
hits Jamaal,and the US lady offering some dollars to Jamaal saying this
is what US is!(sooooo unreal) this movie is nothing but a depiction of
everything that is ugly about India and is just every scrap and dirt
picked up from every corner and piled up together to try and hit back
at the growing might of India. and it is hard to digest seeing the
young actors speaking in English. definitely not worth watching.

Anupama Salunke from India - 23 April 2009

Complete exploit

I watched this even before Oscars. Well, I liked it but it was truly
painful to watch those kids, although I knew it was a motion picture.
In fact, it is a painful movie to watch and painful story to listen
after the release about kids involved in it. It's complete exploitation
of those small kids and Directors even refuse to pay for a penny for
their parents? After all, with worldwide gross over $360 million and
with a budget of about $15 million, why the hell Danny Boyle "trusts"
few thousand pounds to their funds and why those kids live in "free
housing", "non profit schooling"? The pain you watch in the movie is
actually their everyday pain in real life, so Indian lawyers should sue
Dany Boyle and his company. Finally, I felt disgusting after seeing it
and I don't want to visit India at all.

tuingol from Mongolia - 20 April 2009

good movie - too much publicity ….

Not worth all the publicity it got.I saw this movie quite a long time after it came out, and having heard
so many good comments about it, I was really disappointed. I am not
saying this is a bad movie, not at all, it still remains a pretty good
one with a not-so-usual scenario. However, it is not that
extraordinary, and I totally disagree with the honors this movie got
(hence my vote). So for those who hasn't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet
and intend to watch it, my only advise would be : go and see it without
being certain to see a masterpiece, and you will not be disappointed.
(And keep in mind, in the real game, the questions are much more
difficult!)

pyksou - 20 April 2009

What is all the fuss about

After the Oscars, I was expecting a movie that actually had some merit.
Sadly, this is about the worst trash the movies have produced in many
years. Boring and oppressively violent, I didn't see any redeeming
values, unless you think obsessive exploitation of children is OK. I
know some will dismiss my comments with, "He just didn't get it." Well,
I did get it and this semi-documentary is simply not worthy of any of
the accolades heaped upon it. I never ceases to amaze me how films like
this advance an unsupported agenda my making the plot hard to follow.
Wake up! folks, just because you didn't understand what was going on,
doesn't make the move deep or even meaningful. Heartfelt trash is still
trash.

SteveL from San Diego, California - 19 April 2009

Speechless

I don't usually like the movies that win the awards, but I think this
might be one of my new favorite films. I was thoroughly engaged from
beginning to end. Most movies nowadays, especially those lauded by film critics and
moviegoers alike, typically have "realistic" and depressing endings. I
don't know much about life in India, but the movie certainly felt real.
And the ending? Well, I wasn't disappointed. Intelligent, real, charming, suspenseful, poignant…there's a plethora
of adjectives to describe this movie.Definitely a must see!!

jporter0519 from United States - 18 April 2009

Brilliant, touching and beautiful

I was shocked at some people rating this at six or seven. I understand
people have different tastes but this film is so good that I can't
imagine someone not liking it.I don't want to go into the storyline because I think it's one of those
films that needs seeing for yourself. When i first went to the cinema I
was in awe the whole time, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. When
the credits rolled, myself and my two friends (and most of the
audience) were just staring in awe at the screen and it was so good i
went again the next week and loved it just as much the second time.The first thing that strikes you is the beautiful cinematography,
everything is top notch-the direction from Danny Boyle, The writing,
the soundtrack, the team work of the production team who seem to love
what they were working on and the acting is so good. Not only Dev Patel
and Freida Pinto as the older Jamal and Latika but the talent of every
actor playing Jamal, Salim and Latika is amazing especially the young
boys playing Jamal and Salim (sorry their names escape me) and the 'who
wants to be a millionaire' host gives some light relief humour.I highly recommend this film, a friend of mine just rolled her eyes
when I told her i had watched this film as for some reason she has a
real problem with British films which is a shame because she's missing
out not only my favourite film of the year but maybe one of my
favourite films ever.When a film makes you not look away for a second, makes you talk about
it for days and actually means something then you know it's something
special and it certainly is that.

kclambeth from United Kingdom - 17 April 2009

Deserved The Oscar For Cinematography

I thought the best part of this movie was the photography. Check this
film out on Blu-Ray, if you have the opportunity: it's
magnificent-looking. They even make slums look beautiful! I'm glad it
won the Oscar for cinematography. Scene after scene is gorgeous.Story-wise, it's okay; good, but nothing super. For the first half of
the film, it reminded me of "City Of God," about the homeless kids in
Brazil, but that film had far more violent kids. This one mainly had
kids as pranksters and then victims of some sicko adult who wants to
use them to make money.The story will be fun for those who used to be hooked on the "Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire" quiz show, but the host here in this Indian
version is no lovable Regis Philbin. You won't like him.Almost all of the story is told in flashback, so be prepared for that.
It's one of those stories where all the little pieces fit together in
the end to explain why things happened in the start of the film.I wouldn't have voted for this as the Best Picture Of The Year but it
is entertaining and a feast for the eyes.

ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States - 15 April 2009

OK…definitely not the best of the year

OK, so I just watched this for the first time a couple months after the
Oscars and am very disappointed with "the little movie that could"
grabbing the Best Picture Oscar. Here's my top 10 and Slumdog will not
be in it:1. THE DARK KNIGHT 2. THE WRESTLER 3. DOUBT 4. MILK 5. FROST NIXON 6.
BENJAMIN BUTTON 7. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD 8. IN BRUGES 9. RACHEL GETTING
MARRIED 10. IRON MAN*ALL OF THESE WERE EXCEEDINGLY BETTER THAN SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE IN MY
OPINION. I HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE READER WHICH WOULD POSSIBLY CRACK MY
TOP TEN.It was maybe the 15TH rated movie I saw this year. Since when does "the
feel good movie of the year" deserve such high praise sweeping nearly
every award available to it? On a positive note the main actor Dev
Patel was excellent. Look for good things from him to come.For me it
was a one time watch. That's it.

tessman296 from United States - 15 April 2009

Open the Bombay Doors

So this is how you "curry" favor with the Oscar and Globes voters.
While "Slumdog" is, at its core, a happy ending love story, the urban
sprawl of Mumbai and the unique manner in which the story unfolds set
it apart. Danny Boyle and company have been duly rewarded for their
originality and this is one of those instances where all the hype is
absolutely merited. Couple of quick shout-outs here: 1) "The Kids Are
Alright"—the child actors in this film are fantastic and worth the
price of admission on their own 2)Get yer Bollywood on—that full-on
cast-of-thousands dance sequence that runs over the end credits is a
great way to wrap things up. Jai-Ho!!, baby.

ween-3 - 14 April 2009

Good movie, but I wasn't blown away by the Oscar picture of the year

I usually expect to be blown away by the picture of the year. No blow
here for me. I have nothing against Indian movies, I must say that a
few days ago I watched 13B and thought it was the best thriller in
years not to be released by Hollywood. As for Slumdog, I liked it, it
had everything, but I feel it over-rated, as I saw someone share in a
previous comment. Maybe I'm not educated enough to distinguish the
great editing, cinematography or sound editing that it got the Oscar
for, but what I'm sharing here is my experience as a viewer: this
didn't feel like a Oscar movie, not to mention picture of the year.
Just a good movie.

Vlad Crisu from Romania - 13 April 2009

A worthy winner of "Best Picture."

I guess looking back I'd have to say I generally enjoy movies directed
by Danny Boyle. "Trainspotting" and "The Beach" just to name a couple
of them. Here he brings us a young-love fable set in modern India, the
realistic modern India where people make a life the best way they can.
The critic Ebert has a very nice, accurate review.The story focuses on one boy who was orphaned at a very young age when
Muslims were attacked at a washing hole and his mom was clubbed to
death. That he and his brother managed to escape and survive was just
the start of their ordeals. Dev Patel is the teenage Jamal K. Malik.He makes do the best he can, running a series of relatively harmless
scams, often involving tourists. His brother Salim follows a quite
darker route and as a young adult is a gangster working for a big
gangster. As children they also become friends with a small orphaned
girl Latika, who is played later as a young adult by Freida Pinto.As a young adult Jamal works in a large "bullpen" type of phone sales
group, but his job is simple, bringing tea to the others. One day a
worked asked him to take is phone station for a few minutes, and Jamal
had figured out how to make the call at the right time to get on the
"Millionaire" show. He does, and he does very well, answering questions
that a "slumdog" like him, someone uneducated, should not be able to
answer. So they begin to wonder "how is he cheating?" Eventually
20Million Rupees is at stake, which is about $400,000 US dollars.Good movie, filmed in an exciting manner and edited interestingly. The
story is not told linearly but all comes together easily.SPOILERS: Jamal even as a young boy fell in love with Latika, but she
became separated from them. They grew up apart but he eventually found
her, in virtual slavery for the man Salim actually works for. Jamal's
real motivation to get on the TV show was to make contact with Latika,
because everyone watched it. As the flashbacks show, there was a
particular incident in his growing up that contributed to his knowing
the answer to each question, like "who invented the revolver" or "who
is on the American $100 bill". Still, after one day of the TV show he
was taken away and in a sense tortured to reveal how he cheated, but
Jamal only told the truth. However the next show when he was faced with
the 20Million Rupee question, "the 3rd Musketeer", he didn't know the
answer. He guessed, got it right, because of fate. And fate got him and
Latika together.

TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth - 13 April 2009

transatlantic cinema

I think there are two layers of observations from where we can watch
this film.One way is to look at the film as a small part of something bigger.
That bigger thing would be the possibility of making this experience
become a certain rule in film world. The growing proximity between
bolly and Hollywood, the possibility that we might start getting films
bounded financially and thematically (and culturally) by this
proximity. If we consider this approach, than the fact that this film
would become so celebrated by the key agents of promotion of American
films (awards) would be a kind of signal for this new age. I think the
other layer of approach i propose may confirm this one: this is a kind of film i catalog as "ascending", which basically means
that we start off in hell, and we climb stairs of suffering throughout
the film until we arrive at heaven. A sort of inverted dynamics, that
we've seen in Cidade de Deus, Blindness, Irreversible (where the arc is
literally inverted). In this case, Danny Boyle picks up the experiments
Meirelles made in the slums of Brazil, and produces his own version.
Boyle relies more on framing and camera work/positioning (he always
has). Meirelles' films are, before anything, brilliant pieces of
editing. So, on the visual side, we have different approaches, but
which convey the same objective of moving into the slum, of exploring
with a frantic eye the darkness of those daily lives. This film is
brilliant in that respect. Yet, as it progresses, it moves away from
the slum, and the cinematic choices answer to that, so the pace slows
down, and little by little we end with a bollywood romantic ending.
Love is the reward for the suffering, in this world that we now know to
be, after all, a fantasy one. So Bollywood meets certain ideas of dark
cinema. Remember my first approach? My opinion: 4/5http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com

ruiresende84 (ruiresende84@gmail.com) from Porto, Portugal - 12 April 2009

A skillful rendition of a frayed ideology

It doesn't help that this film has been over-hyped. You'd think there
was something more to it than its novel setting, the slums of Mumbai.
But if there is something noteworthy about it, it's not the ideas
expressed in it, but rather the direction which is pretty impressive.
I'm still not sure how Boyle pulled it off. The whole first half-hour
or so I was really distracted trying to figure out just what had been
done to capture the action in the way it was. It was as if it was
captured as it happens where a lot of what you see has already started
by the time you focus on it. It's very effective and in no way
reminiscent of a documentary but rather real life experience. Aside
from that, however, the story is fairly lame. It's well acted and
filmed, and I wouldn't call it a waste of time in any way, but it left
me with little more knowledge than I had had before I'd seen it.
Possibly for people who haven't experienced third world slums, it might
be enlightening, but I've been there and it didn't shine a bright light
into any dark corners for me.

socrates99 from Champaign, IL - 12 April 2009

Overrated

It wasn't a bad movie really in my opinion but it seems way
overrated… Watched it, and after all the awards and praise I was
hoping for something to blow my mind or at least be extremely
entertaining, instead I got a solid 7. Compared with City of God (which is similar in many aspects) this can't
really hold its ground. For one because the first was actually based on
a true story and thus also written and filmed believable from the start
up to the end and it was a movie depicting things as they really are
(albeit maybe a little flashy) and focusing on the life story of one
individual in the middle of it all, as opposed to Slumdog, which mainly
focuses on the "Who is Gonna Be A Millionaire"-show (seemingly to be
more appealing to the western civilization and TV viewers) all
around… No surprise with shows like "American Idol" and "Dancing With
the Stars" leading the ratings in the US and in some cases
International TV, while shows with brains get the axe by the minute. If you want to view it as a "mirror" into Indian culture etc. I guess
it was okay, but again it focused too much on the show and the
respective answers. There are movies with a more… subtle approach
that I liked more and imo succeeded better in doing that, e.g.
Darjeeling Limited for example… Also there were some cringe worthy moments like the flashbacks near the
end, how he couldn't answer some of the more simple general questions,
but somehow "circumstances" allowed him to answer questions in the
show, and how winning just by coincidence saves ones entire life and is
something to be admired, a few of those ruined it even more for me… An okay movie, but 8 Oscars and so much international acclaim? (While
City of God didn't get one) I smell something fishy xD

dex_90 - 12 April 2009

A win for mediocrity and political correctness…

I was afraid of that. Coming to watch an hyped film is always a worry,
but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the level of
disappointment this movie brought on me.I find it hard to explain where this movie fails because it does it
spectacularly on many levels.Storyline. You have seen it all before. Honestly, you did. If you read
Charles Dickens as a child (Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby) then you
have read the script for this movie. And you probably saw it in the
movies too, only this time you have also seen it on the small screen at
home, if you ever watched "Who wants to be a millionaire". It's plain,
it's boring, and it's been done before.Acting. B-grade says it all. Honestly, all Dev Patel had to do was act
dumb, and he excelled at that. Then of course, there were the kids, but
with kids you either get it wrong or right, there is no midway, and
this time thankfully Boyle got it right.Score. I couldn't feel that it contributed to anything. Not a fan of
Indian music, but I wouldn't care of the music's origins if it did
anything to enhance the experience of watching the movie, and the truth
is - it didn't. In fact, if I could turn the music off, I don't believe
it would have made any difference at all.Camera work. OK, this is somewhat the saving grace, although in a
visually rich environment of India it is very hard to mess up camera
work, which means that the expectations are very high. And yet again,
it is plain, unimaginative, and very very "play it safe".Bottom line. The Oscars it received enshrine the mediocrity through
revolting political correctness. What a shame. It's boring. It's
unimaginative. If you ever read classical novels, you'd have read it
all before. And besides the Indian setting, there is absolutely nothing
that makes this movie stand out from thousands more like it, including
Hallmark low-budget adaptations. Avoid, if you can get over the hype.
Or go see it, just to be able to reply "Yes, I did see it, can we talk
about something else now?" to an excited colleague at work.

AlienByChoice from New-Zealand - 11 April 2009

Beautiful movie… rated by a teenager

Okay, before I go on to review this masterpiece, back in 10th grade I
took Asian History. And Indian History was one of the Histories taught.
Our teacher showed me and my classmates horrid, powerful, disturbing
images of India and it's poverty today. So, I was a little prepared for
the images to be seen in this movie.On with the review. This movie was amazing, it was totally accurate to
what life is like in India. It is so poverty stricken and it really
makes you thankful for what you have. I loved the camera movements, and
the subplot was good, doing everything in his power, so he can find
Latika… very very beautiful and moving.. when they kissed in the end,
oh, did I just about bawl my eyes out. All that suffering, and pain,
and hurt and poverty… just everything. This movie is moving, but it
gives you hope, hope for the future of India…Did you all know that out of the 6 billion people in this world, ONE
BILLION live in India? It's so overcrowded, and all these things go
wrong all the time there, and this movie couldn't have portrayed that
better.This movie, made me so thankful for my mother and father. For all you
teens out there who hate your parents, can't wait to get out, go out to
parties and get drunk etc etc…. just watch this movie, and you GO and
hug your parents. Hug them NOW. I hugged them so tightly after watching
this movie… (yes as you can see, I don't like going to parties very
much) That beer, my fellow young people, the money for that beer you're
chugging could be going to a good cause. It could feed an Indian family
for a week.Yes, this movie has also risen my awareness of poverty around the
world, despite the fact that I have taken Indian History. I hope that,
fellow young people that may be reading this review, you go and watch
this movie, and you make sure you take in EVERYTHING. Go and hug your
parents, your cell phone, hug your computer you're reading this off
of!! You should be so thankful for what you have!! I loved this movie
so much… I can't wait to see what the amazing director comes up with
next.10/10 five stars!

Horses_rule_da_wurld - 11 April 2009

Top ten reasons Slumdog Millionaire is a mediocre movie:

(With redeeming qualities in cinematography, acting, music and sharp
editing.) (And please spare me the hate mail.)10. 20,000,000 rupees is "only" about $411,000. 9. No toilet paper in the outhouses. 8. All the kids are healthy looking with nice teeth. 7. Latika experiences no sexual abuse! 6. No (gaunt) slum dogs are seen.5. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is not a live show in India. 4. After step five the contestant does not lose "everything" with a
wrong answer. 3. The questions were in chronological order of his life!2. Police in India TORTURE people if they think they're cheating TV
shows? 1. Giving a $100 bill to Arvind would be giving it to the hated men who
blinded him.Additionally I wonder: Did the copyright owners of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire" okay this? I mean, would Regis Philbin or Meredith Vieira
try to cheat a contestant? Would the producers want a ratings sensation
to lose?Is it okay to celebrate a movie that entertains the privileged with a
rose-colored view of poverty and overpopulation?Good, however, is a City of God/Bollywood/fairytale film made for the
poor of India. Only problem is this film just exploits them by water
coloring over the squalor of their wretched lives. And, incidentally,
by the way things are going, there is an enormous mountain of poverty
to come worldwide, degrading much of humanity.(But, hey, I just got the DVD to be entertained. I don't need to hear
about the troubles of the world.)

Dennis Littrell (dalittrell@yahoo.com) from SoCal - 9 April 2009

Not Worthy of Best Picture

I won't deny, this was a pretty good movie, but it definitely did not
deserve to win Best Picture. It has some good themes on love and
struggle through life, but it doesn't really evoke any strong emotions
from you.The movie was made well, good editing, some really funny scenes, some
very dramatic scenes, but nothing that will leave you completely
awestruck. It is original with a pretty good plot line, but not the
best. There were other movies that came out in 2008 that deserved that
Oscar more than this one. A Best Picture movie is one that you will
watch over and over because you were either extremely entertained or
deeply moved by it. This movie has both qualities, entertainment and
deep thought, but in moderation. It's really more of a cheeky romance
drama than it is a tale of struggle.Conclusion: I recommend watching this movie, but assure you that you
will agree, it is far from the best, and you will probably only watch
it once.

Deveousdevil from Brooklyn, America - 9 April 2009

bollywood

this movie was superbad and by that i don't mean good i watched it and
even all the hype that was going on about this movie,,its just that,
hype thats it…. bollywood will never make a good movie as far as im
concerned… if you like American movies you wont like this movie….
if you like b-list movies you might,,,,,might like this movie… now i
suggest you don't watch this movie our money doesn't need to go to
India our nation needs the money doesn't need to go to a nation that
tries to lock up a person for kissing person in public. this movie
wants you to be sorry for there SORRY country but im not buyin it its
stupid…. because of this "star from bollywood" i will never watch
another film out of India again

dirtywhiteboy1234 from United States - 9 April 2009

What ? Best Movie of the Year According to Outsourced Hollywood

This was a terrible movie. I was really glad when the ending credits
started to roll. I felt like I was dumped into India and forced to
endure the misery of it. This movie was really disturbing to watch;
never want to see children abused and watching their mother being
killed. I do not care about any of the characters in this movie. Why
was the main character in love with this girl? He fell in love with her
when he was 10 and never stopped loving her? The love was so powerful
that he was willing to risk his life to get her into his life….very
unbelievable and strange. I was not moved in a positive way by this
movie. This movie makes me not want to ever visit India, to never
embrace its culture, to never want to have anything to do with it. The
people of India should be angry about this movie. It paints a very
negative image of the country and its people. The Academy of Motion
Pictures Arts & Sciences really got it wrong with this one. Only the
music was pleasant; certainly not worth eight Oscars including Best
Picture. The dialog was very difficult to follow; yet, it won for Best
Adapted Screenplay. This was a real disappointment.

qcmoot from United States - 9 April 2009

Must Be The Worst 2008 Film

Today is the biggest day in Jamal Malik's life.A penniless, eighteen year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, he's
one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on
India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for
the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. After
all, how could an uneducated street kid possibly know so much?
Determined to get to the bottom of Jamal's story, the jaded Police
Inspector spends the night probing Jamal's incredible past, from his
riveting tales of the slums where he and his brother Salim survived by
their wits to his hair-raising encounters with local gangs to his
heartbreak over Latika, the unforgettable girl he loved and lost.Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he
learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one
question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent
desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns
and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty
million viewers are about to find out Freida Pinto Reappears. Slumdog
Millionaire 3/10

Tdi7457 from Canada - 9 April 2009

one of the best movie!!

i believed one of the best movie i have seen so far is a low budget
movie and all the new actor and actress. even with a new commercials
they all act pretty well. especially i really love the little kids
character aysuh who was playing jamal malik in the movie. i really
enjoy when he jumps in a crap hole when he wanted to see his fav. actor
amitab bachan. when i start watching the movie i thought this might be
any boring but as movie go along i was getting more attached to it.
even anil kappor played the roll pretty well too i heard they were
going to sign this roll to SRK but I'm glad he didn't get this roll.
I'm happy with anil kapoor's roll in this movie i really love the movie
from the begin to end i watch this movie probably three times really
enjoy this movie i would recommend everyone to watch this movie this
movie has some powerful point that do actually occurred in India.

aminomg from United States - 8 April 2009

Mindblowing cinema

The first time i heard about this movie, i was in London watching an
advertisement on TV and this movie came up, and it was just sort of out
of the blue. Next thing you know I am going on websites and everybody
was talking about this film and how great it was and everything like
that. So i decided to go to the cinema and see it and what an amazing
experience it was, truly mindblowing cinema, it reminded me so much of
City of God. The fast camera movement, crazy camera angles, hand held
sort of look, slow motion, split screen, texts appearing on the screen
randomly, film clips being shown. The direction is truly mindblowing
and the screenplay is fantastic. Simon Beaufoy did a great job of
bringing Vikas Swarup's novel to life and even though quite a number of
things are different from the book, the essential story structure, that
of the game show providing a narrative device for switching between
past and present was kept faithfully. Note to all filmmakers, this is
how an adaptation is supposed to be done unlike Watchmen which i saw
the other day which was very very average. The problem with that movie
was that Snyder didn't realise that adapting a book to a film medium
doesn't mean playing it safe and keeping everything in the novel ,
including all the dialogue and everything with no sense of direction
and pacing and all that. That is why Boyle is a master of visuals and
adaptation and Snyder is not. The acting is superbly impressive from
the child actors to the teenage actors and Dev Patel is fantastic,also
Anil Kapoor pulls off a difficult role, a sort of a role that is an
unlikeable character but yet he manages to do a great job. Anyways this
is just outstanding cinema and India is a beautiful complex country.

jonathanteelucksingh from United Kingdom - 8 April 2009

great work! worth seeing!

There has already been some talk coming from Telluride that this film
is set to be this year's 'Juno.' It does have the same distributor and
it is set for the same release period, and for anyone who hears this
buzz, they will definitely not be disappointed.During the premiere of the final cut (in the words of director Danny
Boyle) at the Toronto International Film Festival, the audience gave
the film an incredibly enthusiastic response, and it went on to win the
People's Choice Award. Boyle, who is sometimes called a British Richard
Linklater for yet again surprising the audience with such diverse
subject matter, worked his magic. He transcended genres and created a
truly unique and energetic picture.Just about every aspect of this film deserves merit, and above all it
belongs to Boyle, who managed to assemble such a massive achievement.
The score by A.R. Rahman, with contributions from M.I.A., perfectly
accompanies the action on screen. Still, it is great enough to be
listened to on its own. With India as a backdrop, Boyle and his
cinematographer have composed some remarkable images. The acting is
roundly impressive, especially coming from the younger cast, almost all
of which has never acted before.The film begins as Jamal (Skins' Dev Patel) is under interrogation by
Mumbai police for cheating on India's version of Who Wants To Be a
Millionaire, being only one question away from winning it all. As the
inspector says, even doctors and lawyers cannot come close to the 20m
rupee prize, and so Jamal, having grown up on the streets of Mumbai,
cannot possibly know these things. As Jamal tries to avoid further
torture, he begins to explain to the police how he knew each of the
answers. Flashbacks present Jamal's boyhood and explain how he got to
the show.At the centre of his journey is his brother, Salim, and a girl, Latika,
who is left a homeless orphan after an attack that took Jamal's mother
as well. After running from a man who exploits the trio for labour,
Jamal replays the incident when Latika left his life when she was
unable to catch a moving train. His uncertainty of her fate on the
streets of Mumbai and his intense desire to see his first and only love
again lead him to the interrogation room where the film began.Like 'Juno,' Slumdog Millionaire is by genre a comedic drama, but it
becomes much more. The film asks questions about fate, righteousness,
greed, and even urban sprawl. Above all, however, it asks about love in
the face of the most dire obstacles, and if it can truly prosper.
Jamal's story is a tragic and unfortunate one, but as seen through his
eyes, it is still beautiful. The vast colour palate of India overwhelm
any negative feelings, and Jamal's hope of finding and being with
Latika overwhelm despair. For Jamal, 20m rupees isn't his prize. It
would be nearly impossible for there to be a better picture this
year.Evren Buyruk from

Evren Buyruk from United States - 8 April 2009

best movie i've seen in a while

"Slumdog millionaire" tells the story of a young man who tries to be
successful at "who's going to be a millionaire", not for the money, but
for his only love. Sounds tacky. Well, it is, but in a good way. It is
nice to see that someone who didn't have a very easy life so far will
win in the end. That's not the newest idea ever brought to screen, but
this film has an interesting narrative perspective using flashbacks,
and you will find yourself sucked into Jamal's story faster then you
can blink. I really liked this film. The plot may sound lame at first,
but it holds a lot of surprises. The only thing that kept me from
giving this movie 10 stars was the end, or more precisely that Jamal
managed to guess the last answer correctly. He had gotten Latika back,
so it wasn't really necessary that he got the money as well. So much
luck is just a little to fantastic. But it isn't so unrealistic that it
spoils the whole movie, and I was happy for Jamal, nevertheless. It
might just have given the film a last twist if he hadn't won, and it
still would've been a happy ending. Except for this,the movie was
perfect: great atmosphere, music and story. A must see!!!

big_bea from Munich, Germany - 7 April 2009

A modern-day fairy tale about love and destiny

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the story of a young man in India. All he cares
about in the world is a girl. In an effort to find his lost love, he
becomes a contestant on the popular game show "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire". Hoping the girl is out there watching, the boy aims to go
as far as he can on the show. As destiny would have it, the questions
he's asked can be answered from his experiences as an orphan on the
streets of Mumbai. When the uneducated young man reaches the
20-million-rupee question, he is arrested and interrogated on suspicion
of cheating.But the money never mattered to the boy. His only motive is to see the
girl again. Orphaned as children, Jamal (the boy), Salim (his older
brother), and Latika (the girl) were all each other had. They survived
many ordeals, being separated, finding each other, and being separated
again. Jamal always cared for Latika and is the only person who treats
her well. Jamal never forgets about Latika and never gives up on her.I liked the film, though I've heard many criticisms of it. I see
SLUMDOG as a love story. Or as another poster suggested, a fairy tale.
I do not think the movie was meant to be taken at face value as an
it-could-happen-to-you story of rags to riches luck. The money was
never important to Jamal. He'd walk away empty-handed if it meant being
with Latika.As for its predictability, I didn't have a problem knowing how the love
story would end. I wasn't sure if Jamal would win the jackpot, because
I knew that it didn't matter either way to him. It's not difficult to
predict the ending, but getting there is half the fun.SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE cleaned up at the Oscars. It's a very well-crafted
film (in terms of cinematography, direction, etc.) and viewers tend to
get swept up in the romantic story. Not everybody loved it. (It's not
exactly a thriller, it's not action-packed or cerebral, it's not a
musical, and, yes, there are factual errors regarding "Who Wants To Be
A Millionaire".) But it's a good little love story, if that's what
you're looking for. I liked the final 45 minutes the best.

Jimmy L. from Upstate New York - 6 April 2009

Absolutely loved it. That is my final answer.

I'm writing this review before I read all of the "I hated it so
apparently I'm unique because I hate anything that's popular" threads,
because every time I read those first I end up defending the movie and
feel like I'm writing a personal message to those people instead of
just saying why I did or did not like the movie. So here goes.I loved Slumdog Millionaire. I am still somewhat baffled over the R
rating. First of all as far as language goes I don't remember one
single use of the F word although apparently it was used like twice.
Which still shouldn't make it rated R because I've seen quite a few
PG-13 movies that have used the F word twice or more. I do remember a
couple of times hearing the S word. But hey its a movie. Lots of movies
have the S word. Nudity/Sex: well you see a little kids bum and there's
a scene where it is implied that a young girl is coerced into sleeping
with a young boy. OK well, I see that on the news every time a kiddie
porn ring is busted. They didn't show anything. They just imply that it
happened. Blood/Violence: there is some violence and some pretty
intense scenes but there is literally no blood or gore. You see people
get shot and hit in the head with a crowbar and have acid poured into
their eyes but you don't actually see any of the gore. Intense yes.
Take a child to see it no. But I do remember watching an episode or 60
of 24 where Jack Bauer more than implies that he killed some dude by
biting his jugular vein. I mean come on. Point = TV shows are more
intense than this. Drugs/Alcohol etc. again TV is worse or equal to
what was seen in this movie. I mean couldn't they have just put a
Parental Discretion is advised instead of slapping an R rating on there
just because it was made by Danny Boyle? Wow. OK rating rant over. The
movie is a very charming story about two young brothers living in the
slums of India who lose their mother and are forced to fend for
themselves. It is also a love story about one of the brother's quest to
reunite with a girl they meet who also has no parents. The way the
story is told is interesting. We get to see the main character Jamal on
the Indian version of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire answering
all kinds of questions and at the same time he explaining how he knew
the answers to the questions to a police chief who is trying to get him
to confess to cheating. Each question leads to a flashback which is
where the main story comes in. It is a very creative story and I
thought very well crafted. While the actual elements are quite text
book, (hero starts at home, goes on a quest, has adventures and
whatnot, rescues the princess from the evil dragon, etc. whatever) but
since when is that kind of a story not welcome? I like stories with
happy endings. I don't think there is any hidden political agenda in
the movie. I don't think Danny Boyle is naive or pompous or trying to
talk down to anyone. I think he just wanted to tell an interesting
engaging story about three very likable characters who are trying to
deal with life, but in a very different setting than a lot of people
are used to. Its kind of like Oliver Twist meets Homer's Odyssey meets
-insert love story here- in India. I knew what the 20 million rupee
question was going to be from the second he gets whacked over the head
with the book in the beginning by the way, but the predictability of
the movie doesn't take away from its enjoyment because it doesn't try
to present itself as a movie that trying to keep you guessing or
surprise you with intricate plot twists.Great there I go. I haven't even read the hater's posts yet and I'm
still defending the show based on what I'm sure they are all saying.
Well whatever. I give the movie a 10. It deserved Best Picture of 2008.

Sanpaco13 from Sandy, UT, United States - 6 April 2009

I am impressed

It's hard to know what to say about "Slumdog Millionaire," but I will
do my best to put my feelings to words. The simplest way I can express
my thoughts on this film is to say that I am impressed. First of all,
this film has a completely unique concept, something very refreshing to
someone like me who has seen quite a few movies. The plot involves a
young man who has lived in the slums of India his whole life. When he
has a chance to go on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire," he knows the answers to nearly all the questions. He is
arrested on the belief that he is cheating, since someone who has lived
a life such as his should not know as much as he does. The rest of the
film is told in flashbacks as he tells his life story, and how events
in his life helped him know all of these answers. It's a fascinating
story, especially when told in this manner. Although the plot seems
fairly predictable, you'll find yourself watching every scene carefully
to catch the details that make it interesting, and you'll soon realize
that almost anything you predicted about the plot is wrong. I also
liked this film because although it was a drama, the events were never
so heavy and depressing that the film was unwatchable. The film is an
eye-opener to the conditions of the slums in India, but there are some
funny moments as well, such as the young boy pretending to be a tour
guide of the Taj Majal, though he clearly knows nothing about it.
Perhaps it's not an absolutely perfect film, since the events of the
man's life and the questions on the show can be a bit coincidentally.
Truthfully, however, I didn't mind. This is a watchable, moving film
that entertains and fascinates. Recommended, and worthy of Best
Picture.***1/2 out of ****

kyle-cruse from California - 5 April 2009

Not as Good as All the Hype…But Good Nonetheless

Slumdog is a good film overall, but I did not understand the massive
hype surrounding it. It is not one of my favorite films from 2008.
However, in terms of all the Oscar nominees it was the Best Picture of
that group. The film centers around Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) who is
accused of cheating while being a contestant on the Indian version of
Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is sent to police headquarters where
he is subsequently tortured into revealing who helped him and why
(apparently in India, you are treated like a terrorist for cheating on
game shows). This leads to Jamal regaling his captors with stories from
his past that coincide with each question that he answered correctly.
As a child, Jamal befriends a beautiful girl Latika (Frieda Pinto) and
he falls in love. However, his brother Salim, who doesn't hesitate to
betray Jamal at every turn keeps ruining his chances with Latika and
makes her vanish from his life. But Jamal vows to find her and save
her. One of the main reasons he becomes a contestant on the show, so he
hopes she will be watching. The film culminates with Jamal being
released from police custody to go and try to answer the final question
for 20 million rupees, where in an attempt to phone a friend, gets the
surprise of his life.There are some aspects of the film that are clichéd and confusing to
me. My favorite parts of the film were the sequences of the main
characters as children and the horrific things they have to endure to
get by on the streets of Mumbai. Danny Boyle is an exceptional director
and once again he does a good job with the source material. The acting
was decent as most of the child actors I believe have never been actors
before, so they did a pretty good job. It is worth seeing but again, I
don't think it was earth shattering.

wolftab-1 from United States - 4 April 2009

Streetwise story of love and destiny should appeal to a good deal more than 'City of God' did.

A very enjoyable film. I saw this last night with my wife and we both
enjoyed it. I'd managed to side-step most of the preceding hype for
this one and all I was really expecting was a less violent 'City of
God'. The idea for the main story being revealed through flashback
while the central character is being interrogated is not a new one (The
Usual Suspects) but is it done very well here. Dev Patel is somewhat
laconic but very good nonetheless, as is the actor portraying his
brother. The gameshow host and the main police Detective are also very
good characters. The birds-eye-view shots of Mumbai, and the Bombay
slums in particular, are really great and some of the editing is very
propulsive and helps carry the story along. Great soundtrack, too. Not
overly violent and i think that it could be enjoyed by a wide variety
of ages which is definitely a plus and no doubt has had something to do
with it's widespread appeal.7/10

rumbleinthejungle from New Zealand - 3 April 2009

Nothing Special

The Who wants to be millionaire? theme wasn't necessary and it seems to
me that it was included in the whole movie just to give it an unique
approach that is not that unique after all. This movie is just another
display of exaggerated social misery that may be true in the real world
but in really extreme cases. This type of movies appear a lot in Latin
American productions and they tend to show the same excessive social
problems throwing out the worst of its society when it is actually very
different in reality.I think this kinds of movies are meant to show the worst of certain
cultures and their success are given by the misunderstanding or
insufficient knowledge about these cultures' reality.

Gabriel Liévano from Colombia - 3 April 2009

Forget This One

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the most difficult Academy pictures of
the year to sit through. What must they have been thinking to have
nominated this movie in the first place? It is not outstandingly acted,
has a thin and disconnected plot, and doesn't even tell a good story.
Any movie that relies on subtitles (or in this case, "sidetitles") is
difficult at best and Slumdog is no exception. To the actor's credit,
one can almost figure out what is go happening even though the
"sidetitles" are missed. On the big screen, cannot enjoy the movie and
finish reading the "sidetitles" before they disappear. On the little
screen (and that includes 50 inch HD), the "sidetitles" are impossible.
One finds themselves watching for where they are going to pop up next
and then tries with frustration to read them before the next one pops
up on the other side of the screen. This is one to forget and it is a
shame that it is even placed on a par with such as Gone with the Wind

jehrsam from United States - 2 April 2009

A very good, imaginative film that also depicts India truthfully

This is an imaginative film that uses the much beaten flashback
technique in an unusual way — as part of a TV competition. The
direction is first rate and clearly deserves the Oscar that it got. The
acting is also very good, the youngest Jamal and Salim emerging as
absolute gems. Main actor Dev Patel is excellent if a bit static at
times, seeming constantly puzzled by events around him (then again, had
I won 20 million rupees I'd probably look puzzled too! And with a
beauty like that to share it with…) The photography is of a very high
caliber indeed and it helps convey an image of India that reflects its
physical beauty but also reveals many of its shortcomings, especially
from a human standpoint. The film laudably does not shy away from depicting the ways children
are used, including maiming them so they are more valuable as potential
beggars. I was not so sure about the brothers symbolizing the division
between Muslims and Hindus but all credit to the film for raising it. Slumdog Millionaire boasts some sound action sequences — the one
involving Salim killing Maman is particularly well done if hard to
swallow — and, in contrast, some fine comic relief moments that help
make it a riveting flick throughout. I saw some reviews that compared
it to "City of Angels" - Cidade de Deus -, in some cases calling it a
copy of that Brazilian film. In truth, I think the point of contact
between the two films is that they happen in the slums of their
respective cities, otherwise they differ, principally in terms of
character building and narrative technique.Ultimately, I felt I had watched an engrossing and intelligent film
that provided an exciting example of globalization and cooperation
across cultural boundaries and which might well serve as a blueprint
for the future of movie-making.

adrian290357 from Portugal - 2 April 2009

Good but undeserving of the Oscar

After months of hearing how great and inspiring Slumdog Millionaire is
and how it deserved the eight Oscars it won, I sat down and watched it.
One of the first things I noticed was how it done. Mostly flashbacks
with a few flash forwards, but these seemed to be mostly confusing.
However, they provide an excellent preview, if you will, of what you
will see later in the movie.However, after the first thirty minutes, my interest died out and I
found myself watching a movie that was rather contrived and did not
have a lot of substance. Sure, it shows how good can triumph through
even the worst of evil and adversities but I did not find it to be as
heart-warming and inspiring as everyone said. It does have some
disturbing content, like the orphans having their eyes burned out or
the Hindus attacking the Muslims in the slums but all in all, it seemed
like it was trying too hard to be a film that shows the darkness inside
man.That is not to say that it is a bad movie. It is good but I did not
find it to be worthy of any Oscars, especially Best Picture.

agent_goodspeed - 2 April 2009

Did it make me fell good? Yes. Did it make me think? Not really

As everybody says this is a feel good film. When the film was over I
did feel good, although the feel good factor was not as great as in
other films I've seen, and I did also find that the film was somewhat
predictable. I think a film should first and foremost be entertainment,
but when that aim has been achieved, a film should also raise issues
and make you think about certain things. Although I found this film to
be stylistically well-made, I didn't feel that it raised many issues or
made me think once it was over. The few issues it did raise (like "you
don't have to be worthless just because you're poor") didn't seem
particular original. If you're just looking for entertainment, then I
think it would be worth seeing this film. If you want more than
entertainment, then there are many other films I would rather
recommend.

Board from Aalborg, Denmark - 1 April 2009

i did not like it

okay..so i realize that this film is full of depth and meaning and
Oscar worthy. but there are a lot of things that i did not like about
this film. first of all the imagery, the way the camera angles were
positioned made me dizzy and i just felt like it did notr capture the
right picture. second of all it was disturbing, the way people were
treating these kids was just disgusting..and i realize that is is
supposed to depict the real life in India but oh my goodness i was
closing my eyes throughout the film. i can't believe the graphic
depiction of child abuse and violence was portrayed as good so people
could see what it is really like. i did not like the film editing..it
was jumpy and way too fast paced. io felt bad for all the kids and i
could not do anything about..overall the film is just plain out
disturbing, ugly, not beautiful and just not for anyone to see…i do
not know why this film won best picture honstley, i think the curious
case of benjamin button or the reader should have won and i have not
even seen those films.

swizzy16 from United States - 1 April 2009

No Top 250 material.

Overly sentimental, anything but credible and ridiculously over-hyped,
this petty excuse of a movie managed to reel in a multitude of Oscars.
I have to admit I wasn't exactly bored while watching it, but a second
viewing just isn't going to happen.The storyline's a wash - to name just one inconsistency, as Salman
Rushdie pointed out: from Bombay to the Taj Mahal by jumping a train?
Really? -, the actors don't bring anything truly endearing or
sympathetic to their characters, and the 'award-winning' music is more
often a nuisance than an extra to the whole movie-going experience.
Don't get me wrong: I love M.I.A., for instance, but for the biggest
part it just didn't work for me.In fact, the only virtues of this film are the often astonishing
landscapes, the energetic, yet dynamic camera work and the rhythmic,
punctual direction. But you simply cannot make a good movie out of
those three elements - except if you wanna go all 'Koyaanisqatsi',
which I love. But they didn't.Hence: six out of ten.P.S.: To be completely honest, I would probably rate this a seven,
seven and a half tops if it weren't for the suffocating hype
surrounding the film, but I feel like bringing the overall score down a
notch in my own humble way, because 'Slumdog' simply doesn't deserve
such a high rating. I mean: Top 250? No.Let's just wait and see who will remember this film in three to five
years' time.

Rick Brands from Ghent, Belgium - 1 April 2009

Dishonest and shallow love-story with lots of style and sentiments

This left me dumbfounded. I cant believe this film has garnered so much
attention, let alone adoration. This got some the Oscars? I just
realized this from reading glancing over the board, i though it was The
Curious Case Of Benjamin Buttom that won best picture. Oh well.I don't know what to say. Its directed with great style and i love that
it takes place in Inda.But its a little hard to care for such a flat character as the
protagonist. But off-course you root for the underdog right? Oh, i
definitely did initially, but as the film progressed and the love-story
kicked in, i started to care less. Take the scene where the brothers rescues the girl. First, would she
really still have been a virgin? A man that burns children eyeballs
probably would have sold her to someone already. Does this matter?Yes because the film shouldn't soft panders us like that.And would she really have been wanted to escape with them?Run away with two street-thugs? No. People are not just trapped
physically you know, people are trapped by their social situation. A
girl in her situation probably would have chosen to stay as a dancer
where she at least could earn some kind of living and had a sense of
security.But does this really matter? Its a "fairytale" right? Sure, but the
film calls this kind of thinking and critics to itself by describing
the ugliness of poor in almost gruesome details. It wants to have it
both way. Its a dishonest and shallow picture in so many ways.The love-story is underdeveloped. There is little chemistry between the
two brothers. And its main-character is, as i already stated, very
flat.There are some great scenes. Jamal falling down in crap-house and then
getting his autograph was funny and disgusting. But i found the film
decreasing in quality as it went along. The scenes in the actually
Millionary show was also quite good with the host turning in a good
performance, being that kind of character that is written for the
audience to dislike and loath.

regnarghost - 1 April 2009

Reply to Rick Brands comments

your comment: "The storyline's a wash - to name just one inconsistency,
as Salman Rushdie pointed out: from Bombay to the Taj Mahal by jumping
a train? Really???" ———————————————–
Ummm, that is a very unimaginative and boneheaded comment. They also
didn't fall off the train 7 years old, then dust themselves off to
discover their were 8 years older. The scene transitions them to their
teenage years. They could've just as well easily fallen off a truck. I
just watched that scene and you don't see them fall off the train as
teenagers. It was just a nice transition from childhood to their
teenage years.

will0637 from United States - 1 April 2009

Unswerving love and determination.

An absolute winner from director Danny Boyle. Without a penny to his
name, Jamal Malik(Dev Patel, his fate is verging on change in a major
way. The young boy, a product of the slums of Mumbai(formerly Bombay),
is one question away from winning India's version of "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?". While answering each question, Jamal reminisces of
watching his mother being slaughtered in an attack on Muslims. He and
his brother Salim(Madhur Mittal)battling to survive the harsh streets
as orphans and the thoughts of meeting true love Latika(Freida Pinto).
Jamal would be arrested and tortured by the police under suspicion of
cheating, for how could a "slumdog" possess the knowledge to be so
close to winning the popular TV game. Millions of viewers are watching
in awe and admiration …probably more important than that final
question is the fact he may be losing his beloved Latika.A definite feel-good movie. Also in the cast: Anil Kapoor, Iran Khan
and Mahesh Manjrekar. True love endures all.

Michael O'Keefe from Muskogee OK - 1 April 2009

kudos to all the people that attributed to promoting this film

kudos to the writers and director of this movie and to the people that
nominated it for an academy award in order to get this film into the
limelight! the movie of and itself was not remarkable to me. what was
important was the purpose of producing it… to raise peoples awareness
of the continued atrocities occurring throughout are world in our
generation, this time in India. jamal's mother ends up slaughtered in
just another religious riot…this time against muslims by i do not no
who (but that should be irrelevant by this time as religious fanatics
committing decimating other fractions and whoever falls in their wake
have been committed by almost every religion i know). his bother and
him along with talick (his love and third musketeer) end up orphaned
children in the slums only to become victimized by unscrupulous and
downright evil men who exploit them for money first through by begging
for money on the streets and the prostitution. they have no moral limit
and go to such tortuous extremes as to burn out a potential beggar boys
eyes with acid. his brother is corrupted…had little alternative not
to be, talick becomes an abused and imprisoned sex slave to a very
rich, high ranking gangster, and jamal goes through his childhood as
best he can by scamming off of tourists. when jamal gets chosen as a
candidate for "who wants to be a millionaire" Hindi style he gets set
up and betrayed by the host/producer of the show and is arrested by the
police before the last question to be aired the following night. he is
then summarily tortured and interrogated…on the grounds of cheating
on a game show?!! he does get released and reunited with the love of
his life…but come on people…why are these atrocities still
occurring through the world in our very life times??!!!! a very good
effort to raise the populaces awareness level yet once again and i
surely hope it has some sort of impact on those that are still third
eye blind! love and peace!

jamie jo jesus from United States - 1 April 2009

Imagine

Imagine buying 'Slumdog Millionaire' when it hit the stores…pitching
the receipt already…enjoying it big time…and then finding some
hours later…just trailers for other films under special features…NO
making of featurette…NO director's commentary…NO deleted scenes.
The special features as advertised on the case of the 'Slumdog
Millionaire' DVD I bought aren't there. So while I am just a slum dog,
I will have to buy another copy of this super film from a different
store…save the receipt…take it home… check it out and hope all of
the special features are there. I must say I went in cold…only
knowing it has received critical acclaim. I can only imagine the
special features are as rewarding as the film was provided I can find a
copy of the DVD that actually has the special features as advertised.

roledquist from United States - 31 March 2009

I may be the solitary voice of disapproval.

The film is a victim of all the hype attached to it. For whatever
reason enough people saw something special in it and a ground swell of
enthusiasm propelled this film into hysterical popularity.
Unfortunately there isn't enough substance to warrant the praise.Gratuitous choppy editing, endless nausea-inducing skewed camera angles
(the thing I hated most about the whole mess) and a rather too
contrived plot are combined to produce only mildly entertaining
results.The performances by the young actors were uniformly stellar and that is
where the praise should be directed.Finally, where there's smoke - there's fire. For all Boyle's glib
explanations of how well the kids were taken care of and how well paid
they were the truth is they received far, far less than they should
have based on their contribution. I'm surprised the movie-going public
let the filmmakers get away with this.It's great that their education is supposedly assured but considering
the extraordinary success of the film and the wealth generated for the
fat-cats in Hollywood and London these kids' lives NOW could have and
should have been transformed. How on earth could they have been allowed
to return to the slums most of them came from? It's real a shame.Social issues aside, I was left unimpressed and numb at the end of the
movie.

jthekoz from United States - 31 March 2009

Only good if you don't think about it.

I accept that I saw this film post-hype. It was never going to be the
Citizen Kane that people seem to think it is. But cripes, it was fluff!
Not only fluff, but cold fluff: while something like Mamma Mia can draw
you in with its silliness and generous humour, I felt nothing but
boredom at Dev Patel's constant grump. I didn't want him to get the
girl.And, for all the talk about it being a 'love story against all the
odds', the odds are so disparate as to be totally random! If you're
going to write a fable, at least make your symbols coherent: is he
fighting against discrimination because of his background? Is he
fighting against people who use him? Or is he just fighting against his
brother, who for some unknown reason is a really bad apple? (on that
last point, this really annoyed me: i really don't buy his brother! If
we agree its a moral fable, then what on earth does he represent?)
Another massive problem with the film is the total lack of character
development. So Dev Patel wants this girl… er, OK, why is this? It
just seems to be a given. Can you imagine them having a happy life
after the film? Can you imagine any of the characters doing ANYTHING
outside the bubble of this plot? Can you say anything meaningful about
the characters in the film that don't revolve around plot necessitudes?
No? Well, maybe that's because these characters are about as
undeveloped as your average goldfish.Basically, I accept that people will say that Slumdog isn't a
heavyweight film; its a bit of romantic nonsense in an economic climate
when we all need cheering up. OK then: watch Forrest Gump or Mamma Mia.
Because they're far more warm and generous than this anti-social,
individualistic film. The icing on the cake came at the climax of the
film, when all the people of Mumbai watch Dev Patel win the show. Where
did this community theme come from in a film which is ostensibly about
this one kid fighting everyone else? Perhaps Boyle thought the only way
to sell a film about India was to make it with lots of anonymous happy
smiling people doing a dance. How very dated.

james_hawthorne from United Kingdom - 31 March 2009

Another film that did not deserve the best film Oscar.

Let me start off here, with a reason for my rating of 9. It is based on
the excellent production values and some very good acting. The
direction by Danny Boyle is excellent.The script however is lacking in believability.As we all know our young hero is a contestant on a TV program, Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire, I for one hated the Version of this show
when it was on the air in the US. The parts we see see in the movie are
as annoying as it was on TV. (spoiler alert)_I tend to agree with the reasons why the police arrest our lad.There are some very grim scenes in the first part of movie but then
like all fantasies we have the happy ending.The last 20 minutes were exceedingly long & very repetitious. I was
getting bored, I knew what was going to happen they took forever
getting there.Over the 80 some odd years of the Oscar, there have been quite a few
that did not deserve the best film award.Add Slumdog Millionaire to the list. Here are just a few of the others,
that do not belong.Crash—–Gentlemens Agreement—–The Sting– The Apartment. all are very good movies BUT none deserved best film Oscar.Ratings:***1/2 (out of 4) 93 points (out of 100) IMDb 9 (out of 10)

Jay Harris (sirbossman6969@yahoo.com) from United States - 31 March 2009

Slumdog Millioniare is a must see

Danny Boyle has been a favorite of mine since I saw Trainspotting,
since then he's gone on to make many masterpieces(Trainspotting,28 Days
Later, The Beach and Sunshine).Slumdog Millionaire comes out of nowhere and it could very well be his
best film yet and one of the best films of the decade. Much like Danny
Boyles work, Slumdog Millionaire has fast cuts, artistic
Cinimantagraphy, and a fantastic soundtrack. The raw style mixed with
the amazing locations make this film one of the most cinematic
experiences you'll ever see. The Sound is perfect, I haven't heard
audio like this in a while and am getting the soundtrack immediately.
This film needs a Oscar nomination for the soundtrack, it sounds that
good. The film itself gives a wide host of emotions; It's funny, sad,
thrilling, and happy, basically a very enjoyable film that deserved the
numerous Oscar nominations.There are some difficult scenes to watch for the faint-hearted, scenes
that make me sad for the slum children of India and everywhere else,
and when the movie was said and done, one does feel like the movie had
an intense happy ending. Danny Boyle who has touched on many film
genres now has made a true masterpiece with Slumdog Millionaire.

machngunjoe from United States - 30 March 2009

Has its cons but still emerges as a winner

I saw the movie with my 11 years old sister yesterday long after its
release at home. My sister liked it a lot and I too didn't mind it. The
thing that worked in Slumdog is that it is appealing. I enjoyed the
whole movie and even though I did feel that the Oscars were a bit hasty
in giving all the awards ( I haven't seen the other films though), but
I do feel that it should have been nominated for many awards, which it
was.There were some problems in the movie. The English of the older
children with an accent is not understandable. Some cliché scenes and
weak dialogues were present. Also, there were some things in the story
that could not be understood clearly. Also, I did not feel so much
connected with all the character. The host of the show Anil Kapoor was
nice at first, then became rude all of a sudden and then became nice in
the end!What I liked was that the story was very enjoyable. I could watch the
entire movie without yawning. The humor in some sequences was good and
didn't look corny. The best acting came from the children. The
background score was really good. I do feel that O saaya was a bit
better than Jai ho. Also, M.I.A's Paper Planes was great and it
perfectly fitted the scene.I'll go with an 8 out of 10 for this movie.

sashank_kini-1 from India - 30 March 2009

Good but doesn't deserve the Oscar

I'm not sure how Oscars awarded to the movies. Now i have a deep doubt
with the system itself.I had always looked up to the Oscars as a body providing good justice
to great movies - Is that not why they are there where they are now???
I'm still looking for some deep answers about this movie winning so
many Oscars…OK. I would not say the movie is bad. the movie is good but not great
by any stretch of imagination. How can anyone compare this movie with
the likes of Gandhi, Amadeus, My fair lady which too has won 8 Oscars
each… I have seen better movies than this that were not even
nominated for the Oscars…I don't know what is wrong with the system? Anyway that's about my
grief…As far as the movie is concerned it is a very nicely scripted movie
with decent acting and good music. Again, the music doesn't deserve an
Oscar. AR Rahman does deserve an Oscar for whatever he had done earlier
but for THIS????? NO WAY!!!! IT is not even close to anything worth
mentioning as far as i'm concerned…If at all you wanna watch this movie, i'd strongly recommend it but
just be open enough to realize the facts…

Shivaprasad K from India - 30 March 2009

this film is all in capital letters and it makes me like e.e. cummings more that i used to

I went into this film with high expectations based on friends' ratings,
but came out feeling slightly knocked about and empty, as if I too had
suffered at the hands of the Mumbai constabulary. I'd like to emphasise
though that my problem with the film was not its fable-like narrative -
the sketchy, inconsistent and unexplained nature of events and the
refusal to explain was rather a strength for me. Rather, it was the
overall style and the compulsion to take the symmetries of plot and
circumstance (which are a standard part of almost any narrative) and
supercharge these to the extent that they become big signs screaming
LOOK AT ME! I'M AN ECHO OF A PREVIOUS/PARALLEL SCENE!!! Due to this overworked mechanism, the film lost me at its "climax", the
point at which one brother wins 20 million rupees and the other brother
is simultaneously gunned to death in a bathtub full of banknotes. Up to
that point I had been quite happy to coast along on the Lonely Planet
aesthetic of penury and picaresque, but after that it was a lost cause.
It didn't even matter that the music was by a Singalese girl from West
London (M.I.A.), or that Danny Boyle's aggressive jump-cut style turned
every conflagration into a wheeze and a romp. But the bathful of money
was the point where I pulled out the plug and started to wonder: does
this film say anything useful about India? Or even about "Who wants to
be a Millionaire"? Has it got anything to say at all other than slums
are bad, crooks are bad, and "true love conquers all?"A good film should reflect its age and say something about its main
subject at least. But this one simply throws its boundless energy at a
topic that begs for some sinuousness, intelligence and subtlety. For
god's sake, it doesn't have to be La Dolce Vita, but a palette that
includes something other than VERY BRIGHT and VERY DARK would have been
welcome. Overall not a bad film, but not a particularly good one either.

Fred Freddson from Germany - 30 March 2009

The most over-rated movie of 2008

Over the past few months, I've been hearing a lot of praises for this
movie. And the Oscar achievement added more to that. Congratulations to
everyone associated with the movie. But I seriously feel its 'much ado
about nothing'.I agree that the concept of the movie - the basic plot - is a fantastic
one. But all said and done, the movie still doesn't work (at least for
me it didn't). Its the screenplay that has been a let-down.I haven't read the actual book. But the movie-plot is full of holes.
The major one is the language. I feel the makers were forced to use
English as a medium of dialogue, obviously because this was a Hollywood
movie. The so-called 'Slumdog' Mumbai kids talking in English is
something I cannot digest. It was quite good at the beginning when the
kids conversed in a dialect of Hindi which was very similar to the
actual one used in slums of Mumbai (including the swear words). But
then we find the teenage Jamal, Salim and Latika conversing in fluent
English. That's simply unrealistic, especially after what they had gone
through in their lives. The villain Mamman too switches over to English
while talking to the teenage Jamal and Salim, while he was talking to
them in Hindi a few years ago.The way in which the events in Jamal's life were connected to the
answers to the questions, failed to impress. Most reeked of poor
research. Almost all of them were unrealistic and unbelievable. Trust
me, I can guarantee this, no boy from slums would call a revolver a
'Colt'. And how does a blind kid looking for alms know about Benjamin
Franklin? The communal riots sequence could have been good connection,
but how does a boy disguised like lord Rama turn up in an area of total
chaos, and is just standing there absolutely relaxed.At the end, watching Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto dance in the railway
station to the tune of Jai-Ho made me roll-over laughing. It was
hilarious. The dance moves seems totally disconnected to the lyrics of
the song. And Dev Patel's two left feet were not much help either. In
fact, it would have been better if there was no dance at all. But hey,
after all, its a Bollywood movie, and every western director who wishes
to direct an Indian movie always wants to direct a song-and-dance
sequence. But this one here has beat many Hindi movies in terms of the
ridiculousness of a song.About the performances, the kids did an absolutely marvellous job. Anil
Kapoor, Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto did a nice job too. Irfan Khan has
been wasted in a forgettable role. AR Rehman rocks as usual, but Jai-ho
is certainly not his best.Overall, I think this movie was a loose interpretation of the Mumbai
slums, the people there and their lives. Its a confused movie, which
just stops somewhere in middle of making a feel-good movie suited to
the sensibilities of the western audience, and going for a total
'indianization' of a Hollywood movie. It should have rather sided one
end.

Abhishek R from India - 30 March 2009

Don't believe the hype

Starting with the eager to please fast cutting, Slumdog glosses over
anything unpleasant and gives the overall feeling of a music video.
This makes poverty feel like a fun time to the middle class westerner.
Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe aptly put it "I feel like I'm
escaping into something that many people can't escape out of." The most
telling scene of the movie in which Jamal cons a tourist reinforces
British Danny Boyle's sense of superiority to American tourists and
Indian slum dwellers. "This is (the real India)" Jamal says to them.
"Here's a bit of the real America" the tourists say as they give Jamal
a 100 dollar bill. Millionaire may be aiming for Dickensenian social
drama, but unlike Bleak House or Oliver Twist, it rings utterly false.
Part of the problem is that Boyle knew very little about India until
recently and decided he maybe wanted to educate himself. Or perhaps
it's just his effort to recolonize India for the Brits.

CarlSolomon from United States - 29 March 2009

Mixed reactions

Right from the start Slumdog threw me off a little. Text rolls on the
screen asking the audience a multiple choice question and the destiny
card is played(It is written). I feel that destiny is a pretty weak
theme for a movie because in the end, a movie is the story of a
character (or many) and the destiny part doesn't need to be mentioned.
Emphasis should be placed on storytelling and drama. At first, the fact
that the main character's life is being told through a game of "Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire?" seems pretty original but is ultimately
rendered ridiculous; A thing that seems best suited for a school
project. The segments of Jamal's early life are pretty well-done. After
his mother dies, he and his brother must learn to fend for themselves,
going so far as to give tours of the Taj Mahal to tourists. Of course
they know nothing of the Taj Mahal, so they comically make up their own
facts. The movie then suddenly takes a turn for the worst and becomes a
love story. that's pretty much it. The movie highlights some harsh
realities of being a slumdog before twisting it into a romance affair.
Some cringe-worthy lines I must point out: Jamal: "You see, you don't
have to be a genius" (while being interrogated) AND Latiqa: "I don't
know!" (while on the phone) I just feel these were awfully delivered so
much so I had to mention them.

philmarquis707 from Canada - 29 March 2009

Will someone say "The king is naked!" please?

Because he's full frontal nude! This was not a good movie. Simple as
that.Starting from the first scene, my whole enthusiasm was drained off when
I saw the cops torturing a guy for doing good in a competition. My mind
was boggled. Has there ever been a more ludicrous, more absurd opening
in the history of cinema? I mean who shows their script utterly sucks
in the very first moments? Even bad action movies don't do that. It
felt like a punch. (You thought it was gonna be good because of all
those Oscars, eh? Here you go! POW!)The following sequences where we witness our characters' past were far
from being sincere, real, or authentic. I can't believe people compare
this to City of God. It felt so… amateurish. Danny Boyle has totally
lost his edge. There was nothing impressive. I don't know how to quite
put it right, but there was this "We're so happy to be making this
film!" feeling all over the movie and it especially didn't work well
for the supposed dramatic moments. They were not real, not new, not
original. A little bit of Oliver Twist, and some bad humor. Nothing
memorable.And the show… Ah, the show… A vulgar, cheating, lying, conniving
bully of a TV show host? Where do they find these ideas? You can't just
suspect a competitor of cheating and send him off to be electrocuted!
In a place where a TV show like that is being made, these kinda stuff
just cannot happen. This is a fact. Nobody can say anything to make it
okay. That was the one most stupid character idea ever to be realized
on screen.And they even told about their suspicions to the press without so much
as trying to frame him with some lie like they found something on him.
How disreputable is that for the show? And is it so incomprehensible to
think that maybe he just knew the answers? "Doctors, professors can't
go where he went." my a**!!! As if the questions were prepared for
geniuses… The first half was all about India and they even had
questions with humorous answers that -like the cop said- a 5 year old
could answer. This was *very cleverly* written to legitimize people's
suspicions of the cheating thing but instead it made the lead guy look
like a borderline idiot. And didn't the host think that maybe the guy
could make a complaint, or at least talk to the press? Was he gonna
cover it up with his strong ties to the police and threaten the media?
He's a TV personality for god's sake! Not a made man! Oh god, it was so
absurd.And has nobody warned the writer about the "perfect chronology between
the events in the guys life and the contents of the questions" angle
was way too off? Too forced? You gotta be a bit more subtle when you're
dealing with stuff like destiny since you're trying to make a real
movie. Either go crazy and say "In my movie's universe these things are
normal." like Woody Allen does, or make it a bit more realistic and
reasonable like it was in the movie Crash. This was just lame,
childish, BAD writing. Oh and the lead character must have had such a
brain, they should kill the guy and study it. He remembers everything!
If our brains stored information like that… Man, I don't even what
would happen! And the ending. The *perfectly* thought out ending where the easiest
question in the world comes as the last question, just to tie it all up
with a not-so-meaningful memory from his childhood. So cheap. The
chaotic brother who just can't decide what to be, suddenly goes paladin
and he, very quickly, brings a solution to the girl's problems and sets
her free, and even handles the communication problem between the lovers
just so that they can have the conclusion talk that will wrap the movie
up. So cheap. And he kills the boss who, very conveniently, enters the
room first. (come on, man… why would a crime boss enter a room like a
deer when he knows there's something suspicious going on?) And the
third act is done! Writing is that easy guys. And you can even get an
Oscar for it.David Fincher must have been so annoyed… When you can't even trust
the Academy, what's the point of the whole awards concept? Please let's stop this craze of cheering for bad movies just because of
their hype! First the Dark Knight and now this. Teenagers go ape****
over horrific stuff like Twilight. What is going on? I don't think I
can handle another one.

yogsottoth (yogsottoth@hotmail.com) from Ankara,Turkey - 28 March 2009

I wouldn't call it a 'feel good movie', but it's definitely great

(Very) Global: Slumdog millionaire is about a boy who grows up in
different towns/cities in Inda, as a 'slumdog'. When he loses the love
is his life, he's going to enter a television show called 'Who wants to
be a millionaire?' (Dutch people might know it as 'Lotto Weekend
Miljonairs'), in the hope she'll watch and come and meet him. In the
beginning, no one thought the Slumdog would win ANY money, but because
of his rich life experience and is horrible way of living, he knows
almost every answer by himself. He ends up winning the jackpot;
20.000.000 rps.At first I didn't really know what to think about slumdog millionaire.
I thought people only thought it was great BECAUSE it won eight Oscars,
and not that it won eight Oscars BECAUSE it was great. But in the
beginning of the movie I was immediately intrigued by the life Jamar
and his family had to live trough. And I had the idea (especially in
the beginning) that Jamar was the ONLY nice person in the whole movie.
From is schoolteacher to the police, and from the police to the
showhost, everyone treated him like crap. And the amazingly way of
acting (extra compliments for the actors who played the little versions
of the characters), made it even heavier, intenser, but more exciting
and sweat to watch.Trough the whole movie the watcher is smacked in the face by terrible
(and sadly realistic) stuff that's happening in the cities of India and
it's slums. Corruption here, child prostitution there. But the movie
amazingly balanced it all out by putting jokes in it that really made
me laugh (and again; the little actors were a big factor in this
matter).So my conclusion is; Besides the predictable and lame ending (and
that's not even about the typical bollywood dance part), the movie was
a great adventure that figuratively grabbed me from my seat and pulled
me in to the screen. The acting, the writing and the AMAZINGLY
direction gave you mixed feelings, but not at all in a negative way.9/10

Scimmia from Netherlands - 27 March 2009

Slum Dog eh?

If you have never been to the slums, or was born in a third world
country like some of us were, feel free to put a negative rating…NOT~
Get real, if you don't understand the movie, leave it alone! This movie
might be eye opening for some people, and i really hope it is to how
countries outside the U.S. treat people in general. Welcome to the real
world. Some people don't realize how the world really is outside their
own homes. Terrorism? People have lived with that for many years prior
to the recent American conflict. I'm from Russia, we have dealt with
that in a major way from birth it seems. But don't take my word for it
looking into the situation in my day might have got you killed. But in
America…fell free! Cause you don't realize that you can without being
held for treason Love America

adeenoki from United States - 27 March 2009

Good but not Great

One never knows what goes through the collective mind of Oscar voters
but one suspects that it is the squalor of India — in this case,
Mumbai, though it can also be seen virtually anywhere — that won this
film the Best Picture Award rather than the love story or the contrived
"Who Wants to a Millionaire" mechanism that contributes the title.
Freida Pinto and Dev Patel are a handsome couple, and Danny Boyle is an
accomplished director but the star here is the settings and the
cinematography which capture the vitality, poverty and violence of the
city. The most famous of Mumbai/Bombay landmarks are not shown (or I
missed them if they were). Instead of the scenic tour the viewer is
confronted with the slums and the impoverished children and the harsh
life they lead. One supposes that the love story was required to lift
this film out of the documentary realm but it is the reality, not the
fictional frame, that delivers the wallop in this film. The quiz show
maintains a modicum of tension but one knows how it will come out in
fiction if not in fact and the reunion of the young lovers is
foreordained — a Hollywood flower grafted onto a Bollywood stem.

(normangelman@verizon.net) from Washington, D.C. - 27 March 2009

A suspenseful film, but not a masterpiece

You don't have to be a fan of "Who wants to be a millionaire" to enjoy
this film. Reminded me a little of "the kite runner", as two boys are
friends. In my view, it is better than "the kite runner" film, but not
as good as "the kite runner" novel. I won't spoil film by giving plot
away."Slumdog millionaire" is really exciting and you have to keep watching
to see what happens. If they were attempting an adrenaline ride, I
would say they have succeeded. What is on screen looks like it cost a
lot. Having no big stars must have helped the financing. Director Danny
Boyle admits in Variety: "I want to make a film that looks like it cost
$50 million or $60 million". And in this film he has done just that.
The intense soundtrack is very good and goes very well with the setting
and action. Streaming the Slumdog millionaire soundtrack is free at
deezer.com Film won Golden globe and Oscar for best picture. However, why it won a
Golden globe for best screenplay is a mystery to me, as it in my view
is more a visual experience. The dialogue is not that amazing. But the
acting is very believable. It didn't spoil my enjoyment that some of
dialogue was subtitled, as a lot of the important parts seemed to be
spoken in English. Some scenes are quite violent, so children are
probably not the target audience, despite the main characters being
children.It is hard to know whether some of the situations in India it depicts
are exaggerated for story telling reasons. I wouldn't trust everything
you see here. It is fiction after all. Not reality. I wondered whether
it was based on a true story or not. Slumdog millionaire is based on
the novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup. Director Boyle's answer in Variety:
"If the story isn't true, it should be." He may be avoiding answering
to make the film more mysterious. According to the independent book
review from 2006, "the novel is "based loosely in truth" I recommend
this movie. It feels refreshingly different and more colourful than
other films, even though some are comparing it to the more violent City
of god. Also, the film has a certain Spielbergesque suspense to it, I
think. Not least because Spielberg often selects children to star in
his films.I thought the credits at the end were very inventive.

Christopher Dungey (hurrahip@gmail.com) - 27 March 2009

Brotherly Love

I wasn't expecting much from this film. When a movie gets this much
hype it typically leaves me wanting more. However, this movie has a
certain charm about it that works. At the center of the story is the
relationship between his brother, Salim, and a girl, Latika, who is
left homeless after an attack that takes Jamal's mothers life. After
running from a man who exploits the three for labor, they lose Latika
in the midst of hopping on a moving train. Fate brings the three back
together for a second and third time. Each time they come back together
with a set of new obstacles and the final obstacle is him on a show
(Who wants to be a millionaire) to win Latika and free her from her
caged life. I thought the ending was uplifting and the brotherly
relationship was portrayed very realistic. The film overall was an eye
opener to a culture I have very little knowledge of, and the story was
definitely well written. You can tell that the movie was low in budget,
but it didn't stop me from enjoying it. Two thumbs up from me. Also the soundtrack was amazing. A well deserved Oscar - looking
forward to more works by A.R. Rahman.

lesamuraiii from United States - 27 March 2009

Seriously; This film is no crap!

The film teaches us all a lesson on 'how taking people's crap can lead
us to success'. It is not asking us to be an 'ass-licker' but instead
making us stronger by showing us the difficult sides of life.Here we have the character Jamal who is innocent, simple, happy, and
takes life as it comes. Jamal's simplicity leads him to path which we
all think is only possible by being a crook, street-smart, firm,
confident or positive. Whereas in this film, Jamal achieves his destiny
by just moving on with his life and taking every new day as a 'brand
new day'.I think we all have a lot to learn from Jamal, and it's not easy for us
to follow in a short span of time. Hence i urge everyone to view this
film few times to let the story sink into our brains and hearts.Remember: "There is no use fighting with crap…..because it is crap"
N. Bhatia

bhatian (bhatian@yahoo.com) from Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 24 March 2009

maybe not as good as everybody thinks…

as you see i've given it an 8/10… maybe i'm to cheap, but i must say
i thought it was a very slow tempo in the beginning, and most of the
flashbacks was complete nonsense. The movie is approx. 2h long. If
you'd cut down the flashbacks without taking out any really important
stuff you could still make this one in 1,5h.. but let's not talk about
that. as i pointed out already the first half of the film was quite
boring, but it grew better as it prolonged. and therefore it has earned
an 8… maybe even a 9. but the slow start is bound to bring it down a
little bit. and even the whole last question made it laughable. are the
Indians really that uneducated so they can put a question like that as
the last? and really the answer to the question which is stated in the
beginning can only be one thing…B

Sebastian Thor from Sweden - 23 March 2009

Good movie, not best picture

Living in Brasil I wasn't able to see this movie until now. So I was
eager to see what it was all about. While I really enjoyed the movie,
as a movie, in my opinion, it was very formulaic. The boys born in a
bad situation, mother dies, they are on the street, one goes bad, the
other good, the girl wants to be good, but can't because of the
circumstance. Good boy works hard and makes it, the bad boy excels at
being bad, except in the very end when he does the one thing to redeem
himself. And the boy and girl live happily ever after. I saw almost the
same film, but in Portuguese and done 6 or 7 years ago. Fine actors,
wonderful directing, interesting to watch. Not best picture.

craigsn from Brasil - 23 March 2009

Rags to riches fairytale that wins hearts.

Destiny is to drama what codependency is to romance films. At the start
of Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire", the audience is confronted with
the question: how did Jamal reach the 20 million question? a) he
cheated b) he's lucky c) he's a genius d) it is written. During the
course of the film the a, b and c options are eliminated as we witness
the bizarre ways how a street rat gets to know the answers to every one
of the questions on the famous show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
Jamal and his brother are orphaned at a young age when their mother is
slain in a religious hate crime. They live on a landfill until a mob
like figure notices them and picks them up for the use of organized
begging. At this point in the story, the two musketeers (as the
brothers call themselves) have met up with a third, by the name of
Latika. However, they do not know the name of Dumas' third knight. As
in most great love stories, circumstances hinder Jamal and his soul
mate Latika from being together time and time again: when it's not the
ruthless underworld of Mumbai, it's Jamal's pathologically mean and
innately jealous brother Salim, and even the game show host plays an
intricate part in making their path towards each other labyrinthine.I expected an uplifting family film but came out surprised at how
gruesome and bare-boned the film turned out. There's one scene where a
child is blinded for life with what I presume is hot oil that is
particularly disturbing. Luckily for us, director Boyle also put in a
healthy dose of comic relief and heartwarming moments. Especially the
way the brothers gather sustenance and money is amusing. They hang
upside down on the side of a train to steal food from travelers, and
they charge tourists for a tour of the Taj Mahal with completely made
up facts.In many ways, "Slumdog" follows a traditional rags to riches
trajectory, where one's lucky to escape poverty and with means comes
love. However, what Boyle's trying to say is not sit on your behind and
wait for fortune to find you. He's saying pursue your passion
tenaciously. How lucky Jamel may be, he's partly responsible for making
his own luck. He uses his street smarts to track down Latika, going in
the mouth of madness to do so, namely his former mob begging and whore
circuit. He doesn't even give up after Latika rejects him because he
knows she's just scared and he needs to be brave enough for the both of
them if he wants them to be together. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a very
good film, no question, but it is not the great masterpiece of 2008,
the way "No Country For Old Men" or even "The Assassination of Jesse
James by the Coward Robert Ford" was for 2007.

The-Kissable-Writer (thekissablewriter@gmail.com) from Belgium - 23 March 2009

A Creative Story Of Destiny Being Fulfilled

I found the biggest (and, for that matter, perhaps the only) problem
with this movie was the opening 10-15 minutes. We're immediately
confronted by young Jamal being tortured in a local police station. The
purpose of the torture isn't entirely clear, but as those opening
minutes gradually unfold we discover that he's been accused of fraud,
after authorities believe he cheated to win 20 million rupees in the
Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" - their suspicions
backed apparently entirely by the belief that a lower class person such
as Jamal couldn't possibly have enough knowledge to have answered all
the questions! I found the opening strange, to be honest, and it didn't
pull me in - but here's where I have to give the movie credit. When a
movie loses me off the top I usually don't get back into it. "Slumdog
Millionaire" accomplished that. Once the story really got going I was
impressed by the creativity involved. Basically the plot follows the
"Millionaire" episode Jamal was on question by question, explaining how
he could know the answers by telling us of his background. That was a
very imaginative plot device, and the account of Jamal's background was
stunning - it portrayed a gripping account of India's poverty-stricken
lower classes, and a real study of love and commitment as we follow
Jamal, Lakita and Salim through their adventures. Director Danny Boyle
deserves credit for creating such a believable picture of Mumbai, and
one is truly drawn into wanting to discover the fate of Lakita. In the
end, this becomes a love story - a story of destiny being fulfilled in
spite of all the odds that seemed to be stacked against it. I wouldn't
personally place this on the heights that some have assigned it to, but
would still highly recommend it as a very good movie indeed.

sddavis63 (revsdd@gmail.com) from Ontario, Canada - 22 March 2009

What I'm feeling for this film isn't love, it's pure admiration

Slumdog Millionaire, the best film of 2008 by far, I saw this back in
December after hearing a little bit about it on the net. I was so
excited to see that it was playing at my local theater and I didn't
hesitate to see it when it was released. There are a lot of people who
are just asking why this film is so popular or loved, the reason why in
my opinion is that it's just a happy film. We usually have a best
picture winner that is depressing, but instead Slumdog Millionaire just
lifts your spirits and makes you cry in joy. I couldn't believe how
much I loved this film, after reading a summary on what it was about, I
was just confused and wondering if this film was really going to be
good. But we have these unknown young actors: Dev Peitel, Freida Pinto
and Madhur Mittal who pull in heart wrenching performances and you
can't help but love their characters and just keep rooting for them.
All in all, this film is a love story. Most film lovers fear those
words after Titanic because everyone thought it to be a predictable
puppy love story, this love story however is made in strength and faith
and you can't help but keep wanting Jamal and Latika to be together.
Even though I saw the film a while back, I still remember it like I saw
it yesterday.A title card is presented: "Jamal Malik is one question away from
winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it? A) He cheated, B) He's
lucky, C) He's a genius, D) It is written." Jamal is a contestant on
the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? hosted by Prem
Kumar in which he was on the show and won 20,000,000 rupees (about
US$500,000). Jamal then explains that, while at least the question
about Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was very simple, he knew the
answers of most questions by chance, because of things that happened in
his life. This is conveyed in a series of flashbacks documenting the
details of his childhood. This includes scenes of him obtaining
Bachchan's autograph, the death of his mother during the Hindu
anti-Muslim violence, rekindling the memory of the 1993 anti-Muslim
attacks in Mumbai by Hindu nationalists in the slums, and how he and
his brother Salim befriend Latika. The children are eventually
discovered by Maman while they live in the trash heaps. Maman is a
gangster who "collects" street children so that he can ultimately train
them to beg for money. Salim is groomed to become a part of Maman's
operation and is asked to bring Jamal to Maman in order to be blinded.
Salim protects his brother, and the three children try to escape; but
only Salim and Jamal are able to do so. Latika is re-captured by
Maman's organization and raised as a culturally talented prostitute
whose virginity will fetch a high price. The brothers eke out a living,
traveling on top of trains, selling goods, pretending to be tour guides
at the Taj Mahal, and picking pockets. Jamal eventually insists that
they return to Mumbai since he wishes to locate Latika. When he finds
her working as a dancer in a brothel, the brothers attempt to rescue
her, but Maman intrudes, and in the resulting conflict Salim draws a
gun and kills Maman. Salim then uses the fact that he killed Maman to
obtain a job with Javed a rival crime lord. Salim claims Latika as his
own and when Jamal protests, Salim threatens to kill him and Latika
intervenes, accepting her fate with Salim. Years later, Jamal has a position at a call center. When he is asked to
cover for a co-worker for a couple of minutes, he searches the database
for Salim and Latika. He gets in touch with Salim, who has become a
high-ranking lieutenant in Javed's organization. Jamal confronts a
regretful Salim on tense terms. Salim invites Jamal to live with him
and after following Salem, he sees Latika living there. He talks his
way in as the new chef and tries to convince Latika to leave. She tries
to discourage him, but on the first day that Jamal waits at the train
station, Latika attempts to escape with him, but is recaptured by Salim
and Javed's men. One of the men then slashes her cheek with a knife,
scarring her as Salim drives off, leaving Jamal with the onlooking
crowd. Jamal again loses contact with Latika when Javed moves to
another house. In another attempt to find Latika, Jamal tries out for
the popular game show because he knows that she will be watching.I cannot wait for this movie to be released on DVD, it's a terrific
uplifting movie that just captures your heart and makes you feel good.
I couldn't believe that people were just complaining about the ending
dance sequence, it was a TERRIFIC way to end it, to see everything that
Jamal went through and that dance just makes you feel happy because you
can tell the joy of him having his Latika in his arms. It was a
beautiful ending and makes you extremely joyful. The story is brutal,
funny, sad, original and beautiful. Danny Boyle, I knew that this
director had something special when he made the horror film 28 Days
Later, but who knew he could pull of such an uplifting beautifully made
film? He picked the perfect actors, made the film wonderfully, and the
whole crew seemed to enjoy making this together. Who wouldn't? It was a
pleasure to watch on the screen and if you haven't seen this film in
the theater, buy it when it comes on DVD, it's one of the most terrific
experiences I've had watching a film. We haven't had a film like
Slumdog Millionaire and it's one of my new favorite films of all time.10/10

Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois - 22 March 2009

Average, yes, but novel as well.

First off, I think that Slumdog Millionaire has received much more
attention than it deserves. I think its a product of a disillusioned
public contriving the understanding that something "Independent" is
better than a wide release. This movie was quiet release and was set as
far away from Hollywood as could be–India. Maybe it has become so
popular because of this misunderstanding.Regardless, I enjoyed watching it, but just as I enjoy eating candy.
This movie was an indulgence–a childish and predictable story being
supported by mediocre actors. Sounds like most other movies?
Definitely. Of course I laughed on occasion and sympathized with the
characters, but I did that with Marley and Me too, which I feel is the
same caliber of film as Slumdog. Of course, though, Marley and Me has
been deemed one of the worst movies last year. I don't really
understand how many people discern which movies to like and which
movies not to like. I did, however, particularly appreciate the novelty
of Slumdog Millionaire. I liked seeing India on the big screen. I was
educated as well as somewhat entertained, which is all I can ask from
any movie. This movie, though, out of all movies, did not do that so
fantastically that it should win 10 Oscars. Maybe I'm missing
something.

Elliot Kern from United States - 21 March 2009

A Grimms Brothers Fairytale, India style

I just loved every aspect of this movie, the actors, including the
children were excellent, the cinematography was superb and the story
was dark like a Grimm Brothers fairytale, instead of in Bavaria, set in
the slums of Mumbai. Jamal gets a spot on "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire." There are lots of questions, 1st is how can someone with
such little education from the slums of Mumbai even answer 1 question
on this game show, let alone ALL! For me the question is how does a
child of the slums know enough written and spoken English to answer
these questions? The 1st question is answered as the movie progresses.
Each question is a flash-back into his childhood where he is able to
find the "Millionaire" answer as the host of the show mocks him. The
2nd question has yet to be answered, or thought about? Be it as it may,
there is a "witch" that gathers up hungry stray children unknowingly
and brings them to a dark forest far away and feeds them well. The
brothers are able to figure this captivity as dangerous and escape and
the story goes on from there, continuing to meet the challenges of
survival. The "witch" too continues to haunt them (at least Jamal is
able to keep at arms length away, his brother not so) and Jamal ends up
on "Millionaire." This movie deserved every award they received. It is
wonderfully told. You get sucked into the story at 1st scene and are
glued until the end. What I learned is if you are ever at the Taj
Mahal, mind your shoes! A must see movie!

(n1572v@aol.com) from New York - 21 March 2009

Hollywood meets bollywood……..

Simply Great movie without any big star cast.Its typical bollywood
style film. The main feature of movie are acting,story,music by AR
Rahmaan,and Mumbai slums.I liked the way game show goes on and in
background story telling is done quiet superbly. But one thing is also
sure that many bollywood movies has far superior quality than Slumdog
but what they need is translation in English.Irfan Khan,Anil Kapoor has
justified their presence even in small role.Dev Patel is watchful.Extra
Ordinary acting is done by the child artists.They prove that there are
many child in these slums if they are given opportunity they can do
miracles.In short the movie is must watch.Jai Ho!!!!!!!

mehul_thakkar from India - 21 March 2009

breathtaking 2 hours i will never forget

First of all, i am not going to write a big essay like most people on
this site do. This is my first review, and even though i am an honors
student at my high school, i don't feel like writing a never-ending
novel as a movie review. Well, here goes: I do not think words can
really describe this movie. it surely is nothing short of amazing. i
stepped out of the theater no more than an hour ago and i'm still in
the great mood that slumdog millionaire put me in. though it has a
pretty happy ending, it is not cheesy. there is nothing cheesy about
this movie. everything is astonishing and i wouldn't be able to pick
out a flaw if i wanted to. the story line is so intriguing and the last
10 or so minutes are so intense. I applaud Danny Boyle and all the
people that worked on slumdog millionaire for this amazing experience
that deserves all 8 Oscars it won and is one of the best movies ever
made. for a high school student, i have seen a lot of movies (i'm the
movie freak according to my friends) and it takes a great movie to make
my top 10, and this movie made my number 3 (behind the Dark Knight and
Titanic). i don't care what types of movies you like, but everyone
should see this movie. it is nothing short of greatness and will be not
be forgotten. ~~~~~~~Whitney~~~~~~~

whitney713 from United States - 20 March 2009

Can't really see what the fuss is about

When a film hinges on some improbable coincidence in order to push the
story forward, it is generally considered bad or lazy writing… so I
can't help but wonder why this film, in which the crux of the story is
a gigantic, ludicrous combination of very improbable coincidences, is
being regarded as a masterpiece. I suppose it still works as something
of a modern fairytale, like Pretty Woman, and it definitely does have a
couple of very good moments, but ultimately it was just impossible for
me to take seriously such an exaggeratedly contrived story.After it ended, my fiancée said that she was half-expecting it to end
with a Usual Suspects scene, in which the whole thing would be revealed
to be an elaborate tale invented for a policeman's ears by a
street-hardened conman; I would have found it to be a much better film
if it had been that way, actually!

el_monty_BCN from Barcelona, Spain - 20 March 2009

a real heart warmer.

without any questions: a good movie. like forest gump it's a heart
warmer. quite well produced, but not as good as his masterpiece
TRAINSPOTTING, because that one was outstanding, quite extraordinary by
almost everything. why this movie got an Oscar for the music score, i
really don't know, but who knows, perhaps there was not a better one
this year. for sure i can watch this one twice or even more over the
years. i enjoyed pretty much the actors Anil Kapoor as the moderator
(outstanding performance!!!) and Ankur Vikal as the gangster Maman.
it's a more untypical movie by danny boyle, so probably this has
something to do with his co director. it's part time funny, but don't
expect a fully funny one, sometimes it's just the opposite. the story
is part time a bit unreal (when the winner get arrested by the
moderator or the more or less whole story about India), but this
doesn't matter. you can for sure enjoy this one, it's almost impossible
to say it's not a good one.

dteil from Germany - 19 March 2009

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Danny Boyle, 2008) ***

A curious mix of CITY OF GOD (2002) and QUIZ SHOW (1994), this
surprising multi-Oscar winner is a good film to be sure but also
somewhat overrated (as was director Boyle's TRAINSPOTTING [1996] after
all). The editing is deftly intricate (spanning several years, the
story continually jumps back and forth in time) and the exotic score
certainly effective; however, Boyle's flashy technique rings false
within the context of its underprivileged setting! SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
may have alerted the rest of the world to the dire conditions of life
in (the so-called) modern India but, at the same time, it cannot have
benefited the country's tourist industry any! The film's trump card is
actually the 'impossible romance' at its core: the two young leads are
believable and undeniably appealing. The whole "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?" angle, then, has a decidedly contrived feel to it: though
apparently based on fact, the film was clearly intended as a fable.
That said, some of the flashbacks do not really illuminate us as to how
the hero knew the respective answer: for instance, does someone need to
know who invented the revolver just because he owns one (much less an
uneducated person) and would the final all-important question of such a
show be one to which the answer could have easily been arrived at by
common sense (had it not been a recurring motif)?

MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta - 18 March 2009

Exhilarating!

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" is at the same time a blur and a
rush of color, emotion, and action. It moves so fast that one would
think that it would be in danger of getting the audience lost, but no.
Boyle may go a little over the top in directorial style, but the
audience is with the movie every step of the way.Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
Question by question, he gets them all correct and is racking up a huge
amount of cash. So much so, that the host (Anil Kapoor) thinks he's
cheating. But under interrogation, he reveals how he knows the answers
through flashbacks of his life.While the story could (and for the most part, does) succeed on its own,
Danny Boyle turns it into a director's show. Mostly, it works. He draws
us into the story and keeps things moving. Unfortunately though,
sometimes the quick cuts become a bit much, and the frantic pace allows
for only limited character development and identification.Fortunately though, his actors are so good that it doesn't
matter…almost. The trio of actors that portray Jamal (at various
stages in his life) create a protagonist that is impossible not to root
for. Likewise, the actors and actresses that play the other two central
characters (Latika and Saleem) are very effective as well. The very
root of the story is the romance between Jamal and Latika, and the
performers deliver (particularly Patel and Frieda Pinto)."Slumdog Millionaire" is a terrific movie, and though Boyle draws us in
and keeps us there, ultimately its the actors who make it special.

moviesleuth2 - 18 March 2009

The original story Q&A by Vikas Swarup is much better

If you liked Slumdog Millionaire, give a try to the original story Q&A
by Vikas Swarup.There is even a BBC audio drama of the original story, which is what I
listened to. You know what? I thought the audio drama was ten times
better than the movie. You find that hard to believe? Give it a try!
(Don't condemn without giving it a fair hearing. Note that, from
Wikipedia: "The radio dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon, directed and
produced by John Dryden on BBC Radio 4, won the Sony Radio Award for
Drama 2008 and the IVCA Clarion Award 2008.") The story, as in the BBC
audio drama, is quite different from the movie. The movie is only very
loosely based on the original story. The original story AVOIDS THE
LEFT-WING Clichés of the movie. Starting at the very beginning, for
example, the main character's name is Ram Mohammed Thomas and while
very young he is raised by a kind Christian priest (not in the slums).
The left-wing cliché avoided here is that he is oppressed by
society/the establishment from birth, growing up in slums with his
mother killed in a massacre of a religious minority by the religious
majority. And the comparison goes on and on like this, if you compare
the original story to the movie version.You say that I must be a fool because the movie screenplay won an
Academy Award? That's one view. My own view is that the Academy Award
was political and I've lost respect for the Academy.Again, before sounding off that anyone who believes the original story
is vastly superior to the movie script must be a fool, please read the
original story or listen to the BBC version.

gandalf321 from Australia - 18 March 2009

Overrated and somewhat cynical.

The whole idea of the movie is overblown to the point where you just
can not believe the movie and the actors. Obviously the movie was made
for western audience without any regard for the realism of the content.
What we have at the end is quite fake portrait of Indian life. All that
the makers of the movie had achieved is the overly emotional reaction
from politcorrect and emotionally-needful western society. And I doubt
that the emotion will be long lasting.Adding to that the movie is quite cynical in some parts. As In blind
boy accepting 100 dollar bill or American tourists standing up for the
boy.. etc. etc. This is just so fake and cynical.The only thing this move good for is making some clueless individual to
sympathize with this "out of the world" Cindyrella story. What was the point of the movie? I did not get it. We already know that
the life in India is hard.. what was the point of putting this "spoon
of sugar" on the top of it. As if going through winning a million could
make us see what hard life a person in Indea could go through.. And stockpiling full-house of stories definitely shows that this movie
is more like 10 short tear-sapping stories.. cheap move from the
director. Very fake. The Director work is doubtful at least.. the plot
just does not connect in some parts.. -Why would a show host make
police try this boy for truth??? Doesn't anybody know that these shows
make money not from cheating their players out money but from placing
advertisements of various commercial product..(obviously that was the
move to overdramatise the plot) -Also if you going to rescue child
prostitute from pedophile circle.. what are you gonna do about other
poor girls? As if police in Indea are in it??? I doubt that. Well you get the idea of what kind of lies they are showing to us
here.. complete fake.. "pulled out by the hair out of a swamp" sappy
drama story.For me this movie was just a pile of
cynical-selfmarketing-belowthebeltshot dung. Can not believe it got so
many Oscars.. seriously do not understand for what.Taking tragedy-drama-story to the extremes doesn't always make a good
point. But I guess thats what the western public in general is used to.Sorry 5/10 from me.

Mike McS from United States - 18 March 2009

interesting but overrated

Yes, while this was an interesting movie, it is not one of the best of
all time. What is good about this movie is that it shows a descent film
can be made without lots of animation and special effects, the acting
was what made it an above average movie. The fatal flaw in my opinion
is the lag, the detail and side stories had some parts that just drug.
I think the editing could have been better as it seems that some parts
were excluded, and others included that were backwards. A lot could
have been edited out, yet there were just some topics that were glossed
over I would have liked to have had some of those topics at least
covered.

twi1609372 (twi1609372@aol.com) from palm beach, florida - 18 March 2009

20 million rupees

At today's exchange rate Jamal Malik would have won 309.856€! Not bad
for a country with a monthly average wage of 40€.I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" after the Oscars so my idea was to
give consent to the 8 statues it took back home and for the unanimous
opinions of a great film. It was absolutely deserved. It's a non-stop
action movie, full of rhythm, love, emotion, humor and suspense. For
me, the best is the photography and mostly the edition (the most
deserved Oscar!). All the cuts, questions from the TV contest and
flashbacks are perfect and give us a clear view to understand why Jamal
managed to get all the questions right.The music, as usually in Danny Boyle's filmography, plays a very
important role. "Paper Planes" from MIA was one of my favorites but the
whole Soundtrack is worth given a careful look.The movie is a fight between the importance of money and love. And in
the end both win tough in different ways…

Tiago Lemos from Madrid, Spain - 17 March 2009

The Best Film of The Decade.

Slumdog Millionaire is film at it's absolute perfection. I won't bore
this comment with the story, but rather talk about the underlying
genius that really brings out the beauty of this story. Jamal and
Latika struggle throughout life to look to lead a regular life. They
show how money is important, but not completely a necessity for some
people. Love triumphs all and this film tries to perceive love as a
basis of story and intrigue. Slumdog has a terrific soundtrack and the
music accompanies the story as a constantly building theme of drama and
desire. This film has an extraordinary style and it can be watched at
anytime by anyone and understood because it is a reminder that the
simple things in life are those that are most important. It truly is
beyond great in every sense of the word, making it worth millions.

rr614961 from United States - 17 March 2009

Just goes to show…

you should never believe the hype. By all accounts, this movie is good,
but it is not in a league of epic proportions. The story is incredible,
but nothing that hasn't been used before, and the predictability takes
away from the natural curiosities that make us movie-goers interested
in the first place. Given, once the movie actually begins, the
directors do a great job of sucking in the audience with shock value
realism and of course the staples of any good movie: money and women.
The problem is that its all been done before in a thousand different
ways, and the only twist here is a game show. This is defiantly a movie
everyone should see at least once… but your not going to be dying to
watch it two months from now. And there is no reason to see it in
theaters because its effect is not action or sensory based… although
the soundtrack is pretty good. If there was a choice, I probably would
have went with a 7.5 but the hype is why I rounded down here. Give it a
shot, but don't go expecting a movie that won 8 Oscars, or a top 50
movie spot.

Jadn from United States - 17 March 2009

Life makes you wise. Destiny is written but we choose how to reach it.

I went to watch this movie with regular expectations. I mean, I knew
Danny Boyle (the mastermind behind "Trainspotting") was the Director so
I expected great things.Let me say that Danny Boyle is some sort of genius. Why? Well, he knows
what to combine and make it an instant success. For example, the
soundtrack. Who would know that mixing Indian music with techno/hip-hop
influences would be a hit?. Who would say that setting a tale involving
love, betrayal, Indian culture and criticism against Politics and
culture in India would be that interesting? Danny Boyle knows when to
do something memorable.He did it with "Trainspotting" in the X-Generation and makes a new
landmark film this millennium."SM" gave me more than expected and I will try to convince you why this
is one of the greatest achievements in recent film history…First, the plot. It gets as simple as describing that a very poor guy
that lives on the most disgraceful zone of Mumbai wins the Indian
equivalent of "Who Wants to be a Millonaire?" but Indian authorities
believe he was cheating.How did such a poor and supposedly ignorant boy win a contest of
knowledge?. Well, my answer, and without fear of making a mistake, is
that destiny and his hard life made him wise. I mean, through many
events that dealt with his mother's death, the betrayal of his brother,
the loss of his love interest of his life, witnessing crimes (young
boys getting their eyes burned, mafia gangs, murders), living in
poverty, etc; he stood up his principles and fought back trying to
recover his long lost love and build his destiny.There were some haunting moments that will stick for a long time in my
mind… plenty of symbolism. First, when Jamal and Malik, after
watching their mother being killed, watch a divine appearance from
Rham. The Goddess appears on a key moment when religious hatred is
happening and changes Jamal's life forever. Jamal later tells that if
it wasn't for Rham and Alah, his mother would've never died. That scene
was powerful, meant a lot.Then when Jamal and Salim escape Mamann's attacks, when they're leaving
on the train they watch poor, invalid, sad Latike in the middle of the
mist, night with no apparent future. Then the scene is repeated with
M.I.A.'S "Paper Planes" song in the background. Excellent moment! Now a
classic in my book.Then the ending… The powerful ending. The collage of moments Jamal
remembers were extremely moving for my tastes. I mean, when he
remembers the big Indian star that gives him the autograph, then when
they watch their mother before being killed, then remember himself as a
boy, and the most touching, moving scene…remembering Salim smiling
next to him.Well, there are MANY more moments that will stay with you for a long
time. Also, all the Three Musketeers references were excellent and
demonstrate that as a child you can learn a lot in school but it's life
that makes you wiser.The directing is excellent. Danny Boyle gives us a fast paced,
beautifully shot tale of fantasy and hard moments settled in poor
India. The cinematography is just perfect for the movie. Mr. Boyle is a
modern director and his techniques are nowhere else to be found. Thank
you.The acting is superb. Dave Patel shines through the movie but it's all
about the little actors who deliver tender, adorable, and moving
performances. The three of them deserve more recognition and more
roles. Excellent choice. Freida Pinto is not only super sexy, but she
delivers a fine romantic performance. Anil Kapoor delivers a strong but
hatred performance. He's an excellent actor. The rest of the cast is
strong and believable. Not a conventional Bollywood experience.The soundtrack is just PERFECT. It fits perfectly with the movie's tone
and gives a new meaning to Boyle's work. Marvelous combination.Overall, this movie is a modern masterpiece that will stick in your
mind. It's a great experience for those who are into Boyle's work and
for those who are into "something different".There is way more to tell about this movie but it would be unfair to
spoil it. Please give it a chance and witness why it's the best movie
of the year.

insomniac_rod from Noctropolis - 16 March 2009

BAD,slow, tedious and very stereotyped

This site is not doing well. I consider this film, slow, tedious and
very stereotyped. Even the love shown by Jamal to the girl I've seen
too predictable. The first 15 minutes are OK then it becomes boring.
You gave a 8.6 to a kind of filth and 8.2 in sin city while Spelberg,
Lucas, Hanks, Kubrick since 6000 should have to vote. It 'a shame. The
films for intellectuals are very fashionable and spectacular films now
have no more success. this film deserves 4 nominations OSCE are
exaggerated, in this excellent film site had scarcely sufficiency or
seven while this filth stole a 8.6 at this site to view the meters are
unpacking. Shame.

robertofuiano from Italy - 15 March 2009

D - Highly Overrated. Final Answer. Where's my check?

Here's yet another extremely overrated film from 2008 catered
specifically to awards and little else. Color me unimpressed.While it's not as dire as Benjamin Button or as erroneous as The Dark
Knight, Slumdog is certainly not a good film. It's not technically bad,
either. It simply exists. It's a movie you watch rather than
experience.I am literally in a state of shock these days at all the films
masquerading as high-class or even art when they are riddled with so
many *fundamental* mistakes. Screen writing 101…they get that stuff
wrong! Not the hard stuff, the simple stuff. How? I am baffled.Slumdog's story relies damn near entirely on coincidence, which is a
hugely detrimental factor when attempting to create audience sympathy.
I didn't feel for the kid on the show. I wasn't given a reason to. If
that were me on that show, I would have never been asked questions that
I just so happened to know the answers to by chance. This kid just so
happens to know the answer to the questions he is asked and little
else. He lucked out! I did not sympathize with him, I envied him! I
simply could not put myself in that situation due to it's complete
insanity and lack of realism.The search for the girl is introduced rather late, and before then,
there isn't much to root for in this story. So essentially, you can
begin watching this film at that point and completely understand the
plot and miss nothing of importance.The fact that the kid had one question left was not properly
communicated to the audience, which diluted the suspense of the
situation.The fragmented nature of the story doesn't make it easy to understand
the narrative, even when the concept alone creates the plot beats for
you. This film seems to go out of it's way to make things
extra-complex, as though it's trying to cover up something that's
lacking…Another thing that jumped out and bothered me…there are plenty of
scenes that simply have nothing to do with the kid on the game
show…or scenes that take far too long to get to the necessary bits of
info that we need. It plods around for quite some time as if it's
trying to make up for something that's lacking…I also do not enjoy the new-age, pointlessly over-stylistic directing
style employed here. It was distracting, perhaps to cover up something
that's lacking…When something, *anything*, is not right, you look at the fundamentals.
This is true in everything from football to film-making. Without
knowing, or by simply ignoring the fundamentals, you end up with
horrendously flawed films such as this, The Dark Knight and Benjamin
Button. And what's really sad is that these are the most highly-praised
films of last year.When did the standards drop so low? Did I miss a meeting? And can I
still vote?

biohazardehw from Pennsylvania, USA - 15 March 2009

Indian food cooked by British in US restaurant

Seeing this movie i overwhelmed with joy.mainly because of music,
without that this movie doesn't matter this much. This is not a new
story for Indian's like me,but all other aspects were great. surely i
didn't thought this kind of film would win Oscar, because it is a
complete commercial movie that everyone will like. usually Oscar would
be given to serious kind of film . Danny Boyle was great in this movie. The only problem in this film is
some scenes degrade our India's prestige. Anyway it is a must see
movie. We can forget our sorrows and enjoy that 2 hours.do you need
anything more? So see this movie immediately if you hadn't yet.

P-Rajayogan from Melur,Madurai. - 14 March 2009

Extremely overrated, merely OK…

This is a good movie. That's it. It is not a masterpiece and it
definitely did not deserve the Oscar. I really cannot understand what
is happening with the Academy to award this "only OK" movie with so
many Oscars. Also, the end credits are so cheesy that I could not
believe it… It seems people really like giving awards to movies that
show extreme poverty these days as this is the most striking
characteristic of this movie. I have never been to India but I don't
suppose that India is ONLY poverty and violence as it is shown. And
once again, the end credits were the worst part of the movie, I am
still shocked that an Oscar winning movie could have such end
credits…

MrWar from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 13 March 2009

The Sickness

It feels as if I have been hit with a terrible, incurable disease. Like
the elephant man, who's abnormalities awakens fear and anger in the
crowd. How can something be like this? It's not supposed to be like
this.. but.. so things turned out.. 8 Oscars can not convince me.. - I
laughed my way through Slumdog Millionaire. All my high hopes and
expectations – which dramatically had increased the last couple of
months - seemed to drop on the floor simultaneously with the movie's
unbearable plot (or lack of plot..). It was as if my soul and heart got
torn out of my body, leaving a dry, cynical scalp of skin and a hard,
mean laughter. The sickness. As a big fan of Milk, I expected a true masterpiece from the hands of
Danny Boyle – something amazing it had to be, if it could win over
Milk. But, oh, Danny Boy, how could you go so wrong… You can't cover an
empty, meaningless, predictable plot with beautiful pictures, cute
Indian children with glittering eyes and heart throbbing music. The
flat characters, the wannabe social realism-coverage and the corny love
story WILL shine through.In advance, I knew that I didn't have to use my brain for this movie,
it was okay, I was so ready for this hopeful, happy-go-lucky, beautiful
masterpiece. But it bullied happy movies! It made a joke of its genre!
It's the most embarrassing stunt in film history I'd ever seen. Even
the hideous, awful Danielle Steele-movie I saw a week before, had more
depth and realness in it. The slum of Mumbai seemed so joyful and
colorful; I thought "yay, this slum I have to visit, they seem so
happy", and wow, they sure learn English much faster that any other
western country does. There sure is a lot of stereotypes in Mumbai…
you're born as one character (Salim was a gangsterkid, too obvious that
he would turn out deceiving and cruel) and it doesn't really seem to
change.Through the years I've seen many Bollywood-features and enjoyed their
charm and humour: their self-realization of their genre. Clichés in
row. But they can bear it, because they are TRUE to their theme: they
don't pretend to visualize the hard life in the slum, they don't give a
false depth to a character. They admit that they are predictable. But
Slumdog Millionaire… what would it tell us? That even if you had a
rough childhood under poor, miserable circumstances, you can turn out
millionaire? I really don't get it. And I almost threw up during the
last scene. "Kiss me" – and then dance the Bollywood dance! Never have
I seen anything this embarrassing. I held my hands over my eyes. I
couldn't bear it.After the movie, I missed the last train, and that just made me more
angry and miserable. And sick. What is wrong with me, since I feel this
way? How can such a horrible film receive this great acknowledgment
from high profiled film critiques. It's one of our time's biggest
mysteries.

Ida from Denmark - 13 March 2009

Dickens for the 21st century

Jamal Malik, a young man from Bombay, is one question away from winning
20 million rupees in the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?". The question is posed: how did he do it? We are
presented with four answers, A) He cheated, B) He's lucky, C) He's a
genius, D) It is written. The film opens with Jamal being roughly
interrogated by the police, who believe that the true answer to that
question is A). Jamal works as a tea boy at a call centre and lives in
the city's slums, and the police refuse to believe that a mere
"slumdog" could have the vast general knowledge needed to answer so
many questions.The film then goes on to show just how Jamal knew the answers to so
many questions. The gameshow itself is used as the framework of the
film, with a series of flashbacks showing us key events in his
childhood, many of which have some connection with question in the
show. For example, one question relates to the famous Indian actor
Amitabh Bachchan, whose autograph Jamal obtained as a boy. Another
question, about a Hindu god, recalls communal violence between Hindus
and Muslims, in which his mother was killed.Although the film is set in India, and most of the cast are Indian, it
is officially a British movie with a British director, although it is
very different from most previous British films about India (such as
"North-West Frontier", "Gandhi" and "A Passage to India"), most of
which are period pieces set in the days of the Raj. When I reviewed
"The Kite Runner", another film with an Asian setting, last year, I
described it as a triumphant success that breaks every rule in the
Hollywood book. The same description could apply with equal, if not
greater, force to "Slumdog Millionaire". It is setting will be
unfamiliar to most American or European viewers. Much of the dialogue
is in a foreign language (Hindi). There are no major, or even minor,
Hollywood names among the cast, nearly all of whom are Indian and some
of whom (including the female lead Freida Pinto) are not professional
actors. (Some of the children who appear are slum dwellers in real
life). And yet it won eight Oscars, including "Best Picture" and "Best
Director" for Danny Boyle. I cannot think of another "Best Picture"
winner which has won in spite of so many potential disadvantages;
"Gandhi" was another British film about India, but it had the
advantages of being about a well-known historical figure and of
featuring several well-known actors, both American and British.Why, then, has the film succeeded so brilliantly? I think that part of
the answer lies in the way it draws upon what may be described as
literary archetypes. It reminded me strongly of the works of Dickens.
(And not only me; the critic Ann Hornaday called it "Charles Dickens
for the 21st century.") It has similar ingredients to those found in
many of his novels- a combination of social realism with humour,
sentimentality and a rags-to-riches story with a happy ending for the
virtuous hero and his beautiful girlfriend, although not necessarily
for all the other characters. "Oliver Twist" seems to have been a
particular influence. Like Oliver, Jamal is an orphan who grows up in
poverty after the death of his mother. Like Oliver, he falls in with
criminals; in Jamal's case the Fagin-figure is a gangster named Maman
who intends to use him as a beggar (after blinding him to increase his
earning potential). And like Oliver, Jamal is able to escape from
poverty through a twist of fate. (Dickens' choice of his hero's surname
has clear symbolic significance). As in the novel virtue is rewarded
and vice punished; in the film vice is personified not only by Maman
and his fellow gangsters but also by Jamal's brother Salim, who goes to
the bad and becomes a gangster himself.Other factors which contribute to the film's success include Simon
Beaufoy's screenplay and Boyle's fast-paced direction which creates a
sense of vibrancy and excitement, especially in action scenes like the
one where Jamal and Salim escape from Maman by climbing on top of a
train. Some, including critic Mick LaSalle, have criticised the film's
non-linear narrative structure, which relies heavily on flashbacks, but
I never had any difficulty following the action and, indeed, found this
the most logical way of presenting the action. Had Boyle and Beaufoy
told the story in a strictly linear fashion, with the gameshow and
Jamal's arrest and interrogation being reserved until the end, this
would have deprived the story of much of its drama and immediacy.Another criticism which has been made is that the film is too sunny and
optimistic; one Indian critic wrote that "Most people in the slums
never achieve a fairy-tale ending." Well, that is no doubt true, but
then most poor orphans in nineteenth-century London never managed to
escape from poverty, as Oliver Twist did, by turning out to be the
long-lost son of a wealthy family. "Slumdog Millionaire" was never
meant to be a documentary but a romantic melodrama, a genre of film
which has always enjoyed a certain licence to depart from strict
verisimilitude. And a very enjoyable one it is too. 8/10

James Hitchcock from Tunbridge Wells, England - 13 March 2009

A movie simply made to Denigrate India.

I sincerely do hope that my comment gets published because I really
want it to!. Firstly, I am an Indian, lived in India for 22 years
before moving to US. Moreover, I am a proud Hindu if that makes any
difference. And Yes, I am a proud worshiper of Shri Ram. Anyone who has
a minute understanding of Hinduism will testify what was shown about
him in the movie was incorrect. Anyway, in my entire life I have never
gone chasing around "Innocent" Muslims. We will come to that later. I
am not surprised that this particular movie won these many Oscars and
that the movie was made when the government in India is a
pseudo-secular supporting party. No wonder the victim was shown to be a
Muslim, the Muslim Music Director and Composer who had a field day
abusing the image of India won Laurels and Oscars Abroad!.Secondly, the issue about Poverty. Yes, limbs are cut off people to
make them beg in India. Yes, there is poverty present. But I have a
simple question to ask?. Isn't there poverty abroad in US or UK?.
Please don't tell me otherwise as I have been to Detroit, Michigan and
South Chicago. For a while I was also at Downtown Los Angeles. At least
a poor in India can walk safely in the night but I am not sure it would
be that safe from the Homeless in Detroit, Chicago, LA or Downtown New
york. My message is this,Get over it West!. 10% of US population is homeless.
If call centers and software weren't outsourced to "Third World"
countries like India where the currency is artificially manipulated to
be undervalued to help the almighty Dollar (Wasn't a 100 dollar bill
shown in the movie?), much of the west would have already been on the
streets by now. And yes, looking at the current Recession that would be
inevitable it seems. Entire world knows how rich the west is when most
of the Banks in US are bankrupt. Let me not go into our former
"Colonial power" UK where I have heard that the situation is even
worse.Let me tell you one fact to the West whether you believe me or not. The
Liberal Left Political party in India, The Congress party has ruled
India for 90% of the time. They have encouraged(in fact promoted by all
efforts) unimaginable poverty, slums, Muslim ghettoization because
every 5 years during election time they ask them for their votes
promising the gullible Indian population that this time they will
improve their pathetic poverty but they do not. And now they have the
audacity to promote this movie and attack the Hindu population who are
largely tolerant and hard working but follow the disgusting caste
system. (But believe me Caste System is NOT responsible for today's
India). It is not a MATTER of pride for us that India is poor. Everyday
we cry wishing that someday we can eliminate the poverty in India vis a
vis China. But this movie sadly promotes the agenda of the liberal left in India
to continue to rule and to make sure that India remains poor.

sghnmbjb from India - 12 March 2009

No need to ask the audience, this IS a great movie.

Danny Boyle is one of my favourite directors and I have never seen a
bad movie from him yet (and I am including the lightweight fun of A
Life Less Ordinary and Millions, make of that what you will). He
maintains his 100% record here with this wonderful movie, no surprise
considering the critical and commercial success it has had heaped upon
it since it's release.The story itself, as if people don't know, concerns a young "slumdog"
from Mumbai called Jamal (played by a few actors but the "starring"
role goes to Dev Patel) who is ready to have a go at the final question
in India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". But before he is
allowed to do this he is hauled away by the authorities and quizzed
over his unlikely success: how did he know so many of the answers, how
has he been managing to cheat the system, how could he ever manage to
do so much better than so many other, more likely, players? The answers
to these questions come in flashback form (involving Jamal, his brother
Salim and the constant female companion, Latika who is later played by
the beautiful Freida Pinto) as we learn how Jamal happened to know the
answers to the questions he was given.Part drama, part love story and part . . . . well . . part riveting
quiz show, this movie is best viewed before you hear too much hype
about it. It's actually a standard tale, jazzed up with the quiz-show
surrounding and the flashback structure. Boyle once again directs with
style, marrying some great visuals to some wonderful tunes throughout,
and also gets uniformly wonderful performances from everyone acting on
screen. And I do mean EVERYONE. From the smallest child to the oldest
patriarch, there is nobody here letting the side down.Is it so deserving of the praise and hype? In many ways it certainly is
but it's not the perfect film it has been made out to be. Personally, I
found that there were a few gaps in Jamal's knowledge that were not
fully explained or given satisfactory explanations. Then there is the
relative ease with which Jamal seems to sail through life, narrowly
escaping major problem after major problem as he drags himself up from
the slum. Remove the trappings and you have a very basic rags to riches
story with a romantic sub-plot. It's extremely well done but certainly
not the latest "best best best movie ever" it has been marketed as.See this if you like: Millions, Starter For Ten, Bollywood movies.

tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh. - 11 March 2009

This movie is a necessary fake!!

Other than the two little ones who play Jamaal and Salim at their
infancy, everything else in this movie is so fake!! Everybody speaks
English!! American tourists who just had their merc stripped off give
out another 100 bucks(are they stupid?)!! On one hand the movie is set
in the dirtiest and most vicious of places in mumbai, on the other hand
it has the noblest of all concepts, the Hollywood version of romance!!
Other than the two toddlers, the rest of the actors playing the two
brothers at different stages in their lives have "Non Resident Indian"
stamped over their faces!! Young wannabe criminals don't look like
Salim does, neither do they carry colts?!! In beggar camp Latika, while
crushing red chillies, wears rubber gloves?!? Well she wasn't exactly
doin the dishes in her kitchen was she??The movie says that the makers took the worst of India in one hand and
Hollywood in another and decided to bridge the gap!! But the gap is
just too big for one person or a whole generation of people to bridge!! I did like the youngest of the actors though, the movie remained
palatable till they were around!!I also hope this movie does something to draw the attention of the
world to how people in some parts of the world live in abject poverty,
don't know what, if at all anything, that will result in though.

Arindam_Raymukherjee from India - 11 March 2009

Perhaps the Most Efficient Movie ever made.

Jamal(Dev Patel) a boy from slums, by chance, gets selected for Indian
version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?", and destiny chooses him to
be the next millionaire, one wonders, how is it possible for a boy from
slums to answer all questions and become a millionaire, but "IT IS
WRITTEN". Slumdog Millionaire is a story of a boy, Jamal, who is born
in a slum in Mumbai, then is chased away from the slums. He then meets
Lathika(childhood love), they get separated. Then Jamal searches for
her, and this search leads to a journey which is both dangerous and
miraculous, yet is so engrossing that one cannot blink while watching
the movie.Made with a small budget of $15 million, and yet possessing some of the
most brilliant screenplay, music, cinematography, to make a final
product that is a valuable piece of art and yet a very distinct movie.
Yes, it is Slumdog Millionaire.These days when big bucks are needed to
make a movie having great music, sound, effects, big stars etc. We
wonder some times whether money is simply wasted sometimes on a
particular scene or movie. Like for example the new "Superman", which
had the bucks but not the quality. Slumdog is exactly the opposite of
Superman, Slumdog has no bucks but all the quality. This movie is an
example of how efficiently money can utilized, how well a movie can be
made with a small budget. Maybe, for this, and more, it deserves an
Oscar, or even more.Direction is mesmerizing, Screenplay is very fresh, Cinematography is
brilliant, Music is situational and wonderful. Every department scores
full marks.Go for it, for it is Plain Magic, that's all.

flyingsaucer - 10 March 2009

Terrificly…Wow…..

Jus think its a nobody becomes somebody for everybody who's just
nobody. Jamal, a real slum……couldn't even dream of becoming the
limelight. One day, in real life become's one. Hats off to the
Director, the entire cast and all the people involved in this billion
worth movie project. Its a tremendous source of inspiration, motivation
and example to the million people, who are really a nobody, and still
believes in miracles, magic and destiny. Winners are those in true
life, who are the Jamal's and still wishing. Indeed, mere words cannot
describe this worldly trophy. But for those who know the silence, are
indeed fortunate to have it. Terrific……its just inexplicable.

scorpiodare from India - 10 March 2009

A Minor Success

Anyone that can make a movie warrants a pat on the back. Anyone that
makes a movie that people want to see deserves great kudos. Once this
is done. of course, everyone has a say on the pros and cons, whys and
wherefores. Make you wonder why they bother.I've seen a few of Danny Boyle's movies: Shallow Grave, Millions, my
favourite Trainspotting and now Slumbog Millionaire. The latter with
all it's praise and little gold statuettes is not a vast success. Not
for me anywhere. It's a curious hydrid of Trainspotting and A Life Less
Ordinary. It has a mix of edgy realism and romantic fantasy and suffers
because of it.Perhaps it's me, seeing Danny Boyle's name above the title and creating
unreasonable expectations. Boyle is able to make whatever film he
likes, and I don't think he'll be fretting over the critical of
commercial reaction thus far.Slumbog works best in the first half hour. It's an intriguing story and
kicked off with a bang. Children living, playing, stealing and
surviving in the slums of Mumbai. For many of us, I'm sure this is
quite an eye-opener. All those people! The child actors, who apparently
are amateurs are wonderful. There's something about the emotion in a
child's eyes that an adult actor spoilt by complication can't manage.

richard-hodges from Auckland, New Zealand - 9 March 2009

Not suitable for 8 Oscars……

I saw this movie with much anticipation because of the medias and
all…but I disappointed when i saw, then I just wondered, how that
movie won 8 Oscars including Best Picture… Nothing is special in that
except typical Slum area, that also very simple in Indian movies, then
in some situation the Background Music gives some energy, rather than
nothing special I could find on that…… The director allowed too
many chances for Coincidence….Starting from Coincidence and running
through Coincidence and ending with Coincidence………… This is an
example the Oscar group's judgment is sometimes really
unpredictable…. And also this is not suitable for Master Piece or
Best Movie Ever or something like High rated……

Ahmed Rushdhie from Qatar - 9 March 2009

Two pictures in one

Everything winning eight Oscars should make you suspicious. This is no
exception. The plot is already well known. It's about the young guy
from the slum who gets to higher and higher levels in the Indian
version of "Who wants to be a millionaire?". Is he cheating or not? How
can he know all this? The first hour is a hectic pseudo documentary
about the quite brutal childhood of two brothers in the slums of
Bombay. It's funny and barbaric and very well cut.The other half is a quite conventional melodramatic love story and both
the tempo and your interest gets lower and lower. 9 points for hour 1
and 4 points for hour 2. There are more and deeper things to say about
the modern Indian development. Can we ask for higher ambitions during
all two hours, please?

stensson from Stockholm, Sweden - 8 March 2009

What film did everyone else see?

This is the most overrated film of the decade! Worse than that all the
Oscars it won, the only one I can understand was best original song. I
like Danny Boyle & am sure he has a great career ahead of him. He's
already done some really enjoyable films including "Millions" which is
twice as good as this. I don't know how this won so many awards or what
film they saw because this can't be it. It's full of clichés, the story
is completely transparent with absolutely no surprises, & the script is
middle of the road…at best! It will also help that you really like
the show "Who wants to be a Millionaire" because it's a large part of
the story. If you don't like I don't, well it's even harder to get in
on the story. On a plus note the acting was good especially the male
lead Dev Patel & both of the little boys playing the young versions of
Salim & Jamal are great. I can't figure out why this is any better than
the other films nominated for Oscars, but this did not deserve Best
Picture at all. I'm betting in 5-10 years this will be one of those
films that people will wonder how this won all these awards. I'll wait
for you all to catch up, but in all honesty stop doing/rating what
everybody else is doing because it's the "IN THING" & ignore the fact
it won all the awards it won & rate the film on it's own. No bias no
awards just how the film rates as it's own separate entity. It really
is mediocre, not bad, but it's not good either but it definitely is not
worthy of #42 of all time as it is ranked right now on IMDb. That puts
it above "Chinatown, The Departed & Forrest Gump?" (Just to name a few)
What planet are you all from? I can understand "Chinatown" because it's
not for casual viewers, but above "Forrest Gump?" There is absolutely
no way & I would hope that people realize that they're giving this a
higher rating than the much better "Gump."

drew23 (Shelman23@gmail.com) from S. Lake Tahoe, CA - 8 March 2009

Not great - but far better than it sounds

On the face of it, this British made film (winner of a best picture
Oscar) sounds a terrible mixture of unbelievable melodrama, full of
improbable coincidences, and western condescension. A teenage boy,
raised on India's awful slums, manage to win millions in a tacky quiz
show by answering all the questions, neither of them terrible hard. He
knows the answers, not from having read about them, but from having
learned in life about them (for example, he knows who invented the
revolver from a shootout he was once involved). From the first scene,
where the protagonist is tortured with electric wires to find out if
he's a cheat, to the very end, when his lifelong female friend crosses
a busy street to reach a cell phone in order to tell him in extremis
the answer that will let him win the show, the whole film is
ridiculous, sentimental, manipulative, condescending…and yet, this
film is nowhere as bad as it sounds, and despite all its low punches,
it is eminently watchable. Maybe this has to do with the actor's
earnest performances, but this film ends up reaching a deeper emotional
chord than it should have. Recommended with reservations.

Andres Salama from Buenos Aires, Argentina - 8 March 2009

Perfection for the Profound Soul.

This film can either be understood and loved, or it can be utterly
misunderstood and disliked. I am a person who enjoys all the great works of literature, who thinks
deeply over the many joys and sorrows of life, and who sheds tears in
almost all situations because, although I am sensible, I am also
emotional and find no fault in expressing what I feel. When watching
this film, everything depends on how you think of life and what you
believe is of greatest value. To explain what I mean, allow me to give you an example: my father is a
computer engineer and his reaction to this film was, "I don't think he
would have continued playing the game once he reached 10 million if he
wasn't certain of the answer." To those who value material things more
than the love and devotion of one person for another, even if they do
not fully realize it or do not wish to admit it to themselves, this
kind of a reaction is bound to spring up. However, those who are
entirely cognizant, completely aware of the significance of love will
reply, "He did it because he loved her." And yet, the cynics will not
understand. This film is a roller coaster without a single pause. Not one second of
it bores you, not one second will you be able to say, "I know what's
gonna happen now." Certain emotions ascend, only to be overcome by
different and even stronger emotions; this cycle goes on from beginning
to end and as credits begin rolling, you will either label this film as
pessimistic, or as fantastically optimistic.For those with personality traits similar to mine, for those with a
mind of feeling and sentiment stronger than anything else, for those
who have the ability to search for the meaning of things, no matter how
bizarre the exterior, this film will be remembered for a very long time
as the most beautifully written, breathtakingly optimistic masterpiece
of the past years.

Linda Krestan from United States - 7 March 2009

Just blown away by this…

From the moment this film started, it absolutely gripped me. More than
any other film I can remember. The director's extraordinary skills are
evident from the first scene to the last, but it is the photography
that is just in another league. And, the music - just amazing and fits
the visuals perfectly. So, even without the plot and without
considering the actors, this is visually and aurally an amazing
experience. Now, and this is a strange thing to say perhaps, the film
is hugely enhanced by having so few professional actors! Professional
actors always look like they are acting - it's just that we get used to
it. The people in this film for the most part are not professional
actors, so they seem to be real people! Watch this film, and it is like
India washing over you. It's like being there. And, next time you end
up talking to a call centre there, perhaps you'll be a bit more
sympathetic!

glasslens from London - 6 March 2009

Poor movie

I have to say, than this movie does not get all what a 8 Oscars movie
deserves. The direction is poor, the acting is even poorer and the
story is a little bit dull. The only positive thing about it, is the
idea of use a TV program to carry the argument is brilliant but is not
enough.Another problem I see about this movie is the lack of real life with
the kids, the director doesn't show the full Mumbai.The crappy gangs look quite cheap, and the director should do something
to make this to look more realistic.Conclusion; is you have been in India and you know how it looks like,
do not waste your time watching this movie. If you are interested about
Indian affairs…this is your movie.

gabrielrenom from United Kingdom - 6 March 2009

Movie Of the Year, amazing acting with great Story

this is the movie of the year for me and that's why it won 8 Oscars.
This movie was amazing. All the actors acted well and gave us our money
worth. danny boyle did a great job directing this movie and also the
places, the locations were great and went along with the title.Dev
patel did a great job incarnating the person he was supposed and really
showed a lot of emotion in the movie. Freida Pinto was beautiful and
did he part in the movie. Oh my god, the child actors did a fantastic
job,even better than the rest. the bollywood actor anil kapoor also did
well. In all, he movie had a great plot and went along with the title
as well. I recommend people to go watch this movie and this movie
deserves to be paid for.

simransingh97 from Canada - 6 March 2009

Talk about a narrow focus in criticism!

"Lacking in Nativity!!!, 6 January 2009 - 1/10 stars - Author:
thirumurugan-k from United States - The language in which the
characters speak is the soul of a movie. Cidade de Deus, Shichinin no
samurai, Ladri di biciclette were made in native language and so the
originality of the movie was intact even though I watched those movies
with English subtitles. Slumdog millionaire is totally lacking on this
aspect and it is definitely not a film to be rated in the top 250.I understand that the movie is made for western audience. But, It would
have been better if the movie was made in Hindi and was released with
subtitles to the western audience (similar to Lagaan)."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Movies should be criticized as a whole - picking out one thing to
criticize is just too shallow to be helpful! It's like criticizing the
color of someone's clothes in a movie. You have to let the creators and
director have some leeway in how they present the movie and what
audience they are trying to reach. And such a criticism doesn't tell us
much about why the reviewer thinks the movie should be poorly rated, it
only tells us about his bias about one aspect of the film. If a
reviewer can't approach a movie as a whole then what have they
accomplished in their review? Only that they are reviewing a bias that
their ego can't cope with. Give us a valid review or move on! Let's
face it - it is pretty ridiculous (and superficial) to give a movie 1
star out of 10 based on how the soundtrack was presented language-wise.

prudhocj from Olympic Peninsula - 5 March 2009

This movie has definitely dissipated all of my prejudice, terrific story!

I admit: I was skeptical almost until the end of the movie. But all of
my doubts about it were spread away with every single line and scene at
a time. The ingenious symmetry between the beginning and the end of the
movie got me smiling. It is definitely not just another Indian movie,
describing a story more realistic and full of meanings then any
Bollywood footage could ever be. The frame story procedure keeps your
imagination awake during the entire movie, even though they use
classical motifs, such as the duality good brother/ bad brother, the
extreme good luck of the main character or the changing of his
condition from "mendicant" to "prince". All the elements of this
English-Indian co-production reveals us what proved to be the big
winner of both Oscar and Goden Globes, after all :).

ancazeca from Romania - 5 March 2009

Why Does Everyone Think This Film Is Amazing???

I've just been looking at the IMDb top 250 films and was amazed and
shocked to see that Slumdog Millionaire is ranked at #46 in the best
films of all time!!! The only question I have to ask is why?? I went to
see this film full of anticipation and excitement, not only because its
a British film with a British director, but because I hadn't read one
bad review or heard anybody say anything remotely negative about it.
I'm very sad to say that I've never been more disappointed in my whole
life (with the exception of the recent Star Wars films).I'm not saying that the acting is bad because it's not, its actually
very good. I'm not saying that the direction or the cinematography is
bad because its not, the film moves at a nice pace and is beautifully
made. It shows India in all its magnificent glory and gives an in depth
view of the poverty that many of its people, especially children, have
to endure. The music is good and it has the "feel good factor" that i
had been reading about for months before seeing it.What I couldn't believe was how predictable it all was. I was under no
illusions from 5 minutes into the film that the main character was
going to win the money and get the girl and it made the whole
experience incredibly boring. It was a journey through a series of
bumpy, unbelievable stories and situations that eventually (2hrs later)
culminated in the downtrodden hero winning a fortune and ending up with
the girl, yawn!!! Lets be honest here too, the girl was stunning and
wouldn't have looked twice at the big eared, geeky main character.I feel bad writing this review because its the first time I have
written about a film on IMDb and I would love to write something
positive. Unfortunately, I can't sit back and see this film rated as
one of the best ever when in reality its no better than one of those
50's Disney films where you know exactly whats going to happen from the
start but you watch it because it makes you feel warm and fluffy
inside.I'm astonished it won best film and best director at the Oscars because
it's a well made, straight to DVD film at best. I'm giving it 1 out of
10 for the simple reason that this film doesn't deserve to be in the
top 250 of anything and I'm hoping that my score brings it's average
down. If I wasn't scoring it based on this decision I would give it 4
out of 10 and thats being generous.

keithbate75 from United Kingdom - 5 March 2009

Nightmare!

I've seen hundreds of films about poverty and chasing dreams in my
life,but this 'movie',if we can call it so,is the worst of them
all!Interesting screenplay-absent.Charismatic and breathtaking actors'
play-absent.Deep,conscious and involving director's work-absent!How did
this movie get 8(!) Oscars?!I'm really frustrated!I thought that
Academy members have good taste,but now I'm disappointed!By this work
Boyle proved that he should better make movies about zombies!What for
that dynamic edit?Did he forget that he's filming NOT a sequel for 28
Weeks Later?He's action director,but not dramatic.I think couple years
of such judgment-and we can forget about prestige of Oscar!

Oleg Baranov from Ukraine - 4 March 2009

slumdog millionaire

The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of
Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life.It
describes the destiny of young Indian boy who grew up in Mumbai. He is
a contestant on the Indian version of "who wants to be a
millionaire".However he is a self confessed non-genius.Each chapter of
his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the competitions
questions.He finds the answers of the questions by chance,because of
things that happened in his life such as the scenes of him obtaining
Bachchan's photograph,the death of his mother,he and his brothers
befriending Latika,his being around Tajmahal with his brother Salim, so
Jamal Malik is tortured by the policemen in a precinct accused of
cheating a game show because according to them it's impossible that a
non-educated man who Works as serving tea(chai-wallah)in a call center
is close to winning twenty million rupees in the show. The police
inspector shows the videotape and after each question, , he begins to
explain to the police how he knew each of the answers to avoid further
torture. Jamal tells parts of his childhood with his brother Salim, his
crush for Latika and their fight to survive on the streets to justify
each correct answer, guided by his common sense and past experience,
and prove his innocence. At the end of this film his brother Salim
gives Latika his phone and the keys to his car and urges her to run
away ,when Jamal answers the last question .Thanks to Salim ,Latika and
Jamal meet.Besides, he wins the grand prize.It is then revealed that
the correct answer to the opening question is : D)it is written.In this film revealing look into the Mumbai slum is just one of the
beautiful and terrifying story lines.The very realistic and brutally
true-to-life scenes involving the raids of Muslim sections of the slums
by Hindus, and the luring of children to a life of begging on the
streets (for gangsters and criminals) in exchange for accommodation and
food are done in a manner that is both tastefully evocative of reality
while fitting in tone with much of the rest of the film, which has a
more hopeful tone.This film takes us on a journey to the height and
depths of our souls.From the height of romantic altruism and
unfathomable financial reward, to the depths of torture, murder rape,
and extreme child abuse.Besides that love and destiny are the weapons
to control the pace and the direction of the film.Besides,The romance
scenes are either beautifully understated (most of the scenes with them
as children/young teenagers, and a couple after that) or fantasy
melodrama like much of the stuff near the end of the film.I personally think that it is very good.It is refreshing and engaging.
This well-acted and well-directed film is the heart wrenching tale of a
person who has everything ever loved taken away from him, only to try
with everything that he has to regain his true love and gain more than
he could ever hope.So ,It is realistic one which can easily effect our
feelings or thoughts."Slumdog Millionaire" is, I suppose, a dramatic comedy at heart. But it
is also much more. It is a film about friendship, gratitude, love,
betrayal, poverty and hope. It makes you laugh, weep and cheer as you
can't help but marvel at Boyle's sheer genius. This film has made me
grateful to be alive.I think it should be seen because it is an
excellent film with an excellent soundtrack which is one of the best of
the year.It's funny, sad, thrilling, basically a very enjoyable film
that deserves numerous Oscar nominations.

Mohammad A.Tarik from Turkey - 4 March 2009

Bravo, Danny Boyle!

British director Danny Boyle, best known for "Trainspotting" and "The
Beach," has made the rags-to-riches feel-good film of the year with
"Slumdog Millionaire." Mind you, Indian co-director Loveleen Tandan,
who served as a second unit director on "Monsoon Wedding" (2001),
helped Boyle out. Set in contemporary India, this winsome tale about
three dirt-poor orphans who rise above abject squalor and poverty to
attain their most outlandish dreams of romance and riches qualifies as
modern day Charles Dickens morality play. Indeed, you could also
compare "Slumdog Millionaire" (**** out of ****) to those vintage
1930s' Warner Brothers crime classics where one kid plunges down the
wrong path while the other takes the right path. Ultimately, the
brothers here find themselves at odds with each other on different
sides of the law. The bad people are punished in "Slumdog," while the
good people are rewarded. "Full Monty" scenarist Simon Beaufoy based
his lively script on diplomat-turned-novelist Vikas Swarup's first
book, "Q & A," about an Indian waiter who was arrested for cheating on
a quiz show. Don't let the foreign oriented storyline discourage you
from enjoying this inspirational yarn. Boyle provides interesting,
off-beat looking subtitles for the Hindu dialogue, but the cast deliver
most of the lines in English. If you're looking for a change of pace,
"Slumdog Millionaire" is just the ticket. As upbeat and optimistic as
"Slumdog" is, prepare yourself for some scenes that may make you wince.
"Slumdog" deserved its R-rating as much as it deserved his Best Picture
Oscar. This movie is far more entertaining than the imaginative but
long-winded Brad Pitt epic "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
Basically, "Slumdog Millionaire" concerns the coincidences that land a
teenaged Muslim refugee from the Bombay slums, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel),
on the Indian equivalent of the ABC-TV show "Who Wants to be a
Millionaire." Since he is a product of the slums, our long-suffering
hero is regarded with considerable suspicion. Jamal keeps surprising
the slimy quiz show host Prem Kumar (veteran Bollywood actor Anil
Kupoor) with one correct answer after another and the jealous Kumar
turns him over to the authorities. Kumar is convinced that Jamal is a
cheater. Kumar is far from saintly himself and doesn't want Jamal to
steal his glory. It seems Kumar's meteoric rise in show business came
about as a result of giving the right answers on a game show. At the
outset, "Slumdog" creates suspense for audiences with the important
question: "Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million
rupees. How did he do it? A. He cheated. B. He's lucky. C. He's a
genius. D. It is written." Indeed, Jamal is poised to win more wealth
that he can possibly imagine when the police subject him to a night of
torture. They beat him up and finally attach jumper cables to his toes
to make him confess. Our stubborn hero refuses to capitulate. The chief
police investigator, Irfan Khan (Irrfan Khan), finds it difficult to
believe that a kid from the slums could know so much.Boyle's strategy in "Slumdog" is to alternate each unusual question
that our beleaguered hero answers with an episode from his traumatic
life that relates to each question. The scene when Jamal plunges into
an outdoors toilet, covering himself from head-to-toe in human feces,
so he can obtain an autograph from his favorite movie superstar is
hilarious. Actually, the fecal matter consisted of peanut butter and
chocolate. (This scene is reminiscent of a similar episode from
"Trainspotting" where an Edinburgh junkie dives into a toilet to
retrieve a narcotic suppository.) During his youth, Jamal and his
brother Salim (Madhur Mital) encounter some genuinely sleazy
characters, especially one unsavory fellow who likes to 'rescue'
orphans from the streets so that he can turn them into beggars. This
part of "Slumdog" may remind you of Charles Dickens's second novel
"Oliver Twist." Anyway, this scoundrel likes to blind small children
and send them out to beg and sing for money. Jamal and Salim escape
from this life, but in doing so, Jamal abandons–against his will–a
girl named Latika (Frieda Pinto) for whom he has sworn his undying
love. Of course, the evil child exploiter sells Latika to men who want
to see her dance. Hmm, I wonder what the Indian Tourist Bureau thinks
about this saga. Ten years ago, "Slumdog" would have taken place in
Brazil. Suffice to say that the hero and heroine are separated with
little chance of being reunited. Happily, however, "Slumdog" takes
several astonishing twists and turns before fade-out that will surprise
you, and ultimately make you feel good, perhaps even great, depending
on how much you love fairy tales.Although it runs two hours in length, "Slumdog Millionaire" never
wastes a second. Boyle and Tandan turn this helter-skelter saga into a
roller-coaster. As a glimpse of India, "Slumdog" is enlightening as
well as horrifying. If nothing else, you'll learn to never shed your
shoes around the Taj Mahal. The casting of our heroes from adolescence
to teenagers is nothing short of brilliant. This is no Hollywood hokum
where the children look nothing like the adults. Jamal follows the
straight and narrow after Salim and he indulge in juvenile delinquency
that recalls the shenanigans of the Jewish kids in Sergio Leone's
gangster classic "Once Upon a Time in America." You won't forget
"Slumdog Millionaire." The irony of all this is "Slumdog," which
received 8 Oscars as well as two more Oscar nominations, almost wound
up going straight to DVD because nobody believed it could recoup its
$15 million budget. At this point, "Slumdog" has coined over $116
million dollars!

Van Roberts (zardoz@bellsouth.net) from Columbus, Ms - 4 March 2009

Slumdog Millionaire is the reason we go to the movies.

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" was one of the most unique and
engrossing films I have seen. It should not be missed. It tells the
story of Jamal, a teen from the slums of Mumbai, India, who goes on the
Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" His main purpose for
going on the show is to make contact with the girl he loved and lost in
his childhood. It is an epic love story and a film that deserves to be
ranked with such classics as "West Side Story" and "Casablanca." I had
a particularly hard week when I saw this movie, and as soon as the film
began my problems went completely away for two hours. I was totally
involved in Jamal's story, and it didn't let go until the credits
finished rolling.That's the reason we go to the movies anyway, isn't it? I am glad the
Academy finally picked a crowd pleaser to sweep this year's Academy
Awards. In my opinion, this film deserved every one that it won. The
music is amazing! The cinematography is superb, and the film is an
all-around winner! You will want to stand up and cheer at the end!

theandyman21 from United States - 3 March 2009

Indian, fate, contest, hope, money, love, drama

It's a good movie, maybe a little too long, but what i believed to be
funny about this movie, was the ending…I mean, come on, i know that
Indian movies are full of dancing, but…it's good that they avoided
fooling around during the movie, because at the end, you can just skip
it…hopefully… Anyway, it was OK and I liked the way they presented
the story, and the main character was very well played. I liked the
simplicity and the humility of this boy is remarkable…He is able to
take everything as it comes, without losing his hope or fate, and
without giving up…When he chooses another answer than the one giving
by the show host, it's the moment when he demonstrates that he is not
that naive as other thing. He is a young man with an old heart…The
ending was a little too predictable, maybe if he had lost the chance to
win the money and get the girl it would have a much intense impact on
the people… A good family movie, great for watching on a Saturday
evening…This is the kind of movie from which you remember that some
people are remarkable, a story of victory, hope and fate…

dana_nicki from Romania - 3 March 2009

Probably the best film of the year 2008

The film of the year. Good story you would cry watching. And just like
the director, Danny Boyle has said in "Making of", it's sad it's not a
true story. That would be so nice, to know that it's really enough to
be good to be lucky. But… The story is wonderful – you know everything
about Jamel's life just in two hours. And it's so unbelievably hurting
to watch all the slums and to know it IS a life like this in India.
This really could be a true story. I bet that the biggest part, of
course, not the winning 20 billion rupees, but the life of homeless
kids is true. I guess that this film could be shown by UN or some
organization like it to show the rich people who they can help. Well,
that's what I would do if I had money.I heard that India's government didn't like this film. And there's no
surprise – what a poor and corrupted country India is shown in it.
Well, maybe they should do something about it? So, the story is great,
cinematography is good, talks the film recalled – loud. Actors…. Not
professional, but more true you could ever find. This was what those
kids are living. Some chance for them. Good.The ending… Some of my friends and my lecturer said that it would be
more great if a train would have hit Jamel or Latika. But… I think that
that Bollywood style ending was great. Well, it's still India, still
the happy ending… A thing people in India are going to watch – it's
very hard for a film without a little part of Bollywood in it.Conclusion. I haven't seen other nominated films, but I don't think any
of them could have won when a film like this – with a story, directing,
filming and acting like this – was competing. Not the best film ever,
but probably the best the Academy had seen.

Zhiw from Lithuania - 3 March 2009

Has its flaws but nevertheless a very good movie.

It must be admitted that this is a very good movie. Expecting to find
an overrated, over-hyped piece of Hollywood bluster, instead this movie
was riveting, evocative, well acted and upbeat. What a relief because
whereas usually their is an inverse relationship between hype and
artistic quality, here the relation is direct … for once. The movie
deals with a number of themes, poverty, love, crime, child abuse, and
has a number of plots which are all woven together to produce a
coherent and watchable work of art that restores confidence in the
artistic credibility of commercial cinema. Most compelling was the
effective use of flashbacks and the portrayal of the main characters as
the audience observes their development. Although a high quality movie,
it does have its faults. First, there is the scene where Hindus attack
Moslems. This scene is entirely outside of the context of the story,
more so since religion does not define the characters. Second, the
child actors playing the older brother simply were not menacing looking
enough to make their performances entirely believable. Third, the Taj
Mahal scenes where the audience is supposed to believe in young kids
passing themselves off as tourist guides was ludicrous. Fourth, how the
main character manages to get onto the game show is not clearly
explained. Fifth, by the end of the movie a huge slum had been cleared
away with no explanation other than … "we used to live there." Sixth,
the questions on the game show were challenging but, considering the
sum of money at stake, not overly difficult. Seventh, the use of
torture to extract a confession was completely inconsistent with the
nature of the alleged crime - cheating on a game show. The show could
have told the young man to leave. Yet, despite all these shortcomings,
the movie was entertaining, compelling, well acted and deserves praise.

PWNYCNY from United States - 3 March 2009

Boyle showed what the liberal left of India have done to their country

The movie starts off very well, MIA/AV Rahman's O'Saya (MIA was robbed
of an Oscar for this) kick starts the movie with the kids ….young
Jamal in particular and the ride starts….Its an amazing beginning for
this ride….Like a 747 taking off that requires maximum thrust at take
off, the song "O'Saya" and its intensity was what gave the lifting
thrust along with the cute kids running with equal intensity . I have
never seen a movie that started with such a bang. However, it peters
out soon and by the time the adult Jamal's is in the story, it becomes
a cheesy film to tie the lose ends.The good thing I liked about this was the showcasing of the slums as it
is for real. The slums and the extreme poverty in India is the work of
the congress party (The liberal left). they have ruled India almost 85%
of the time since independence and this is what they have to show for
it. China seems to have done so much better. India's liberal lefties
have failed India miserably. It's time to stop India's anarchy
(disguised as liberty) and get a China like government in place to
clean up the mess.Recently New Delhi Municipal did not allow new slums to be built in the
city…and the left was out in full force demanding the right of poor
migrants from rural areas to live wherever they want. India's left help
build these slums. and then they have the audacity to point it out and
tell the world…"hey look… these poor people are living in slums"
while they have controlled India for the most part(government).so at least we got to see that.There is also this interesting thread in this story. The relationship
between Jamal and his "evil" brother Salim. This was fascinating. Salim
was not an one dimensional character. Salim has let down his younger
brother a few times…but where it mattered, Salim came through for his
brother. Jamal knew it when he tried to explain to Latika that his
brother would help them. He knew his brother.One more thing I did not care for, was the originally story (Q&A) had a
pedophile Christian priest exploiting the kids. This was conveniently
left out of the story and the "Hindus" killing the Muslims was
introduced that was not in the original story. India is a country where
you hear Islamic terrorism almost every month. This was PC at its
worst.So all in all there were some very nice parts…particularly the kids.
They were amazing. I guess, its worth at least one watch for the kids
performance.There are couple of songs that you may want to download for your ipods.1. O'Saya (MIA and A V Rahman) 2. Paper Planes (MIA)

mmahadevan from United States - 3 March 2009

Must Watch…Brilliant Screenplay and Editing…

Jamal (Dev Patel) is an orphan from the slums of Mumbai. He gets to
attend the game show 'who wants to be a millionaire' when he is 18.
Surprisingly he starts giving the right answers till he gets into the
final round. And all these questions have relevance to certain
incidents happened in his life. The game show host and cops suspect
that Jamal cheated in the show. The rest of the story is all about how
he proves his innocence and wins his lady love that's been playing hide
and seek with him since his childhood.The kids who did the roles of Salim, Jamal and Latika are adorable.
They are the best in the film than the main leads. Among the notable
Indian actors, Saurabh Shukla is the best. Ankur Vikal is excellent.
Anil Kapoor is pretty natural as a wicked and biased host of the game
show. After some point of time, we start hating him. Dev Patel is
adequate. Irfan Khan played similar kind of roles earlier. Hence it is
a cake walk for him.When somebody is doing a film on a slum boy, it is bound to show the
hard reality in slum areas. That does not mean that India has been
projected in the wrong way. When somebody watched 'City of God' which
shows the bad side of Brazil country, one expects it to be a poor
country with little scope for improvement. But actually Brazil is one
of the fastest growing economies in the world along with Russia, India
and China (BRIC countries). India is not for the people who judge it by
watching fictional movies. Hence, let's not bother about it.Slumdog Millionaire is an Indian film at heart with Indian emotions
catering to Indian sensibilities. This film balances arts with
commerce. It is also the best example of presenting a story in a
realistic way without missing the formula. The best part in this film
is the screenplay and most of the credit for this screenplay should go
to the Indian writer Vikas Swaroop who wrote 'Q & A' book. Direction of
the film is world class and narration balances the sensible humor and
subtle tragedy.Background score by AR Rehman is peppy and energetic (especially the
beat scored by kids chasing scenes in the initial part of the movie).
Cinematography is excellent. Editing is superb with no dull moment.
This film shows Mumbai slums in a magnificent way. On a whole Slumdog
Millionaire is a must see film and will put India on the world cinema
map like Gandhi (1982) film.

SATHYA RAMA KRISHNA M from India - 2 March 2009

I'm sorry it wasn't that great

OK yes the cinematography was fantastic and the directing was
phenomenal but the movie was just not that great. Critics and audiences
alike have been praising Slumdog has the best film of the year. I just
don't agree. It was too happy in the end. Mainly I didn't like that he
won the show. Maybe if he lost the game and still got the girl I would
have appreciated it more. I think that there is a reason that this
movie was so universally praised; the economic crisis. Everyone is in
such a foul mood with either losing their job or not being able to get
that big screen TV, that when they see a very optimistic movie they
love it. I'm not saying that Slumdog Millionaire was a horrible movie.
It was just not as good as the critics imply.

wwefreakjon from Canada - 2 March 2009

Amazing in every way…certainly does not disappoint.

Several months ago, I heard one or two passing comments about this
movie. I immediately determined that it was some sort of gangster movie
involving a whole lot of guns and violence, and decided I would
probably end up getting it from Netflix down the road for kicks.Then Oscars night arrived, and I watched with interest as Slumdog
Millionaire took one gold statue after another. My interest peaked when
A.R. Rahman and M.I.A. took the stage to perform a few of the songs
from the film. I was utterly shocked, not only to discover the true
nature of the film through the music, but by the music itself. It was
beautiful, artfully crafted, and it captured me in a way no movie
soundtrack has ever managed.After that night, I knew without a doubt that I had to see this movie,
if only to hear that music again in context.So I went, reserving judgment until I'd seen it in its entirety.In my humble opinion, this movie deserved MORE awards than it received.
It was completely unique and totally unforgettable. This has become my
favorite movie, which says quite a lot, considering the many movies
I've seen in my life.See it. You will not regret it.

MitchieBitchies from United States - 2 March 2009

SD Millionaire a definite winner……

Slumdog Millionaire is a beautiful and compelling movie, it moves like
a Charles Dicken's tale. Danny Boyle doe a brilliant job with the
pacing of the story, and bringing a rich underdog story to vibrant
life. The editing of the movie is very intelligent, where the
flashbacks, the back story and the present scenario is put together so
well which makes the movie move so swiftly. AR Reham's music and choice
of music is undeniably brilliant which goes with core themes of movie,
bring elements of romance, drama, adrenaline in to the movie. Danny
Boyle does a formidable job telling an inspiring story of redemption,
love, adventure, fate and change, also with few elements of humor. The
story might be simple and straight forward, but is very distinguished
and exciting and is brilliantly interpreted. The ensemble cast do a
splendid job representing their respective characters. Dev Patel gives
quite a passionate and convincing performance. In the end Slumdog
Millionaire is a very innovative, fresh, heartfelt, exciting and
romantic movie, which in-turn is very memorable. Hats off!
10/10….*****!

ligital from India - 2 March 2009

The movie of the year

Slumdog Millionaire tells the story f how impoverished Indian teen
Jamal Malik became a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to
be A Millionaire?" — an endeavor made without prize money in mind,
rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika, who is an
ardent fan of the show. A movie so raw and real, it shows us the
difficult life of children in India and teaches us that no matter what
you always must have faith on what you want in life and fight for it.
The cast formed by new actors, delivers flawless performances full of
intensity and dram, so natural and convincing. Directed by Danny Boyle,
with this film , he manages a very heart warming story full of
emotions. The movie may start a little slow but its never tiresome to
the viewer. In conclusion, Slumdog Millionaire is an emotional movie
that will touch your heart and at the end will leave you with a smile
on your face.

barrys82 from Mexico - 2 March 2009

An Unexpected Success

Slumdog Millionaire! Even its name is impressive, isn't it? At least I
think so. It is one of the most wonderful movies that I have watched in
recent years. Maybe it is the best. I guess many people think so. It
totally deserves eight Oskar.The movie is set in India. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) who is the leading
man of it lives in a slum with his mother and brother Salim (Madhur
Mittal). The movie begins with the query scene. Jamal is questioned by
the police because he participates in " Who wants to be a millionaire?"
and he answers all questions correctly up to the last question for big
prize so the announcer supposes that Jamal cheats. He begins how he
answers all questions correctly. The questions are relevant to his
childhood. When each question is asked Jamal remembers his childhood
and the movie consists of these memories.Jamal's character looks like ordinary case but he is unusual. Actually
Money is not important for him. He participates in that contest to find
his first and only love Latika. He is not self-centered and he just
does not feel himself. Also he is brave and believes in destiny. His
innocence is distant from the world's evil. Briefly, I think he is a
different person.Another important character is Jamal's brother Salim Malik. He is older
than Jamal. His personality is different from Jamal. This difference is
vague in their childhood but as Salim grows up, he becomes
self-centered. He takes away Latika from Jamal. Money is important for
Salim, even just before he dies. That scene shows how money is
important for him.Latika (Freida Pinto), Jamal's first and only love, has an important
role in the movie. The love between Latika and Jamal makes the movie
meaningful. Latika is a beautiful girl. Although she is
well-intentioned, she is not as brave as Jamal. She is afraid of taking
risk and she meets her fate calmly. But she ventures everything thanks
to her love to Jamal. She deserves this love.I think this movie is wonderful in all aspects. Especially, it is same
as real life because there is a real contest in it. this is an
undeniable feature. Briefly, I admired this movie very much and while I
was watching some scenes, I cried. It is a masterpiece.

dogan_nida from Turkey - 2 March 2009

The Worst Film to Ever Win Best Picture

There have been many overrated movies in recent years (The Queen,
Little Miss Sunshine, Babel, Atonement, Juno, etc.), but Slumdog
Millionaire has the distinction of being the worst. This so-called film
is implausible to the extreme, has virtually no character development,
and contradicts its own rags-to-riches message. Danny Boyle tries to
hide these flaws with flashy camera-work and editing. But viewers who
think when they watch movies will see right through these devices. That
says something about the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences, who singled Slumdog Millionaire out as an outstanding
achievement in writing and direction, and even named it the best film
of the year. This isn't merely absurd, it's a travesty.

barrygermansky-1 from Canada - 2 March 2009

Save the intellectual cinema !!

Awarding this movie clearly shows the mental downfall of the Academy
awards. The idea in movie was not bad but the presentation is very very
absurd. Actually so called "Bollywood" is making these kind of films
for last 60 years but very few movies are good and rational, the reason
? few people know that a primitive society is dominated over Indian
cinema and for last 60 years and they are presenting the cheap, foolish
and corrupt ideas which has become ENTERTAINMENT in this country.Mr. Danny Boyle just cut copied the same idea. I believe it is the
worst work of the 21st century and especially in the history of Academy
awards.The energy behind this movie is evil that will corrupt the intellectual
work for next 50 years.

Ashish Juyal (ashishjuyalin@yahoo.com) from India - 1 March 2009

Surprises Can Come From Anywhere

Even from the darkest corners of the world, someone can change the
world just by competing on a game show.The story follows Jamal Malik, a man from the slums of Mumbai, who
finds his way onto a game show, and soon realizes that all of the
questions that are asked, have been answered during his lifetime.The cast was filled with many actors and actresses from countries all
around the world, and some of which who weren't even heard of. Dev
Patel and Freida Pinto had amazing chemistry together, and brought the
movie to life. All of the actors did a great job, and that is one of
the reasons why this movie was so great.Before viewing Slumdog Millionaire I had high expectations for what I
was going to witness, and I was extremely pleased with all I saw. If I
was to recommend a movie to anyone, this movie would certainly top the
list.

roflzwaflz from Canada - 1 March 2009

Re-defines low-budget independent film and gives Hollywood a run for their money

The film success almost mirrors it's story…. Danny Boyle's low-budget
independent film set in Mumbai with an unknown cast was set to go
straight to DVD-no one was willing to give it a chance. Then it was
taken to all the different film festivals, received critical acclaim
from all corners of the globe. Cleaned up during the awards season-
SAG, Critics Choice, Golden Globes, Baftas and 8 Oscars and people are
still flocking to see it in cinemas- some for their second or third
time. It's beautifully shot, beautiful acted. A Modern fairytale in a
crazy but magical city. The Soundtrack is heartbreaking and cinematic
experience will be embedded into yout mind forever. Basically just see
it.

BedHead91 from United Kingdom - 1 March 2009

it is worth watching

this movie is really worth watching.While you are watching it,you feel
that you have a role in it.It remembered me that a lot of people have
some difficulties in their life like these slum people and in fact they
do not have the same conditions like us but if they want to do
something,there will be no barrier on their ways!!this film shows slum
people's hard life.Because of different religions there are some
conflicts among people!the movie also includes Jamal and Latika's love,
it is a perfect one.I believe that real love always finds its
place,Jamal and Latika's love just like that.This movie deserves all
those Oscars and in my opinion everyone must be watch it.

seyma-1378 from Turkey - 1 March 2009

Slumdog Millionaire with 8 Oscar nominations? Huh?

Last night we went to see what the fuss was all about.While Slumdog is fairly entertaining, I found the overall package to
fall far short of an "instant classic". My main gripe with this film
was that the plot mechanisms were very contrived, in many cases
incredibly predictable.By the time we got to the second flashback, the scene was pretty much
set. There will be some horrific disaster or injustice; and then, there
will be some miraculous turn of events to contrast with the evil. This
formula was repeated again and again; I suppose the thinking was that
this was an analogue of the Indian experience itself. I thought that it
was simply clumsy and self-serving.Another annoyance was the injection of Western arrogance into the film;
for example, the "three musketeers" scene which of course was just a
contrivance to set up the dramatic final question. Two Indian children
whose mother had just been brutally murdered, who had just seen a man
burned to death in front of them, would be prattling on about the
characters in an Alexandre Dumas novel? Really? What in the world was
this director thinking? Did he really think that anyone could watch
this scene with a straight face? The subplot with Salim as a gangster was quite unbelievable and
discontinuous with the rest of the film. This could have been a good
concept for a different film, where this plot could have be more fully
developed, but it did not fit well in this movie. Another contrivance,
and one that did not work well, I thought it was very awkward.With that being said, there is still enough entertainment value to rate
this film 6 stars. It was worth the matinée price that I paid, but I am
not certain it would have been worth full admission.Best Movie of the year? Spare me. That outcome simply shows how
meaningless the Oscars have become.

NewFreedomRider from United States - 1 March 2009

Slumdog Wants To Be A Millionaire

The accolades for Slumdog Millionaire are many, and they criss cross
the globe coming from people from all walks of life. Many people from
the region protest the film as undignified and patronizing to the
region where they live. Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of the
film, combines unknown actors, a largely unknown region of the world
(to most people in the United States), crisp cinematography, editing,
and sound to tell the story of Jamal, a Mumbai teenager, and how he
ends up on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Each of
the answers to the questions he's asked are rooted in his past, and the
audience learns where the young Jamal has come from. Along the way,
Jamal falls in love with a childhood friend (Latika) and spends the
rest of his life (his life to that point) searching for her. The film
is consistently compelling and entertaining, despite a conscious effort
to somewhat sanitize its subject matter.The film's juxtaposition between aspects of the television show and the
harsh realities of Jamal's life are often jarring, but ultimately the
film disappoints us by stumbling over the many contrivances necessary
to reach the film's Bollywood-like conclusion. The characters are all
mostly either all good or all bad. The film utilizes elements of Oliver
Twist, Romeo & Juliet, and Bollywood films to sprint to its predictable
conclusion. For those of you who think the plot's unfolding is so
great, have you asked yourself why Jamal continued to return to both
Latika and Salim after being treated in such a despicable manner? Have
you wondered why Jamal wanted to continue to "save" Latika after she
refused Jamal's request to join him, indicating "and live on what"? How
about why Salim suddenly changed his tune and assisted Jamal in his
rescue plan? These are only a few of the film's many contrivances.
Although the film is definitely over-rated as an ultimate feel-good
romantic film, it's still an above average film in terms of drama and
suspense with some comic bits. The Oscar-winning song "Jai Ho", which
has nothing to do with anything in the film, is tacked on for the end
credits. It won eight Oscars, including best picture and screenplay.
***1/2 of 4 stars.

CitizenCaine from Las Vegas, Nevada - 1 March 2009

Savage, need a strong stomach

There is no denying that this is a powerful drama. I have to say that
all the awards, nominations and rave reviews paint a pretty picture of
this film and its uplifting message. Fine, I accept that, but I was a
late viewer of this film and I wish that I had been prepared for the R
Rated stuff.I don't usually have a weak stomach, but it was turned by more than one
of the brutal scenes in this film. How accurate the depiction is I can
only guess, but if the truth is close then it is a sickening portrayal.
Clearly my life has been too sheltered if I am disturbed by the graphic
and violent scenes, but be warned…….. *Spoilers ahead BIG TIME!*
Jamal loses his mother when she is beaten to death for being a Muslim,
another man is set on fire in front of him, both happen on the same day
when he is about 7. His brother appears to be a schizo sociopath, who
rapes his best friend and love interest and steals her away from him
for the second time out of a total of four. Another orphan friend of
his is blinded (graphically) because he can sing and blind beggars make
more money than sighted ones.So to all those who are saying wow to the cinematography and directing
and message etc etc I agree with all that, the directing especially is
excellent, but I did not leave the theatre with a warm feeling of 'it
is written' and 'destiny' and the 'strength of the human spirit to
overcome'. I am left instead with extremely graphic images of the
torture, betrayal, murder and corruption of modern Mumbai. NOT a place
I plan to visit Ever and I thank my lucky stars that I was not born to
the poverty of the slums of Mumbai. See this movie at your peril or at
the very least, follow it immediately with a comedy or cartoon to
assist with dumbing down the gag reflex!

Luigitoo from London, England - 1 March 2009

Hardship in the slums of Bombay

We follow a young boy - Jamal - during a jeopardy competition. During
this we see different highlights (or lowlights) of his life in either
some scary flashbacks or through the interrogation that he undergoes in
a police station. It must be considered common knowledge that children
in development countries often suffer from hunger and abuse and the
movie is a testament to that. It is a quality that the movie never
becomes sentimental or tries to impose any feelings unto the viewer.
What we see from the slum isn't meant to bring tears into our eyes - it
is more a matter of telling us the story of the three musketeers
Latika, Salim and Jamal.A basic premise in the movie is that Jamal has a destiny and that he
believes that. This means that he never looses his faith during the
competition and that he has a firm belief that he will eventually "win"
Latika. Personally I found that the depiction of survival in the slums of
Bombay played to big a part in the movie. It was stressful to watch
Salim and Jamal fighting to stay alive and it could have been minized
to add more progression in the story. A minor, unsatisfying detail was the host in the Jeopardy program. He
was so sarcastic towards Jamal that he became unbelievable.I will most certainly recommend this movie; it deals with an important
subject without becoming political or trying to impose feelings unto
the audience.Regards Simon

simon-psykolog from Denmark - 1 March 2009

…but he could have lived for a month with that money!

"Slumdog Millionaire" is riveting, emotionally satisfying, gritty, and
overall well-executed film. The music stands out with it's wonderful
exotic flavor and captivating background melodies. I can listen to
paper plane a hundred times and it was used perfectly in the film.
Every good thing that can be said about Slumdog already has been so
I'll just say the film did leave me with one very big question at the
end?. Who in the hell would just hand over a big Ben Franklin to a
blind street singer? I know he felt sorry for his friend and all but
seriously. I loved the romance of the film and the love hate
relationship of the brothers. The acting was great all around. The
editing was frantic but sure and steady. Slumdog is a winner and one of
the best from 08! I give in 9 stars. (I would have given it 10 but the
way that kid just threw away 100 really gets me!)

Steven Vasquez (martiniman59@yahoo.com) from Anaheim, California - 28 February 2009

An embarrassment to the Oscar

This is probably the most embarrassing, simplistic and plain stupid
film I have ever seen. The acting is poor, the plot and script seem
like they were written by a teenage girl, and the interesting filming
and good soundtrack are unable to salvage anything from this insult to
intelligence. Quite unbelievable that this was nominated for anything,
let alone receiving the crazy amount of Oscars it received. Some hands
must have been greased. The story itself is ludicrous, the message
overly simplistic, not to mention patronizing. An English director
presenting such a film about India is simply moralizing at other's
expense (some outdated sense of the British empire?). But even without
this, it is a sort of simplistic moralization
(chidren-are-so-good-but-all-adults-are-horific) that makes the film,
scene by scene, one of the most boring and repulsive works to have ever
been screened.

yoel_gr from Israel - 28 February 2009

a Real MasterPiece That will last long time after the movie..

when I first heard about the buzz the movie made, I felt that it was
another ordinary movie with an interesting story. That's what made me
watch it in first place ..After 2 hours of non stop entertainment and
emotions that will make you live in the slums with their childhood and
adventures ..It's a realistic picture of the slums so I think it's one
of the best motion picters of all time, and it makes me know the power
of destiny and hope ..so nice work Danny Boyle and the rest of the crew
who made one hell of a movie ..and for the people who didn't watch this
movie I can assure you that you won't be disappointed..I give it 10/10
..

Ahmed Khaled (aktowfik@hotmail.com) from Egypt - 27 February 2009

Over-rated

My summary line alone would likely attract tons of "not agree". So be
it.As one critic (one sensible one out of many) puts it, strip away the
"Who wants to be a millionaire" this is quite an ordinary movie. This
goes to show how far one clever idea can go in achieving commercial
success. Add to that Hollywood's soft spot for things exotic, there
goes the Oscar. But Oscar does from time to time reward entertainment
value, two recent examples being "Chicago" and "Titanic". Expertly
crafted, "Millionaire" suffers in comparison with none in this
department. Melodramatic to the bones, it offers you in profusions
clichés in abundance: Oliver Twist style childhood, girlfriend in hand
of gangsters, underdog triumph, rags to riches, "destiny" (whatever it
means).The one clever idea is linking the otherwise banal story to the world
famous "Do you want to be a millionaire show". The movie starts with
the interrogation of Jamal in a Mumbai police station in the night
after he finished the day's game show with just one last question that
will give him the final, top prize. A video tape of the game show
earlier is used in the interrogation, allowing the movie to flashback
to the game show and from there, through each question, back to the
life story of Jamal. This clever set up, together with good directing,
editing, cinematography, background music, sound (here I am, of course,
running off a list of the Oscars this movie has won), makes
"Millionaire" a tremendously successful commercial proposition.Dev Patel, despite his youthful look, brings good depth to the
character Jamal. While not as glamorous as Aishwarya Rai ("The mistress
of spice", 2005), Freida Pinto is lovely as Jamal's childhood
sweetheart Latika, capturing the hearts of the audience along the way.
The other characters are generally stereotype. The two young actors who
play "middle" (as opposed to "youngest") Jamal and Latika are
excellent: Tanay Chheda and Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar.As this is a Hollywood movie, it wouldn't do to have Bollywood style
song-and-dance every five minutes. But to give it a Bollywood feel, the
movie makers had a clever idea of introducing a Bollywood dance number
right at the end (one which I enjoyed tremendously). Clever, but not
original. Takeshi Kitano did this in Zatoichi (2003), to thunderous
applause. Both movie, incidentally, were voted the People's Choice
Award in their respective years in the Toronto International Film
Festival.

Harry T. Yung (harry_tk_yung@yahoo.com) from Hong Kong - 27 February 2009

Great story yes, but bad cinematography

Everyone has already commented (over and over) about how good the story
is. How many awards it has won. So I will not enter that discussion
other than to say it is a great story in my opinion.However, I found the cinematography to be extremely unpleasing, most
especially since all of the hype surrounding this piece and more over
an academy award in this category. The imagery that plays in most
cases, comes across as a pseudo documentary style. I realize some of
the locations may have been difficult to shoot in, but with the budget
they had to work with one would expect better photography might be in
order.Further, the hand held nature does so very little to help exemplify the
visual story telling but rather detracts from it, creating an
unpleasant distraction, taking the viewer away from the drama of the
story. The framing and composition is below average most of the time,
finding the talent on the opposite side of the leading frame in some
cases. The hard light sources are nothing shy of irritating and even
some what confusing to the story telling process. I'm sorry but I really don't see it. I have watched many docu-drama's
that have been put together much better and have not received any
notoriety, let alone to this degree. I suppose name and connections get
you a great deal further ultimately.

Chris Wilson (intense-entertainment) from Canada - 26 February 2009

Great movie but is it overrated!?!?

Slumdog millionaire surprised me in every aspect.It's a really good
movie.Very enjoyable and interesting!The crew is good,the directing is
great,music is great,the screenplay is great and the story is
original.There is one more thing i was very surprised by in this movie
an that's cinematography.There are only few flaw's in this film but
they are not relevant so i'm just gonna say one that is.That flaw is
that the movie is forgettable.Even though it won eight Oscar's i don't
think it will be remembered in fifteen year's from now.It's personality
is just not as strong as it's technical aspect's and the movie it
self.I don't know,maybe i'm wrong but i just don't think that it will
be remembered and called a classic one day.For example when someone
mention's Gone with the wind or Dances with wolves or Braveheart or
Gladiator or Forrest Gump or Clockwork Orange,i instantly remember
every part of them and i remember those strong scenes and dialog's that
on some way marked the history of film industry.And that's something
that i don't see in this one.When someone says to me that some movie doesn't deserves the Oscar's it
got i always say to that person that you have to look at it
competition.If the competition wasn't very good then he deserved
them.That's why i think that this movie deserved the Oscar's it got
because it's competition wasn't that hard.Well,actually on the second
thought i think that there are two movies better then this one this
year an those are The Wrestler and The Dark Knight.So i think that it
didn't deserve the Best Picture Oscar.But when i think again those two
movies weren't nominated for Best Picture so it did after all.Just one more thing i have to say an that's not about this movie.It's
about the Wrestler on which i already wrote a comment an i don't want
to change it so i'm just gonna write it here.I think that it's shameful
that Mickey Rourke didn't get the Best Actor in a Leading Role
Oscar.Don't get me wrong Sean Penn was great in Milk but he wasn't even
close to Mickey.He gave one of the best performances ever in the
Wrestler and i think that 'Academy' should be ashamed of it self.Anyway,to come back to Slumdog Millionaire,it's a great movie that's
definitely worth seeing but it's also a movie that definitely doesn't
deserves a 38'th place on IMDb's 250 list.

axismladen from Croatia - 26 February 2009

Back side of India

The movie shows only backside of India. Real India is not what I see in
the movie, there are professional people working in all major cities,
all cities are connected by airlines, road, trains.Every country have slums, but the movie shows only slums… no positive
thing of India.Same story is written in many Hindi movies like "salim langde pe mat
ro", "Kalyug", "Chakra", "Ardh-Satya" and many more. But this movie
have touch of English Directory Danny Boyle that is the only reason
that Oscar people recognize this film. Previous entry of India the
"Lagan" was a great movie, But in that film Ashutosh Gavarikar shown
defeated Britisher in Cricket by a villager, so the movie haven't get
any Oscar.The role of Irfankhan is fabulous, AnilKappor is rocking too. The
little children proved that there is a hilarious talent in Indian film
industry.

Kalpesh Patel from United States - 26 February 2009

Worthy of Best Picture…

Before watching this, I was thinking I wasn't going to like it that
much, I am usually not a fan of the movie that is hands down favorite
to win Best Picture because I am not impressed with the Academy and
what they think is a Best Picture. An in a year where the two highest
reviewed movies didn't even get nominated (Wall-E and The Dark Knight),
I was really wary of Slumdog Millionaire.After watching this, I felt myself wanting to watch it again for a
couple of reasons. I needed to see some of the things I missed, like
some of the different interactions with Salim and Jamal, and how they
in my opinion, hated one another, but couldn't stand to see something
bad happen to the other, and that they needed each other to stay alive,
especially when they were young.This is a great film, with a great cast of unknowns, great film
direction, Danny Boyle really surprised me in this, having only seen 28
Days Later and Sunshine from him before, I didn't think he had it in
him to create such a beautiful piece of art. Above everything else, it
was the film's score and soundtrack that really blew me away. A R
Rahman, in my opinion, has put out on the top 10 film scores of all
time, with songs like "O.. Saya" and "Jai Ho", and even "Liquid Dance"
gave it a Asian Metropolitan feel to it, everything fit, even on down
to my personal favorite, but not created for the movie, "Aaj Ki Raat".I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, or is
just thinking about it just because it won Best Picture.9/10

england_geek from Japan - 25 February 2009

No Slumming here, pure class….

Danny Boyle has been able to combine effortless style with a heart
warming story, he has really stepped up his game with Slumdog. I felt
like I was on a journey with Jamal, ultimately I found the film to be
an uplifting experience, an inspiration not because of the money or
fame it was more in spite of these elements. You don't get many movies
that speak to you and I wasn't expecting the world when I saw it but I
received so much.The imagery the Director uses to conjure the emotive explanations that
form the movie's skeleton are really apt, he manages to tread the fine
line between style and substance perfectly. The film easily fits into
its 2 hour running time without much fat to speak of. The unknown
talent are punching well above their weights and I found all of them to
be excellent. The young Jamal and Salim form the backbone of the story
with Latika as the love interest, this triangle of hope and
determination is what the real story is about. Sacrifice plays a large
part too and in these moment we find the real humanness in all three
characters. 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' is a large part of the
story but you leave the movie feeling that 'Millionaire' could have
actually stayed at home in this wonderfully colorful, dynamic and sad
portrayal of life in a slum. Throughout the movie I kept thinking that
one day my kids should see this, just to appreciate their own lives and
how lucky they are. Laaatiiika will forever ring in my subconscious. Excellent movie, go
see it!

trblshooter from South Africa - 25 February 2009

Awesome, simply awesome!!

Do we believe in destiny? Do we believe in our chances of success? This
movie shows that, sometimes, dreams come true even though the odds are
totally unfavorable. Two boys and a girl, condemned to live a miserable life with no chances
whatsoever to rise above mediocrity, manage literally to turn upside
down their whole universe and become nation wide famous.The film also emphasizes the disastrous social background of India's
slums, where people struggle everyday with poverty and crime. It is
actually hard to believe that someone who lives there has any chance
whatsoever to reach a decent life standard. Destiny and love, mixed
together, are the recipe of success if one truly believes in their
power. Our "chaiwalla" ( person who serves tea) from the slums, who had
never attended school, never had read a book in his life, had become an
overnight millionaire when he had attended the popular TV show "Who
wants to be a millionaire". Who could had believed this? Congratulations for the director because he believed in some
inexperienced actors and had done such a good job with a low budget.
I'm looking forward in seeing them in other movies after their fabulous
debut. Congrats for all involved in making this masterpiece, good job
mates, the movie deserved every Oscar won!

marinescu_c from Romania - 25 February 2009

This is not the Indian Best

I am not going to say this movie is bad.Its good. its came up with the
Indian slums originality.but i don't think so,this is pretty good to
get the 8 Oscar awards. Indians everybody know the Music Director AR
Rahman Talent. as a Indian(especially as a chennai guy) i have been
waiting from long back for this record to the rahman. i am very happy
he got than now. but unfortunately this is not the best one from him.
himself told that he worked for this movie only 3 weeks. they are so
many films to portray his talent. In Action - Ayutha Eluthu Romantic -
Alaipayuthey realistic - All Maniratnam directed movies. even there are
so many Tamil language films are there to depicts the realistic. if you
want to see the reality check the kamal's Nayagan.even you can see
every movie of kamal hassan. if you want see the latest film check our
great director bala's NAN KADAVUL. you can see the big difference for
the same kind of story. and also check bala's assistant amir's PARUTHI
VEERAN. I think,This film is directed by American. that is the only
reason its got 8 Oscars. This is absolutely partiality from the Oscars
judges. They have to agree the talent without concerning about from
where its comes. They cant debate the rahman originality, thats the
reason they gave to him. anyway way INDIANS TALENT came to the stage.
so i am happy.

Parthiban Natarajan from India - 25 February 2009

Good movie, Highly overrated

I FULLY AGREE that it is a good movie, no doubt about it, but it is
highly overrated. If u people like this, there are 100s of other Indian
Movies that are made much better than this(Both old and NEW). As for
Rahman's music, it is GREAT (again no doubt). But this is definitely
not his best. Pls go hear "dil se" and u'll know what i am talking
about! Compare this movie to previous Oscar winners like American
beauty, and well, u'll know wat i mean. Verdict : To everyone who has still not seen the film, It's definitely
a one time watch. Good music,Good story and Good (kind hearted if i may
add) cast and crew. But i request you to watch it with an open mind.
And by the way, Mumbai is not just a "slum area".

yogeshnachnani from India - 25 February 2009

Breath of Fresh Air

I just got to see Slumdog Millionaire - it was a complete breath of
fresh air. I think it deserved any Oscar it got. It's so nice to see a
movie where I don't know the actors or what to expect of them. The
story was wonderful, the acting so refreshing and the cinematography
was amazing.Needless to say the criticism will continue - this movie is not what
people are used to so it's obviously not worth considering!! Why is it
that everyone needs to watch a movie straight from Hollywood - with a
list of famous names before they will consider it Oscar worthy? There
is a whole world outside of the USA and this movie gives us just a
little insight into it.Maybe it is the fact that seeing how life in parts of India really is
makes people feel uncomfortable? Well, it should. We have become so
materialistic and take so much for granted. We are so self absorbed
that we only want what we know. What about all the kids from Mumbai who
came to the Oscars - wonder how they felt? We need to look to movies,
TV shows from outside of the USA and see the quality of what other
countries produce. There is a wealth of wonderful acting, directing and
writing out there - be open and give it a chance. You just might
discover something wonderful.

ladybugbud31 from USA - 25 February 2009

A Charming movie but definitely not Oscar material

I reviewed the movie on another blog a week before its official release
and can safely reiterate NOW what I had told THEN, after 8 Oscars.Its a wonderful wonderful movie. Greatness oozed out of every pores of
every department from all the technicians, casts and the crews
associated with this movie.But in Indian context, we have seen much better movies than this and so
I personally feel it undeserving for its fame.As Boyle commented in Toronto after the pre release screening, there
are more movies like this and even better made in India in local
language, but if you get a chance to see them with sub titles, it will
surely gonna make your day.If you liked Slumdog, please see these Hindi movies, to name a few
among a jungle more : A Wednesday, Black Friday, Satya, Company, Shootout at Lokhandwala. And you will realize why when the west is ogling at Slumdog, the East
is still weary of it! When 25% of the totalOscars for SM went to Allah Rakha Rahman for
soundtrack and lyrics, please lend your ears to the soundtrack of
Ghajini or Yuvraj to hear what A R Rahman is capable of otherwise. I
personally felt SM soundtrack and lyrics were among his mediocre works. But you need to see them all to know whats the best.For the west when such a movie as Slumdog brings freshness to all the
gore around, to east such movies are common and the gore is needed here
to make the difference.Thats why the sun rises here and sets there. Two ends can never meet.SM is a great movie but very forgettable in eastern standards as
tomorrow we are sure to have a better movie with a better concept and a
better soundtrack. It pays to be in tune with reality, so check out the
aforementioned movies and then judge for yourself.

sundeepmukherjee2000 from India - 25 February 2009

Gotta love Danny Boyle, Gotta love Mumbai!

My first ever review on IMDb was a little known film from 2003,
directed by Danny Boyle. Now some 230 reviews later I am back to where
I started with Danny Boyle again…That film was Millions about a boy in Scotland I thought it was
brilliant: an honest, moving, fantasy, all centered on hope in
desperate situations.And that pretty much is Slumdog Millionaire: a film about hope and a
film about romance, eternal love, with a neat plot device of using
Celador's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire to frame each extraordinary
chapter. Borrowing from sources as wide apart as 30s Westerns and the
classical Arabic tales, as well as the questions themselves this opens
up a vista of wonderful possibilities.The other star of Slumdog is Mumbai - and this is the breakout film for
India - unlike Gandhi which was very Attenborough - this really looks
like an Indian production team has worked at this - amazing colours,
sounds, and settings - just a shame smellovision isn't ready yet! It is
a tale of pessimism and optimism, it is fun, intriguing, and charming -
and if course, exciting.It is deeply romantic, but as with all of Danny Boyle's films, it is
not cloying or sentimental: honesty in film is the keystone here.It's above all entertainment, and entertainment with a conscience.A clear winner for the Awards and all we can say is please Mr Boyle can
we have some more?

intelearts from the big screen - 25 February 2009

smart and sexy…

These days it's very rare that you come across an experience that is
rarely so intriguing, amazingly so brilliant that it sweeps you off
your feet, it takes you away from the real world to a world that is
short lived but full of moments that you are not easily going to forget
for the time to come. Yes one such experience is "slumdog millionaire".
From every point of view, acting, direction, cinematography, music to
any little detail of the film you name it, has been worked on almost to
perfection, to create refreshing tale of love, betrayal, crime and
destiny. If you watch closely there are lots of things one can learn
from watching the movie, to name a couple are, never give up hope in
life and bitter but a fact no gains come without pains. It is amazing
that a movie that almost came close to be released directly to a DVD
wins 8 academy awards. I hope that it's just the beginning, because
lots will now be expected from Danny Boyle. The director has just
raised the level of expectations, for what ever he makes in the future.
Well for right now…if you are still reading, you'd better go and
experience the story of Jamal and other characters in the movie. One
just hopes to come across such delightful movies in the future, as
there are already so many crises going on where ever you look.

faisaliqbal2 from Pakistan - 25 February 2009

Something every American teenager should watch… forget it, every American period.

This is how things really are in the rest of the world.The kids from Slumdog and others like them don't have Blackberries,
Facebook, or iPods; they live in the poorest of situations and yet
still strive for success. They wear rags for clothes, often have no one
to rely on but themselves, and still manage a smile.Slumdog Millionaire is a great film, one that immerses you in the slums
of India. We follow Jamal, a young worker at a telemarketing company
who finds himself on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a
Millionaire?" He is brought in for questioning, as he has almost
achieved the illustrious task of making it "all the way." We find out
that he knows the answers because of his previous life experiences.Along with the millionaire plot, we track the lives of Jamal, his
brother, and his love interest from childhood to adulthood. Each
character is unique and interesting, and leaves only to come back into
the story again.The story is captivating, moving fast and furiously. It's an exciting
ride through the slums of India, as we see our hero move from rags to
riches… and everything in between.

badmoonrison from minnesota - 25 February 2009

Entertaining, but with no surprises.

*spoilers* When I saw this in the cinema, I saw the movie's poster and
thought: Oh my God, this is going to suck; But I was pleasantly
surprised (dear Danny Boyle, fire your art department). What I got was
a fast paced drama about growing up and trying to survive in the slums
of India. I very much enjoyed it; the acting and direction was of a
high calibre and despite the rather overdone & odd ending, I have no
complaints. But to give it as many Oscars as Gone With the Wind is
verging on Blasphemy! I mean, the ending was your usual feel-good romp,
with the brother of the main character filling a tub with money then
getting shot in it, before shouting "god is great!" (don't ask), then
straight after we get an impromptu dance sequence for the credits,
which was rather stupid.My second point is that it's a movie dressed as a film. People say it's
original and groundbreaking, but one watching of CITY OF GOD will show
you where they got the "originality". It has the same mood and
atmosphere, and could have well been its enjoyable sequel…

monkey_blah from Ireland - 25 February 2009

Didn't quite fulfill its potential, IMHO

I feel that this is a worthwhile film that has some beautiful moments,
especially in the first half hour or so. That said, while it seemed at
first that Slumdog might actually live up to the enormous hype, things
started getting a bit silly when the boys reached Agra. Having spent
several months in India over the course of two trips, the Taj scenes
were far-fetched at best and I was never really hypnotized by the film
again after that. Security is very tight at the Taj and street urchins
operating a stolen shoe ring simply wouldn't happen as you don't take
your shoes off until you're well past the military style checkpoint
that "slumdogs" would never be able to pass. This in itself didn't ruin
the film or anything, but starting with those scenes my suspension of
disbelief generally faltered and the whole thing began to feel somewhat
contrived. I suppose the writer's desire to plug in the trusty old
"rags to riches" story was probably the main reason for this as VERY
FEW Indian street kids ever climb the social ladder. I feel that Jamal
losing out on the money but finally rescuing the girl would have made
for a more realistic (and artistically apropos) ending. Concerning
Jamal, I also failed to see any physical resemblance between the adult
version and the two younger ones. Actually, Dev Patel has a
significantly lighter complexion than any of the actors who played
Salim, Latika, or the younger Jamal.Ultimately, it seems to me that the gaggle of Oscars might actually
damage Slumdog's reception somewhat as they inevitably lead one to
believe that this is a once in a generation type of film. Simply put,
it's not. For my money, City of God was a better executed film about
street kids and Born into Brothels (while a documentary) was a superior
chronicle of the Indian variety. Oh well. Slumdog is still worth
seeing, it's just not quite worthy of the hype. 7/10

dosdanmalo from United States - 25 February 2009

Cliché

I still can't believe how much hype is there about this movie. Whole
movie is like a fairy tale from the very beginning. First they beat him
up totally at the start of the movie and finally they stop, this
inspector starts questioning him, he answers all the questions and he
instantly believes him. Then from the question one, we know how will
whole movie go and from that moment, honestly, I was just counting how
many questions are left so I can get this movie over with. Also,
questions in this quiz are silly easy, especially the last one which by
no means should be a main prize question which can be answered by any
average 10 years old kid. But still, I continue watching the movie ,
with a belief there has to be something original and unexpected as the
movie gets near the end, having in mind how highly rated this movie is,
but fair tale just keeps going on and on… I really hoped that a train
would hit Latica at the end when she was going towards him to give us
some dark reality which is a must in a movie which wins Oscar usually,
but Na, movie ends and stupid dance sequence starts…

Mario Bogicevic from Serbia - 25 February 2009

This decade's "Rocky"; undeniably appealing and masterfully done.

First off, I want to rant (sorry) - for the year 2008, there were three
films I gave a 10/10 rating, this film, "WALL-E", and "The Dark
Knight". The latter was snubbed of its Academy Awards Nominations for
Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, all because
that the Academy does not deem superhero summer blockbusters as art. I
was mad as personally I think TDK is the film of the decade, and had it
been nominated for the three, I'd think it win them.Thankfully, this film and WALL-E, two romantic films, do the Oscars
justice. WALL-E is a marvel. However, I'd give my hats off to Slumdog
for giving me the biggest movie surprise of the year. The movie is
energetic, has a kinetic pace, a touching story, and a main character
that we all root for. Director Danny Boyle takes a story and crafts it
into one of the most startlingly original films of the decade, and it
stands tall over most films.We have Jamal, a Mumbai "slumdog" who participates in a "Who Wants To
Be A Millionaire" TV game show in hopes that the love of his life will
see him. He apparently knows all the answers to the questions and shows
no sign of losing. This prompts investigators to interrogate him, and,
clues to how he knows the answers are represented in flashbacks of his
life leading him up to where he is.The movie cannot be praised without the fine, innocent and
heart-stealing characters that the young actors portray. They embody
the innocence, curiosity, and enthusiasm of youth. Without them, the
film would be nothing. They can all stand up and take a bow, for their
performances mold the film to near-perfection.The film's story, while uplifting and inspiring at times, is
gut-wrenching, gritty, powerful, and, filled with realism. How the
screenwriter makes the story believable is truly remarkable, as it
takes talent and dedication to do it, and it shows on the silver
screen. Having the kids speak Hindi for 1/3 of the film adds more
realism to the film, as the young starlets are more comfortable
speaking in their native tongue, as well as showing real life in the
slums the way a Hindi kid would see it. There is not one scene where
you do not cheer for the main character, Jamal. And the ending is truly
marvelous, an ending that will be remembered for a long time.The direction is superb. Fast paced, giving little time to breathe.
Obvious Danny Boyle. But, he livens up the atmosphere of the movie,
which is dark and gritty. This is Boyle's best film yet, he is truly a
filmmaker for his time, and this film certainly proves it. Hell, even
in the poor slums there are moments that we can laugh and reflect at!
Now that's something that Boyle can be proud of, making the audience
feel and care for the characters, to which he succeeds enormously.
There is a scene involving an open toilet and Bollywood superstar
Amitabh Bachchan, for which I will not tell, that has become one of the
most memorable movie scenes for the decade. Academy Award Winner Danny
Boyle, you deserve it.Technically speaking, the music by Bollywood regular A. R. Rahman is
perfect for the film. It is uplifting, gritty, beautiful, thrilling and
atmospheric at the same time. He deserves the Oscar win. The
cinematography shows the ugly slums of Mumbai in full glory, capturing
the essence of the film while making it beautiful at the same time. The
editing is nicely done making it fast paced."Slumdog Millionaire" is an uplifting, near-flawless masterpiece. It
drips with movie magic and reminds us why we fell in love with the
movies in the first place. To be honest I wanted "The Dark Knight" to
win, but since it was not nominated, Slumdog was my clear favorite to
win the coveted Best Picture award. And hey, it did! Congrats to
everyone on the film. Bravo! And finally, Bollywood has something to be
proud of, and Hollywood should partner up with them again sometime
soon.Overall rating: 10/10

del91 from Anywhere...yet nowhere - 24 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire sucks

I don't know why the Indian Government didn't take any action for
spoiling the name of India.THIS MOVIE WILL DEFINITELY GET A TRASH Oscar AWARD BUT NOT THE REAL Oscar AWARD.If this film gets a Oscar award then i guess the Oscar people are the
dumbest people ever. THIS MOVIE SHOULD BE BANNEDWORST MOVIE EVER BEFORE WATCHING THIS MOVIE TURN OFF YOUR BRAIN AND WATCH IT BECAUSE
THEIR IS NO SENSE IN THE MOVIE TO USE YOUR BRAIN.This has also created a negative image in the western world about IndiaKeywords: worst, fake, Brainless Director

anandsampat from New Zealand - 24 February 2009

"Chai Wallah!"

I will remember this movie for a long time for many reasons. First, it
was so very good. There is a ribbon of hope that runs throughout the
story that my heart attached itself and held tightly on to through all
kinds of horrors. It's a movie that deserves an explosively happy
ending. I love the colors and music of the film. In my imagination, it
looks and sounds like India oughta look and sound. Another thing
Slumdog Millionaire will always remind me of is chai. Jamal the Slumdog
is a "chai wallah" which is apparently, someone who make or sells chai.
So I have tried my first chai (I know, where have I been?) and it was
tasty! When I think of Slumdog Millionaire, I will think of bold and
colorful beauty even when it's ugly. I will think of vanilla chai and a
chai girl I know. I will think of perfect music and dancing and smiles.
And I will think of lifelong love and doing whatever it takes to catch
the girl worth sharing it with. Mmm… I can almost taste this movie,
or is it the chai?

JungleThunder from Montana - 24 February 2009

More like "Underdog millionaire"

One word summary: Amazing.With more then one words: first of all; Mr. Boyle, I'm sorry. I didn't
get "Trainspotting", I taught "The beach" proved you're mediocre (as a
side note: my parents there then, on a holiday near where it was shot)
and I also thought that "28 days later" was a lucky shot. "Slumdog"
proves once and for all I have been misjudging you - you DO have the
talent. "Slumdog" is one of those rare examples that come by you only
now and then in a lifetime. In my life the earliest example of this was
"E.T." back when I was 6, and the last time was "Shaolin soccer" some
years back. This year I was already treated with "Gran Torino", so I
REALLY wasn't expecting anything of this level - and hey, it's only
February! As a struggling scriptwriter - sort of myself, this has
thought me more than just one lesson. The idea of a poor man's journey
through life giving him just the right answers for scoring it big on a
TV show is a flash of genius, juggling with traditional issues like
"fate" and "destiny" with those of popular culture. That alone would
have secured any British director a sure 6.5 IMDb - point Hugh Grant
Box office - hit. And no doubt all but one would have done just that
(as would any American director). Now, for some reason, mr. Boyle
wanted to put a spin on it (or keep the original premise?), and set it
in a foreign culture; India. That's risky. And most who have tried
this, have failed… but not in this case. Mr. Boylse handles everything suavely and professionally. He doesn't
preach pro or against; instead, he fully accomplishes in taking the
best of both worlds as he simply tells the story in another culture.The whole beauty of it, with the whole beauty of it surroundings. In
the end, you WILL feel that even if the movie took you in another place
to tell the story, that that WAS the place the story was meant to be
told in. And that the 2 hours it took to tell it, there wasn't a minute
too much.That's rare. And that's a reason to go see this movie.I am truly happy this movie has managed to find an audience, lingering
in the top 10 all these weeks (working its way from the bottom up !)
and scoring all those 8 Oscars, DESERVINGLY!

SPaS (ronroer@hotmail.com) from Espoo, Finland - 24 February 2009

It's just a good movie…

This is a movie filmed just to get an award in my opinion. It
politically smiles at America. So there's no reason for the movie to be
the best motion picture of the year. So it's rare in the open that this
is all because political reasons. But when it comes to what arts is, no
hope; unfortunately it has nothing to do about it. It's just a good
movie, no more. Exegurating the movie's success will not make it a good
movie. It just makes it popular. Maybe it's gonna break some records
all around the world. But all the flies eat disgusting things, doesn't
mean it's good. Isn't it? What I'd really like to say is; please just
don't watch the movie for its award winning. Watch it objectively;
you'll see what I mean.

yalinzabun from Turkey - 24 February 2009

Barely Watchable.

This movie had some promise but became boring. Contrived plot and all
over the place. Absurd scenes. What police force tortures someone who
wins a national game show. This movie could have been really good but
the base premise held no water.If this is what has become the norm for academy awards then count me
out.I am not so much against some of the ways of life in India as I do
believe some of the horrors perpetrated on the children, in the movie,
holds water.The game show premise was absurd and took away from what could have
been a superb movie about children in the middle east.The scenery was spectacular with excellent visuals and great panoramic
views of India.There was good chemistry among the children and some nice chicanery
perpetrated.I heard the children stars of this movie were paid very poorly.
Something amounting to 700.00 dollars. If this is the case, then what
hypocrisy.

jkd15-1 from United States - 24 February 2009

spirituality defeats materialism

Wow, that is some beast of a movie. I mean, it can be analysed and
commented on from various points of view, there are a few layers in it,
it is rich, whether structurally and technically, or story-wise. It is
even difficult to describe it in a few words, a film depicting acts of
violence, including against children, the extreme poverty and
humiliation, yet leaving one with a good feeling at the end. A piece of
real life melodrama without a hint of melodramatic cheap effects, a
story told in a western modern way yet reaching for the Bollywood or
soap-melodramas inspiration and their simple stories about basic human
yearnings and feelings. A modern story which is Dickensian in scope and
method. Not to mention the invigorating, flawless musical score, the
direction and editing. The only moment I raised my eyebrows was when
the brother of the main hero had the sudden change of heart and
character which, I do not think, is likely in real life, but I guess
they wanted to show how religion played a part in his spiritual being
and also defend the film a bit in the eyes of the Muslim community.
Nothing wrong with that, I guess. I also doubt that the feelings of
10-year olds can win the test of time, especially in harrowing
circumstances. The main theme of the film for me is the duality of
human existence: the material and the spiritual inner life, with Boyle
showing himself to be an idealist, a romantic on the side of the
spiritual, the film juxtaposing in a striking manner the stark, brutal
poverty and humiliation on the one hand and the persisting purity of
thought, feelings and actions of the main pair on the other. They
suffered so much since early childhood, yet their love is pure and
conquers all. I know, it sound corny, yet the marvel of this film is
that it works just fine!

krzysiektom from Poland - 24 February 2009

Meh

I wanted to see this movie for ages seeing the hype it received in many
international film festivals.And I must say, while not being exactly a
letdown, it did not seem to quite justify the hype.The film is modern taken on the rags-to-riches story set in
Bombay,India.The bad things about the story first: The film is very
predictable,you can tell the whole story of the film in approximately
10 mins.All the characters are either black or white,excepting the
hero's brother.The climax was a let down,typical of bollywood films(a
frantic climax where somehow everything becomes right!).And as an
Indian, yes,i did find the part about "real America" offensive.Inspite of these faults,the film does strike a chord in one's heart.The
cinematography is brilliant,the city of Bombay is presented in a whole
new light,one can see beauty amidst squalor.A.R Rahman's music adds to
the mood of the film.And finally,the movie is a triumph of human
spirit,of fighting against the odds and yet surviving,and for
projecting this superbly,this movie is worth a watch.No marks for
plausibility though,but as the movie says " Some things are written,are
meant to be".Go watch it,but put your cynical self to rest.All in all , i felt the movie was good but not worth all the Oscar hype
it is getting.There are better movies coming out of bollywood then this
movie.

Jim Jones from Bosnia and Herzegovina - 23 February 2009

see it ASAP

This is probably one the best films of '08 along with "The Dark
Knight". I went to see this movie to see what all the commotion was
with it being nominated for almost everything. Well, for once the
critics were right and it was an inspiring epic. I knew that the nation
of India knew a lot about making movies, since they view more movies
than anyone in the world, but man alive this is a masterpiece. One
person that I sympathize with a little is the main character. He is the
underdog. He lived in some of the worst conditions ever known to man as
a young child. That is where the term "slumdog" comes in. The host of
the show, that he has so luckily landed on,keeps reminding him of that.
Every question that he is asked he reminds himself of how he knows it
or how he got a hold of that information concerning the question. Every
time he does that he almost always thinks of his long lost love,
Latika. Poor Jamal(main character).You will love what happens. Did it
deserve 8 Oscars. You bet. Hurry to see it before it comes out on DVD.
I am sure it is better in theater. It is a great film.

ethan_nyberg2009 from United States - 23 February 2009

worst movie ever

this movie is horrid. i would not recommend. if you like long drawn out
pointless movies. just because they won an award doesn't make it the
best movie ever. i don't understand how all of you voted 9 stars. very
overrated movie. don't watch, i promise you will be mad at yourself.the story was predictable.it was a movie based on a middle eastern boy. i really don't like this
movie whatsoever. it was the biggest waste of time. i am begging you to
not go to see this movie. unless you want to poke out your eyeballs of
how stupid and boring this movie is. about a game of who wants to be a
millionaire, and some middle eastern boy who finally got something out
of life. big deal. this movie was garbage.

gOldeelOxxs from florida - 23 February 2009

True Love Beat Money

True Love Beat Money -My Comment on Slumdog MillionaireThis is really a good movie for its length. After watching this movie,
I've received a lot. But first and foremost, that is "IN FRONT OF TRUE LOVE, MONEY BECOME
WORTHLESS." Thanks for all the stuff of this movie, you taught me an important
thing and my faith for love had been enhanced unprecedentedly.(PS. IMDb requires at least 10 lines of comments. However, as a student
in China, it would be a hard work for me. I've said the thing that
really touched me. Please forgive me. )

(loveablejay@126.com) from Harbin,China - 23 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire…a stench of racism screwed it all up

One interesting point to note is that while Slumdog Millionaire has
been nominated for as many as 10 Oscars, movies like 'BLACK' and 'TAARE
ZAMEEN PAR', a sensitive 'Bollywood' film dealing with a middle-class,
dyslexic child's struggle to cope with this competition, and widely
toasted as the best mainstream offering from the Hindi film Industry in
a long while, didn't receive a single nomination even in the Foreign
Language Category at the Academy Awards. Is it just me here, or is
there a certain prejudice towards only one particular 'reality' of
India, and ignorance towards other equally harsh realities, or is it
because the director is a white westerner?Let me clarify here that while it may seem so, I've nothing against the
film – I found it to be entertaining and quite worth a watch. Neither
do I have anything against the subject or the depiction of life in
Mumbai – in fact, I would have found it more memorable had it given
some more screen time to the dark undercurrents of the Mumbai
underbelly, which were easily the most believable and fascinating parts
of the film, greatly assisted by a rousing score from A. R. Rehman. My
only grouse is with the perception that the Indians have some kind of a
sinister agenda to not allow this film to succeed, because we don't –
as the film highlights rather well at the end of the day, it's just a
way of life out here, so why the hype?After seeing Boyle's much talked-about film, it's crystal clear why
this murky and squalid portrait of Mumbai has the Americans preening in
delight. At one point after being thrashed mercilessly for
impersonating as a guide, our hero Jamal tells a couple of American
tourists, "You wanted to see real India? Here it is", in reply to which
the American lady promptly replies, "Now we'll show you the real
America," and hands Jamal a $100 bill. This, without any apparent sense
of irony.

jd_bonline from Kolkata, India - 23 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire: Absolutely Ridiculous, Not a true face of India…

The movie is a humiliation on India by a British filmmaker. Danny Boyle
spotted all the loopholes that happens in India. The complete show
organisation has been sarcastic. I don't understand how could Anil
Kapoor play such role in this movie, completely changing the
perspective the way we watch "Who wants to be millionaire". The show
will be organized by sponsors and not the host, so he should have no
issues with the participants earning money or not. The host will never
make comments made by the host of the show in the movie. The Questions
on America are just for the Americans to hype themselves to be the
supremo's in the current world, even though we all know that these are
the laziest people in the world. The question on American dollar note
would never come in an Indian millionaire show. the young blind
children episode is something similar to that of "Robin Williams" in
"August Rush" showing that every country whether its India or US or UK
will have the rich and poor in same order. The climax was awful with
the millionaire sitting alone in the most crowded VT station of Mumbai.
Any Indian would admire a show winner and will surround him/her for
anything and everything. Danny Boyle has also shown that the Americans
are dumb thinking a child to be tourist guide and getting dumped. The
way of interrogation and various situations were narrated very badly.
Finally I would say that Slumdog Millionaire is highly overrated and
way different from true face of India.I am certainly not satisfied with the direction and screenplay of the
film. Other than the direction and screenplay members I would
congratulate the crew who have won Oscars for the film.

Sandy Myfav from USA - 23 February 2009

"It's our destiny" , "Kiss me"

"Slumdog Millionaire" may not be the film you'd expect from someone
like Danny Boyle and, although it has some elements that could refuse
this statement, it's certainly the riskiest work he's completed, and
maybe his best. About this last thing I'm not entirely sure, but if
this is the movie that gets him an Academy Award, it's precisely
because of not doing the same thing he'd been doing until now.That's right, against all odd, Boyle's little film about a story bigger
than life is a classic tale that you'll find yourself defining with
many important words: love, poverty, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood,
family…Destiny. And the trick my friends is that, among all these
beautiful but unlucky people, in this enormous city where the British
director took his camera, everything seems perfect; but the viewer who
knows Boyle's pessimism can never know for how long it will last. Is it
really possible for a guy from the slums to become a millionaire? Can
he also get the girl of his dreams? "The most beautiful woman in the
whole world", that's how Jamal (Dev Patel) speaks about Latika (Freida
Pinto), the girl he met when he was living on the streets of Mumbai
with his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal); the girl he gave shelter to
when he saw her crying under the rain. In the most unusual of
circumstances, Jamal will tell a police inspector everything about this
girl who he never forgot, his brother and their suffered experience
through life. "I don't know where she is now", will be the last thing
the inspector will hear from him.The movie reveals a lifetime to the viewer's eyes. There's never a
clear indication of the moment being showed in this lifetime, but the
edition (Chris Dickens) and cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle, finally
recognized) present the structure of the plot and we never get lost.
The score by A.R. Rahman, although mostly made of songs and not too
showy, sets the mood for every new exotic and captivating location the
picture presents by the minute.Three different actors (most of them children and unprofessional) play
the main roles in their different ages, but Patel and Pinto stand out
because the movie demands it so. The love Jamal has for Latika is what
keeps him and "Slumdog Millionaire" alive, as he imagines her
everywhere and remembers her face constantly.If the movie has a problem it's this one. The constant remembering and
repetition of images is an unnecessary reminder of things and a factor
of distraction for the viewer in some of the film's most moving scenes.
Because, yes, "Slumdog Millionaire" is moving on its own terms; because
in the end it chooses the light and it has its heart in the right
place.Maybe you could think there's manipulation involved, but you're wrong;
the manipulation occurs inside the story and its structure (and we
can't even blame it so much for that because it looks like it really
needed it), but there's nothing being forced towards the viewer.
Patel's performance makes the love Jamal feels for Latika so sincere
and believable that we don't doubt for a second when he tells her he
loves her, that it's their destiny to be together, that he will always
find her.And yes, "Slumdog Millionaire" may not be a true Oscar deserver or a
great film, but it is, for the viewer, definitely a well done fairy
tale that makes you root for its heroes no matter what; for the critic,
a little film that silently and with time wins it heart (of course that
works for the viewers too), kind of like "Juno"; and for institutions
like the Academy the picture that, in this time and age, apparently has
the virtues to take home the biggest prize they deliver."Kiss me", says Latika to Jamal.

jpschapira from Argentina - 22 February 2009

Horribly Overrated

As an Indian this movie is completely insulting. No one in Mumbai is referred to as a 'slumdog'. The movie is wildly
inaccurate. From the weak Quiz show questions, to the child who doesn't
vomit when drenched in feces, to the depiction of gang life in India.
This movie isn't just fiction, it's absurd fantasy. The love story is about as believable as a Saturday morning cartoon. That anyone should walk away from this film believing it's decent film
is itself a tragedy. This film is a reflection of Hollwood's white liberal guilt. If you
want a better film, check out the Apu trilogy by Satyajit Ray.

imdbnyc from United States - 22 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

As per usual, the Academy got it wrong once again. Let's face it, 9 out
10 times they usually do! Let's face it, awards are for the living and
not for the dearly departed, and neither are they for the ones left
behind. Don't think Heath really cares much anyway. Slumdog
Millionaire, so much hype, so hype, so much regret that I even
bothered, when it should really have gone straight to DVD, never mind
TV. After all it's just the normal rags to riches story, this time
plastered across an Indian background. Been there, seen that……big
YAWN! While it was a good watch, the acting was static, and the
question master extremely irritating! I was hoping the goons would get
him eventually….. An amazing performance by the likes of Philip
Seymore Hoffman and Meryl Streep go just about unnoticed. Has the
Academy gone completely mad?? Well, here's to a lot more madness from
Hollywood this year. Watch it and weep!

zactooh69 from Malaysia - 22 February 2009

very good film… but…

Don't get me wrong.. this IS a good film.. but I cant help thinking
that all the publicity its getting, though much of the publicity is
very well deserved is albeit hyping it up.. a little bit too much. am I
wrong?? I watched 'slumdog millionaire'.. 'after' the media advertising
saturation it got left me no option(as an avid film fan) but to go and
watch it. Im glad I did, but it left me with a feelin of 'did I miss
something whilst watching?.. because absolutely no way did it live up
to the hype. This has got to be one of the most hyped movies ever!
definitely watch it.. but I bet you feel the same as me after.. my
point is.. (the movie industry is in serious trouble when any half
decent movie gets this much hype)

towy4 from United Kingdom - 22 February 2009

See it twice…or maybe don't..

I liked the movie. I didn't love it though. But that's just me and my
opinion. What I'm really trying to say is when you have a movie that
generates this much hype and acclaim, you can be forgiven for thinking
that you will eventually end up loving it. But unlike in the movie, the
bottomless optimism fails miserably. It's just a fantasy/romance movie
with a lot of colors added. And I guess the reason the
Americans/British found it so interesting was because of the novel
theme. Once the novelty wears off, am sure this film will be remembered
only as an overrated average film with some not-so-good acting all
around. Don't take my word for it, see it for yourself. But I wont
recommend seeing it again. For then, you won't like it even half as you
did the first time.And I wonder too, would anyone have paid so much
attention to it had it been made completely by Indians?

gopz from India - 22 February 2009

who want's to be a millionaire?

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Directed by Danny Boyle is certainly one of
his best film's to date, our story begins in the poorest slums of
Mumbai Jamal as an orphan, running around with his brother Salim on the
streets, scavenging through the rubbish dumps to survive and getting
into trouble with the gangs who operate in the city. The chances of a
rags-to-Raja story are slim for anyone growing up in an environment
where traditionally the only way out is in a box or into a prison cell.
That could be the fate of his brother who has adapted to the hard way
of living by throwing in his lot with the city's top gangster, but
Jamal, working as a lowly tea-boy in a call center, has been given a
golden opportunity to escape through an appearance on a popular
national television quiz-show. He's only doing it for one reason
however - he's hoping it will buy him the freedom of his childhood
love, Latika, the third musketeer in their little group of adventurers.
it's a great story which is all the more compelling as the unclean and
very dangerous environment offer's lot's of various escapades with our
young protagonist's Slumdog Millionaire is undoubtedly on of the best
film's i've seen so far this year, it look's tipped to take the Oscar's
by storm and deservedly so.

Kieran Greene from Ireland(originally Scotland) - 22 February 2009

Best Picture? No….best crowd-pleaser…maybe…in a pinch….

This is a genial, very well made movie with lots of charm and
vitality..but very little in the way of genuine depth or substance.Despite the overpraised "Local Color" (The unfairly underrated
"Darjeeling Limited" captures the heat, atmosphere, beauty, and
savagery of India much, much better) this has a rather musty air
narratively speaking…perhaps because the plot is actually a rather
palid melding of several Victorian era plots that weren't entirely
fresh when Dickens used them..If you have seen any version of "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield", or
even more obviously "Great Expectations"…you have seen this
plot…and no amount of narrative non linear construction is going to
disguise that fact…(and no amount of game show flash can make it look
any more "Modern")…The early scenes involving non-professional child actors have some
genuine grit and life to them…The actors who take over the characters as young adults have a much
more difficult time registering with the same conviction…(despite
their undeniable good looks and charm)…mainly because the "win the
money…find the girl" plot drifts so dangerously close to cheap,
shrill soap opera…Anyway…"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" has more imagination and
magic in any one of it's wondrous scenes than this movie has in it;'s
entire two hours.

martin lane (martylee13045burlsink342@yahoo.com) from Cortland Ny - 22 February 2009

Excellent movie. Fantastic cinematography. Great story.

Its great to see this movie win all the awards it has thus far, as the
speeches truly shows humility of all those who have been involved in
delivering this excellent piece of work.The movie has all the Bollywood hallmarks of song, dance, love,
villain, underdog without the typical lavish sets locations and egos.
Bollywood should take note and learn how to create such great work from
right outside their front doors.Now when I go to back to India, I will take note of the street kids and
reflect back at what this movie has highlighted to me.Great movie, go see it!

ushpatel from United Kingdom - 22 February 2009

A very interesting and entertaining movie

I am very happy to see the sudden critical acceptation director Danny
Boyle is getting for Slumdog Millionaire,because I have liked his
entire filmography (with the exception of The Beach) and I feel that
many of his films have been unfairly underrated for not adjusting to
the spectators' expectations.Nobody denies the greatness from
Trainspotting but his also very interesting films Shallow Grave,A Life
Less Ordinary,28 Days Later and Sunshine were underrated from my point
of view.Slumdog Millionaire is another very interesting and
entertaining film from Boyle which,in spite of not being excellent,it
is near from being.During the first half hour from the movie,it
disappointed me its repetitive structure and the convenient way of how
any question from the programme is magically related to a past event of
the main character's life.However,that fail is compensated a little bit
because when I started thinking about the movie,I noted that was made
with the intention of showing the chaotic life in India,from the
childhood from the kids of Mumbai to the impact the occidental culture
has had on that country.Another function from those vignettes is
showing the relationship between three young people during their
unpredictable lives on which their separations are as important as the
moments they are together.That is a very good strategy,because it makes
the screenplay richer but at the same time,I think that aspect could
have been worked a little bit better,because it reminded me to the
style shown in the extraordinary movie City of God,which used that
strategy a little bit better.However,the charisma from the actors and
their honest performances emotionally connect to the spectator,and that
made Slumdog Millionaire to provoke an unusual emotional impact on
me.Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy used a very ingenious trick : starting
the movie with what it seems a posterior event to the TV
programme,suggesting the final result and making us believe that he
killed us any suspense.However,that was only an intelligent
manipulation from Beaufoy because,near the ending,nothing is as it
seemed and the film gets incredibly tense until it leads to a very
satisfactory conclusion.Boyle's dynamic direction perfectly complements
the tone from the movie.It is obvious his intention was not emulating
the narrative language from Bollywood (with the exception of the final
credits) but incorporating his style to the exotic Indian
sensibility,and it is a testimony to his extraordinary talent that so
different films like Sunshine (human sci-fi),A Life Less Ordinary (a
violent and modern fairytale),28 Days Later (horror for the new
millennium) and now Slumdog Millionaire show the exact same
vision.Slumdog Millionaire is not Boyle's best film (by my point of
view,that one is still Trainspotting) but still,I can recommend this
movie with confidence because it kept me very entertained and
interested,at the same time it exposed a very good message.Rating:8.5

collipal-1 from Argentina - 21 February 2009

An Intelligently directed & well scripted movie but portrays India in a bad taste. (Part One)

It's the most appreciated movie in the last few months (2008), winning
several awards at various film festivals all over the globe. So I was
excited enough to the see it, expecting another movie which will be
added in my "Movies to See Before You Die" list. No doubt it is one of
the best movies of recent times but sadly I didn't find it worth adding
my "Must See Movies" List and I will surely give you my reasons for
that here in the end.Firstly talking about the movie, an interesting observation is that if
the viewer is not told about who directed this flick, then, he is bound
to take it as a movie made by an Indian or a person with an Indian
origin. But surprisingly it is directed by "Danny Boyle" of
'Trainspotting' and '28 Days Later' fame. Though he has done a
brilliant job but in my opinion he selected this subject and directed
this movie keeping in mind the festival circuit and attention he would
get because of the Indian touch and feel of the movie. You might get my
point more clearly after watching it and reading my points at the end
of this review.The story of this movie is about a young teenage boy winning millions
at a TV Show (KBC of Indian Television) and how each question asked by
the anchor has a relation to his past life. He knows most of the
answers as all the questions have something similar to the
circumstances of his real life. So the anchor at one point of time
doubts that he may be cheating in the show. In order to investigate his
loyalty, he is handed over to the police for one night, but nothing is
found against him and he is allowed to play the game, the next final
day.Each question put to him in the game show has a sequence attached to it
in the screenplay which is well written and enjoyable. The growth of
the children from a small age to their teenage youth is well executed.
But the thrill which should have been there regarding the game is
missing. May be it's because from the title itself you already know
that the contestant is going to win. Moreover, the narration of the
movie is more towards an artistic offbeat film (like that of "Salaam
Bombay"), which reduces its chances of becoming a big hit in the Indian
circuit (But may do well in multiplexes).Performances wise everybody does a fine job especially Dev Patel and
all the child artists featuring in the movie. Their expressions and
dialogue delivery has been directed perfectly and they never seem to be
acting. Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla & Mahesh Manjrekar are
just fine doing their parts with nothing extra-ordinary to talk about.
But they are lucky enough to get this project which has become world
famous by now. One thing i couldn't understand was that why Anil Kapoor
did not want the slum boy to win in his show and why he tried to give
him the wrong answer. Camerwork showing the slums and riots is
brilliant. In fact the opening scene is the most well shot sequence
with all the kids running followed by the policemen.Musically, there are no full length songs in the movie and the
soundtrack alone is more enjoyable separately. The best song is "Jai
Ho" which was shockingly refused by Subhash Ghai for his movie
"Yuvraaj". The background music is superb giving an ample support to
the direction. A. R. Rahman gives another good score in this
International project and has already won praises and awards, making
his presence felt in the International Film & Music Circles. We are
really proud to have him as a National Treasure.Now coming to the points why this movie could not impress me as
expected and why it is not being added to my "Movies to See Before You
Die" List.Due to the word limit here you are requested to see those point at
http://www.bobbytalkscinema.com.Thanks

(bobbysing@gmail.com) from India - 21 February 2009

Not what I expected

Okay, I just went to see Slumdog, and I had no expectations whatsoever.
I went into it with a completely open mind- I had no idea what it was
about except that it incorporated Who Wants to be a Millionaire into
it. Although I thought the concept was interesting, the way it was
executed made the film unenjoyable to watch. It has some scenes that
literally made me cringe, and never let up. It goes through every
tortuous memory that Jamal had in his childhood. There were no light
moments. It was all painful and tortuous memories. And even though the
2 characters fall in love at the end, I didn't find it uplifting at
all. Just didn't live up to the hype for me.

mc1492-1 from United States - 21 February 2009

Powerful Film..A Must See

This is without a doubt one of the most powerful films I have ever
seen. I was 'blown away' by this film. The scenery is breathtaking and
shocking at the same time. There were times when I had to close my eyes
the scenes were so shocking. However, it was certainly an eye opener to
the cruel reality of life in India. It is the most extraordinary love
story which doesn't follow the usual formulas of a North American plot
line. In other words, it is not a wimpy date movie but one which males
and females will enjoy. Dev Patel who plays the lead in the film is
amazing for such a young actor. I can't wait to see him in more films.
He is the male equivalent of Meryl Streep, an actor who can say so much
with just a glance, a look. And as he gets older, he will only get
sexier. IMO he deserves an Oscar for this one and so does the director,
Danny Boyle.

ehavig-1 from Canada - 21 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire review

Well on the whole a great film, great acting and directing. There was a
good storyline to the movie and was definitely worth a watch. However,
some people may think the complete opposite to me but i watch a lot of
films and this was one of those very few that i never really got into.
Throughout the whole film i listened to every part but i still couldn't
help looking around the cinema and reaching for another piece of food,
or looking at other things that caught my attention. On the whole
Slumdog Millionaire was a good film which if was offered to go and see
again i would but it doesn't draw me in and leaves me a little
disappointed as personally i think this film is not as good as the
critics are portraying.

williamwhyte16 from United Kingdom - 21 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire - Two points of View - View 1- from Ajoy Gupta, London

Ajoy Gupta's (London) View : I hadn't read any of the reviews of
"Slumdog Millionaire"..(SD)… wanting to see the film without any
preconceived notions or judgment's about its mounting success with
audiences in India and the US/UK. Last Thursday evening at the Odeon
Swiss Cottage (London) was the day set for my date with SD on the big
screen!!……How disappointed I was! I left thinking was it the UK
media sensationalism accorded to the film that was the cause for its
success in India?? What was it about the film that caused so much
hysteria in India and nominated for 7 Baftas I ask myself! Don't get me
wrong. the film was watchable, and endearing in parts, but lacked any
deep content that would move or inspire me, there was nothing deeply
thought provoking or anything rooted in deep sentiment or fabulous
imagery that left me spellbound!!…which for me.. would normally be
the general perquisites to justify an award nomination!! This is a film
by a talented, humble and amiable British director, Daniel Boyle…so the
direction was through his perspective on India and issues that govern
Mumbai and its Slum dwelling citizens The film unveils how a "slumdog"
Jalal Malik enters the Indian equivalent of the TV quiz show "Who wants
to be a Millionaire" and miraculously answers all the questions to win
2 million Rupess!! During his cross examination by the Mumbai police
(on being accused of cheating) the camera explains how Jalal knew the
answers. By panning to and fro from the interrogated "Jalal " to the
childhood Jalal, the viewer is shown, through endearing snapshots of
Jalal's childhood experiences, how he is able to answer the majority of
his questions. His ability to correctly answer a question asking what
the Vedic mythological figure Lord Rama holds in his right hand was
owed to his childhood memory of a violent mob attack on his community,
an attack based on religious intolerance. Jalal recalls how his mother
was brutally beaten to death, and in the distance he recalls a vision
of young boy clad in a Lord Rama costume armed with a bow and arrow! I
didn't think there was a need to show such a scene depicting communal
violence within the context of this film, and that too without doing it
responsibly, objectively and informatively. and without putting it in
its true context, (which is that the dynamics of politics & social
history in India have compromised communal harmony to the point that
communities of all concerned faiths have been victims). Yet despite
this, the country still maintains a semblance of religious and cultural
unity. The film did bring to light the darker and deeply shocking side
of the Mumbai underworld and its abuse and exploitation of slum
dwelling children, and I feel heartened that this film has gone some
way in giving such children a voice and making the international
community aware of their plight. For me, the real heroes of the film
were the child actors…the young Jalal, Salim and Latika…watching Jalal
and Latika's evolving affections for each other, the complex
relationship between Jalal and his brother Salim, and the trios
struggle for survival in a godforsaken world, was gripping viewing. The
free spirited way in which these so very young actors portrayed their
characters with such conviction, guile, charisma and on screen talent
thoroughly deserve their nominations for the Oscars! "Feel goof film of
the year"???!!…"Mesmerising"!!??…"Unforgettable"??!!….I beg to
differ….an ordinary film, depressing for the most part, punctuated with
a handful of endearing scenes. Its appeal is in its ethnicity, its
"bollywood" flavour…which is very pastiche in the UK right now…so one
might understand the popular appeal in the UK (given its passion for
exotica), but why in India?? By Bollywood standards, there is nothing
in the film that would stand out compared to the thousands of films
that Mumbai film industry churns out each year. The fact this was a
foreign film (albeit with Indian actors) directed by a Brit and
nominated for seven Baftas may have something to do with it?

sudasgup from Spain - 21 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire - Two points of View - View 2- from Sudasgup - response to Ajoy Gupta's View

Good review Ajoy, and I agree that compared to most past winners in
Best Film category across major awards, this one is not a classic, not
a film for posterity. It-s a very "now" film, as compared to that other
British made India-based award sweeper "Gandhi". But it must be seen in
relative terms to the "competition"on offer, and the general mood
prevailing in the Western world right now. In these times of
hopelessness and bleak futures, with so many jobless and despondent,
this offers a kind of comforting escapism, where a classic underdog, or
Slumdog in this case, overcomes every kind of difficulty to emerge a
winner, albeit aided in dollops by luck and destiny, but also by sheer
grit and resourcefulness - very human qualities that are sorely needed
right now. Interestingly enough, the film, while warmly received by
critics in English-language press and TV, has been largely rejected by
audiences in India. The Hindi version is officially a flop, while the
English version has been a moderate success - qualifying the film as an
average earner in box-office terms. In India, it is nowhere near the
all-conquering cult status achieved in the West. In fact, there are
significant protests and criticisms from the general public about the
"poverty-porn" it peddles, and how India today is much more than the
sum of it's numerous slum-dwelling poor multitudes.Therein lies a tale
- to be rejected by the audiences of the very country whose story it
tells,yet lapped up by an exotica obsessed West. The treatment is
classic Bollywood, the basic premise oft-repeated in countless
potboilers from the 70's through early 90's. The scene where the boys,
while rolling down from the roof of the train, grow into teenagers is
so typical of the hero's introduction scene from old Amitabh Bacchan
movies, as also scheming rich men standing in the way of the poor
protagonist, cruel cops, good brother/bad brother, bad brother turning
a new leaf and attaining redemption before a violent death, innocent
heroine forced into prostitution etc. etc.. So credit must be given
where due , for Danny to get under the skin of the genre and deliver
this movie in the way it has been presented, with no foreign actors
(barring Dev Patel) and few foreign technicians, is an achievement in
itself. It is by no means a great movie in the timeless traditions of
earlier similarly lauded films, but it certainly seems to have struck
an universal chord somewhere (barring India - where this is all too
familiar) - and, credit-crisis notwithstanding,due credit - if only for
delivering the right message at the right time - must be given! The
soundtrack by Rehman is outstanding, but once again, from the Indian
perspective, it is by no means Rehman's best - and if he does add the
Oscar cap to all the other awards he has picked up for this soundtrack,
I will consider it deserved reward for his whole, largely unheard in
the West, body of work till now.

sudasgup-1 from Spain - 21 February 2009

Great picture of India and that's all…

Slumdog Millionaire has its merits. It shows the reality in India: the
misery, the super population problem, the absence of public hygiene
politics, the unprepared police, the children's exploitation. The movie
has an original editing and a good photography. The young actors did
quite a good job too.As for the storyline, I think it doesn't surprise anyone. The love
story, the bad brother vs the good brother, the redemption of the bad,
and the "it's written" conclusion are all very cliché.Anyway, I'm happy for a non-American movie achieving this kind of
success. I think it's time to recognize that there is good movies
outside Hollywood.

Daniel Marcolino from Brazil - 21 February 2009

Wish You Were Here

Sunday of Oscars means Friday of Oscar-nominated films coming finally
to the theaters here in Mexico City certainly. Actually this last week
has the first day of the FICCO (Festival International de Cine
Contemporaneo de la Ciudad de Mexico), certainly a chance to see very
interesting films (The Wrestler, Maradona by Kusturica (which I'm going
to see this same night, for free, at the Zocalo for the first time on
the big screen since I already saw it a couple of times on DVD), Waltz
with Bashir, Bob Marley: Exodus 77, The Good, the Bad, the Weird are
some of those that I don't want to miss), certainly I'm glad it began
and it began precisely with a film that the Academy nominated for Best
Picture, it began with Milk. And I missed the chance to see Milk on the big screen before the "big
night" (it will be released during the first days of March). Yesterday
I had planned to see my first film of the FICCO yet Slumdog Millionaire
came finally yesterday to Mexico City so is very very probable that
tomorrow I will be watching the Oscars after seeing only two of the
five pictures that are "fighting" for the big prize of the night
(Benjamin Button being the other) yet after seeing what for most is
going to be the winner of the night, certainly this one that was my
fifth encounter with a Danny Boyle film and if not a perfect one sure
it is a great film. Is a surprise to see a normal boy enduring a torture by some police
men, certainly they want that the boy, who is our main character and
who is played by Dev Patel, Tanay Chheda and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar,
Jamal Malik talk but they will end saying something like "he's a tough
guy". So we go back to see that certainly Jamal during his childhood
had no other chance but to fight for his life. This is absolutely my
favourite part, when Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Tanay Chheda are Jamal,
the City of God. Realistic, we have who is apparently nothing but a
hero, he sees street children and he comes with a tasty Coca-Cola for
the heat, for them he must be good since he allow them to eat a little
more, these are just children, many but certainly we known Jamal,
Jamal's elder brother Salim (played by Madhur Mitta, Ashutosh Lobo
Gajiwala and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) and Latika (played by Freida
Pinto, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar and Rubina Ali). Very early in the picture we see that of the two brothers one is more
of a Zé Pequeno and the other is more of a Buscapé, and we see moments
of happiness yet very tragic moments that become more tragic for the
boys because they can't do anything, they are just there trying to get
by day by day so when that mentioned hero comes their life has a little
light, they don't have to worry for food, they have their minds in
other stuff that is different from the stuff that is in the mind of the
hero. So we now very well since the beginning both Jamal and Salim, we
know that if it depend only on him Salim would have never return to
Mumbai, after all they found something completely different, something
more like the heaven of their heads, I guess seeing the Taj Mahal is
more than impressive. But also we know that Jamal's heart is only for one girl, this is a
love story, a magical one, why Jamal was that tough? We have realistic
answers, a realistic background, powerful part. Why Jamal knew all the
answers when he was on the Indian TV show "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?" if he never had a formal education, if he was just a
slumdog? He certainly not cheated, for the police men was not too
complicated to find that after Jamal talked about those moments of his
past that came to his mind that night when he was on the TV show. Here
the point, the most "love moment": when Jamal, during the second night
on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", is only one question away of the
20 million rupees he uses one of those lifelines, he doesn't know the
answer, we know that when he says that on TV he is not lying, he marks
the only telephone number he knows, his brother's, yet we know where is
that cell phone, time to a dramatic little moment before he hear her
voice, now the answer is not important, even if so she can't give it
but he after all came to that show not for the money. So let's dance,
why? it is written…in the script.

eric_xoloitzcuintle from Mexico City - 21 February 2009

Overrated movie

I really don't understand why this film is so appreciated, OK it has a
very strong love message and its beginning is very good but it
decreases its quality each time the plot advances until the end. I
think this film deserves 6.5 stars, but I give it 1 because it
shouldn't be at the 250 top IMDb.The movie is divided in 3 parts: 1)when the leading characters are
little children, 2) when they are young teenagers and 3) when they are
old teenagers. The first part is great, the second part is entertaining
but a little silly, and the third part looks like a bad movie, except
by the last kissing scene which is very good and touching. If I had to
rate the 3 parts it would be like this: part 1: 8 stars; part 2: 6
stars; part 3: 4.5 stars. Ah by the way I liked the final dance at the
end.I didn't buy the circumstances under which the leading is questioned by
the police by the suspicion he had cheated in the contest. I bought the
parts where he knew the contest's answers (I liked the way they made it
how he knew the answers) because we have always watched on the news
about very rare good things that happen to people. As I said before the
third part is very bad developed specially the scenes involving the
under world of the Salim character.Jamal is a contestant of a TV program who is being questioning by the
police by the suspicion he has been cheating. Jamal tells the police
how the contest's answers are related with some facts of his life since
he was a poor kid, and that he only wants to recover the love of his
life by being part of this TV contest…………I recommend watching this movie with your family especially because the
children actors are very good.

(butchfilms@hotmail.com) from Peru - 20 February 2009

Children deserve some respect!

"Slumdog Millionaire" tells a story of Jamal (Dev Patel), a young man
who is participating in India's version of the hit TV-show "Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire". Jamal manages somehow answer right in every
question that wakes up local authorities. The amazing story and the
answers are build around the questions.Danny Boyle has done some great movies earlier but "Slumdog
Millionaire" is clearly his challenging picture ever. He does with
fresh story-telling and simply with great style. The cast is young but
they are so natural and talented. The story is raw and merciless. You
cannot help yourself of thinking how happy my childhood has been
comparing. It is wonderful that Boyle has decided to tell the story
through children. They are the heroes in this movie. They deserve some
respect! There is no question that why the movie has been so popular
because it is different but people can easily relate to it because of
the underdog situation. Boyle reflects the poverty and exploitation of
children in Indian society to the influences of USA for instant. In
addition there is the turmoil how can so young and uneducated man know
so much? Why wouldn't he because he has probably been trough more than
educated adults around the world. And maybe it was meant to be…Even if the story seems so hopeless there is a ray of light in the
relationship between Jamal and Latika (Freida Pinto). When the movie
ends you still expect the worst. Thought provoking and touching movie!

native_girl333 from Finland - 20 February 2009

Slumdog Over and Under

I just saw slumdog millionaire and was so excited to see it I was
counting down the hour until the movie started. Personally i thought
the movie was really good but there was so much hype put behind it
saying how great of a movie. After watching it just didn't seem to be
anything that was spectacular. I enjoyed the performances but the story
had a lot of flaws in which some moments just doesn't make any sense.
But it being that all these actors are new and so is the directer it
was a great first movie from them. When slumdog first came out it was
completely underrated coming so close to going straight to DVD. It
didn't gain any hype until all the critics started raving about it.
After hearing how great it was this movie went from underrated into
overrated. The movie is good though and I did enjoy seeing it but if
you are planning to see this don't believe the hype it is a good movie
but not nearly as good as you probably think its going to be.

Louie Verdera from United States - 20 February 2009

Over-rated! Slum Dog should not win the Best Picture

Good movie, but Christ, it is over rated. It shouldn't get best
picture, it really was not that entirely original or innovative. I am
just so upset because it was good, maybe even great, but it was not
anything that should win best picture or be in the top 30 movies of all
time…I mean, seriously, the top 30? Wow, there are so many better
films than this. There was not any part in it where I stopped and was
like, "That's great, never been done before or at least has never been
done that well." I don't know, even the ending was like, what the hell?
I guess you could call it fairy-tale, because it definitely was not
realistic…it didn't even really follow the themes of the movie, that
greed and money is not what's important. He should have lost and felt
content anyway because he got his love, it would have better made the
point I suppose.

rkd5023 from United States - 19 February 2009

Wayyy overrated!

I was looking forward to watching this movie for quite a while, hearing
how great it is, and all the buzz its got from all over the place. So
was quite excited when got it on DVD, as I missed the movie premiere.Was it bad? No it wasn't. But it definitely wasn't good either. I mean
maybe if I haven't heard all that has been said before about this film,
I would have been impressed more, but with all the comments like:
AMAZING, GREAT, MASTERPIECE… it was none of that. It didn't raise ANY
emotions, by the end of the movie I didn't feel for any of the main
characters, it had cliché ending…. ughhhh I was SO disappointed, you
don't understand!! I don't know why would this movie get so much
attention, apart from the fact that its about poverty in India or any
other 3rd world country, which may be considered a good subject for the
movie. And it might have been, only if it was executed nicely.

Jamila A from Azerbaijan - 19 February 2009

No it's not talent…it's genius, GENIUS!

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of a young, uneducated man who joins
the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, in the hopes of
not winning 20 million rupees, but to fulfill his one true destiny.If there is one word to describe this film–it's GENIUS.Danny Boyle is, in the words of Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina
Barcelona…genius, genius! It's a film that is sure to have every
viewer hooked and jumping up and down on their chairs! I think the
description of Boyle that the film makes you root for Jamal (Dev Patel)
is correct. Juxtaposing Jamal's life and struggles, and the tension of
a game show makes one see behind the "oh this is just some scripted
segment like Wowowee" maxim. The idea of "destiny" is well-established
by Boyle and the editing. The overlapping of the events from Jamal's
life makes one jump up and down on his chair on the final question. To
think I was screaming all over the shop in tension! The fact that Boyle takes a Bollywood approach makes it a refreshing
spring in the selection of the nominees for Best Picture, and that is a
great edge, unlike some films like The Reader, or Milk, or Frost/Nixon,
which seem to be quite dusty in approach.From start to finish, it's as if I was watching a Bollywood film, and
the establishment of India in the film really makes one feel it rather
than just see it. At one moment of the film, I almost thought that when
I came out of the door, I would be seeing green cabs like the ones they
painted in TAR 13! Another element of the film that makes it memorable
is the cast. From the fat policeman extra to Dev Patel, one can see
that the extras are not your randomly picked guys. They embody their
minor roles, and could quite give Viola Davis her male counterpart! I applaud Dev Patel. The actor clearly deserves an Oscar. I don't know
about Michael Shannon, but where is the compassion! At parts when Dev
Patel's character gets angry, goosebumps just erupt like mushrooms! The
guy clearly is a good actor! Kudos! I hope he gets another role which
will merit him a nod.' If he would have an Oscar clip, I would
recommend the "There is no message, there is no message, there is no
message!" part. Bone-chilling and fear-provoking.That's the key word–GOOSEBUMPS. When I get goosebumps while watching a
film, I know it's a film worth watching and skipping almost 2/3 of
Philosophy for (shhhhhh!). The whole film I was just having them! Final thoughts about the film–well, no doubt– it's an Oscar! No, I
mean four sure Oscars (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and
Editing). I would be so torn if it doesn't win Best Picture! This is a
film that had everyone talking, and I'm sure by the end of the day,
you'd be one of them too…

unapalomablanca from Philippines - 19 February 2009

Not the best film of the year…but deserves the Oscar.

This a great film and a very original love story. The plot and use of
flashback is done very effectively. The acting is great, the directing
better, the music even better, and the cinematography the best. The
film is getting a lot of backlash for its overly negative portrayal of
India and I can understand that, but in no way did it take away from
the film as a whole. Very inspirational and I loved the ending!However, I do not feel that it is the best film of the year. In my
opinion, I liked Wall-E, The Dark Knight, and Gran Torino better. But I
do believe that it definitely deserves the Oscar, hands down. This film
is better than Benjamin Button (its closest competitor). It had a much
better screenplay, that acting was on par if not slightly better, and
the ending was much better.Great film, everyone should see it!

alexensby from United States - 19 February 2009

Slum Dog Millionaire- May Earn A Place in the Trash Dump **1/2

What's all the excitement generated by this 2008 film? In the old days
of the 1950s, this picture would be nothing more than a grade B film
and everyone knows that.Will this film join AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, AN American IN Paris
and UNFORGIVEN as well as Shakespeare IN LOVE and go on to win a much
undeserved best picture Oscar? If academy voters voted such stinkers as
the above films in, SLUMDOG will probably follow as a winner.The first 20 minutes of the film was absolutely disgusting and
nauseating to watch. We know that we're not dealing with Park Avenue,
New York City here but the scenes were a little too much to take.We do have somewhat of a good plot here- how a young man relates the
questions asked of him to his earlier brutal life.We've also seen films how 2 brothers with a miserable background can go
either way in life. We're also reminded of the corruption facing the
quiz shows of the 1950s.

edwagreen from United States - 19 February 2009

A winner all the way!

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is a fantastic and astounding film in
each and every aspect. An amazing, gripping and awesome film. Two
thumps way up! Overall: The entire film is a treat to watch.Performances: Anil Kapoor is good as the double-standard game show
host. Dev Patel is commendable as Jamal. Freida Pinto looks amazingly
beautiful. All the kids are amazing. Mahesh Manjrekar and Saurabh
Shukla are terrific. Irrfan Khan gets tied up. Even the actor who plays
the elder version of Salim is good. This Slumdog is surely a Millionaire.

namashi_1 from India - 18 February 2009

Pretty good! For most people, it'll probably rate a 6 to a 9.

I liked this movie, but I wasn't as overwhelmed with it as others seem
be. It's a good story filled with a number of emotional-tugs typical of
Indian storytelling. It held my interest through to the end, but I
didn't really think about the film afterward.If you're thinking about seeing this movie - you'll be glad to know two
things: It's filmed in English (so no subtitles) … and it's not a
drawn-out Bollywood singing/dancing musical. You'll get an interesting
story with great acting - and I'm sure you'll rate it no lower than a
"6".The movie is basically the background story of a poor Indian fellow who
ends up as a promising contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire?". As he moves from one correct answer to the next,
we see flashbacks of the rough-life struggles he had to endure while
growing up that led him to the answer.It's a cool way to tell a story. If you don't know what living in
poverty is like in India, this'll be a somber and touching eye-opener.
While it's well acted and written, it wasn't especially engrossing (to
me at least). However, as I stated above, I think most people would
rate it no lower than a 6 so it's a pretty good bet if you're looking
for a good drama to see.

vram22 from United States - 18 February 2009

Where is all the rave coming from?

I'll give you that the story is good as with the acting. The film's
colors are probably one of the best I've seen, in an Indian dominated
movie.However, have all the critics gone nuts? If you break it down, this is
a very simple 2-3 tiered story involving a boy and his search for his
love.The movie has put to frame some of the worst places and conditions on
our planet and made it barely tolerable for the eyes to watch. The
spoken language is English with very heavy Indian accents at times, but
that is comprehensible. It is after all an Indian-centric cast and
story.What I do find annoying, and not the fault of this movie, is the fact
that everyone now tries so hard to make the Muslim's such victims. I
mean we don't have to make them bad, but we certainly do not need to
put them on the other end of the spectrum.A few odd-balls do not make the whole population bad or good.Growing up in a multicultural mix in Singapore, I've learn to
appreciate each culture's good and quirks. I've also learn that the
thing about Indian movies are the dances… it is what's unique about
them. However, I don't really see a point for them in this day and age.
That said, this movie have left only one dance sequence at the end and
it is not obstructive. This is the point where people who cannot
tolerate this sequence to leave the theatre. Nice touch for an optional
dance.The actors are all pretty believable in their acting. Much to my
surprise considering their ages. Seems Bollywood has come of age of
late. Even the young ones are getting so good. Of course the veterans
are important supporting casts, leading the young actors on the screen
whenever they pop up. They are of course more natural at acting.I think this movie is worth the ticket you are paying to watch.
However, I cannot understand the hype critics give it.

darkmax from Singapore - 18 February 2009

Much Ado….

Much has been made of the rather lukewarm reception here in India to
Slumdog Millionaire, America's most favorite tale of hope (after Obama)
currently. A large section of the West seems to think that this might
be the result of a relatively more upbeat Indian population (given the
current financial scenario, upbeat can only be a relative term) that
does not want to acknowledge the harsh truths behind its own success
story. While this may be true for a section of the Indian Diaspora well
and truly disconnected with the reality of life down here, it is
certainly very far away from the reason why most Indians (and
Mumbaikars in particular) can't seem to understand what the fuss is all
about.Well, there's nothing to it really. Very simply, it hasn't touched
Indian audiences to that degree because we're quite accustomed to
watching 'uplifting' and inarguably illogical tales (a slumboy from
Mumbai who speaks in chaste English with a Brit accent?) that Bollywood
keeps churning out as it endeavors towards its mindless target of
producing 200-300 mindless movies every year. While Slumdog may have
enough in it to instill 'hope' in Americans, for a people that has to
tackle corruption, abysmal governance, politics of hatred, and
unbridled competition with a billion of its own kind on a daily basis -
not to mention a terrorist attack thrown into this cesspool every month
or so - Slumdog can't make the grade for 'uplifting' entertainment.The West often accuses Indians of ignoring or brushing under the carpet
the sordid stories of every large and overstuffed metropolitan city in
India, with Mumbai being their favorite bashing ground. Well, they're
right – we do ignore, because we don't have the luxury to be tourists
in our own country, and earning one's daily bread and butter in such a
fiercely competitive arena makes us oblivious to any other living thing
that walks the earth, except for our near and dear ones. And can you
blame us? Does Joshua Bell performing in a Washington subway ring a
bell? It's not so different here, just magnified ten times over… One interesting point to note is that while Slumdog Millionaire has
been nominated for as many as 10 Oscars, Taare Zameen Par, a sensitive
'Bollywood' film dealing with a middle-class, dyslexic child's struggle
to cope with this competition, and widely toasted as the best
mainstream offering from the Hindi film Industry in a long while,
didn't even receive a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film
Category at the Academy Awards this year. Is it just me here, or is
there a certain prejudice towards only one particular 'reality' of
India, and ignorance towards other equally harsh realities, simply
because the protagonists in them have a brick and mortar house to live
in, instead of a shack? Let me clarify here that while it may seem so, I've nothing against the
film – I found it to be entertaining and quite worth the watch. Neither
do I have anything against the subject or the depiction of life in
Mumbai – in fact, I would have found it more memorable had it given
some more screen time to the dark undercurrents of the Mumbai
underbelly, which were easily the most believable and fascinating parts
of the film, greatly assisted by a rousing score from A. R. Rehman. My
only grouse is with the perception that the Indians have some kind of a
sinister agenda to not allow this film to succeed, because we don't –
as the film highlights rather well at the end of the day, it's just a
way of life out here, so why the hype?

pheluda from India - 18 February 2009

It is written?

Jamal, Salim and Latika, three abnormally cute little kids, live in the
Dharavi slums of India. Jamal is a dreamer, proud of his signed
photograph of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Salim is a
pragmatist. He sells Jamal's picture- itself a representation of a
fantasy- for money. Latika sits between them. She's the female trophy
who exists to either be corrupted by Salim or saved from the slums by
Jamal's undying love."Slumdog Millionaire" is your usual "rags to riches" tale. The first
act consists of several brief anecdotes, director Danny Boyle
fetishizing the Dharavi slums, portraying poverty as a carnival of
colours and soul-deadening action. Shot with the same over-saturation
and hand-held work that made the slums of "City of God" and "The
Constant Gardener" problematic, Boyle treats poverty as a MTV video.Of course it's not all fun and games. Mothers die, eyes are gorged out
and child traffickers run rampant, but the film glosses over such dark
matters, using them for simple shocks and easy jolts. The reason these
scenes, despite their inherent darkness, seem so trite, is because
Boyle tries to have it both ways. "Slumdog Millionaire", regardless of
its social probing, is essentially a fantasy. It's a Cinederalla story,
the kids rising above the slums by the sheer force of love and destiny,
brought together on the set of a television game show, the power of pop
culture lifting their dirty bodies from the filth and grime of Dharavi.We're expected to believe that children are harvested and abused, yet
we're also expected to believe in magical happy endings where
everything works out. Boyle wants the gravitas of a child watching his
mother murdered, but he also wants the expired movie clichés central to
a Disney love story.Toward the end of the film, a gangster cuts Latika's face with a knife.
The resultant scar epitomizes "Slumdog Millionaire". On the surface, we
think we're looking at something real and violent. But look closer and
see how carefully placed and artfully directed that scar is. It's a
single clean cut, perfectly framing the actress's face. It's not an
ugly scar. It doesn't protrude or ruin her symmetry. In no way does it
obscure her beauty. So while the initial impression is one of shock or
sympathy, the fraud is that it's carefully designed to be pretty and
not to convey any sense of truth. In contrast, see how the prostitutes
are treated in "Unforgiven". It's not pretty when a woman is cut up.
Boyle's film is one where he's not being honest about the situation,
and the responsibility is on the audience not to think twice. Worse still is the film's reliance on destiny. What brings the happy
ending is the underdog's pure heroism, his belief in destiny, and the
prodigal brother's heroic martyrdom. Indeed, Salim exists solely to do
the dirty work of killing the bad guys so as not to interfere with the
moral purity of Jamal. At the same time, it's hard to believe that
anything really matters when everything in the film is simply working
according to destiny. Apparently it's destined that all the other slum
dwellers (who can't get onto a TV game show) continue to live a life of
poverty.The film ends with all of rural India celebrating Jamal's victory as
though it were their own triumph. The fact that "one of their own" has
become rich elicits an outburst of joy. And this is the film's
ideology: anybody can rise out of the misery, if they are chosen by
fate. Jamal is plucked arbitrarily out of the masses as a symbol. He is
a celebration of the culture of the dice, the casino, the lucky ticket.And so the film ends with a "happily ever after". Our boy and girl
embrace before the film erupts into a happy song and dance routine.
It's all quite silly. But perhaps Danny Boyle is being ironic,
deconstructing the fantasy image and poking fun at Bollywood's
avoidance of truth? Or am I watching too much Altman? With this in view
mind, I gave the film another look. How smart is Danny Boyle? How
straight is he playing things? Consider this: the film travels from the gritty reality of poverty to
the artificial world of TV and easy money. The narrative then
self-destructs, essentially becoming a thoughtless Bollywood dance
movie. Brilliant still, the film ends with the line "D: It is written",
implying that the story is itself written, fabricated, a screenplay and
so profoundly false. Better yet, the entire film is told from the point
of view of Jamal, who we know is an imaginative boy and fan of movies.
Is it possible that Jamal, like Kevin Spacey in "The Usual Suspects",
has just narrated a cosy lie to us solely to avoid being punished by
the police? After all, Jamal is a known con artist and the plot is too
unbelievable, too manufactured, to be true. The characters are too
cardboard, too stereotype, too comic book. The love story is too
insensible and contrived. Is it possible that Jamal has scammed the
quiz program and that the film is a scam on the audience? But no, Danny Boyle does not go down this route. I've seen the film
twice and there is absolutely no irony, no inclination that Boyle
believes his picture to be anything more than a straight fantasy. The
film never dares to go so far as to question it's own artificiality. As
a result the film is a failure. A greater filmmaker would have probed
deeper, undermining the carefully manufactured Bollywood image, but
Boyle is content with his happily ever after.6/10 – This is essentially "Sleepless in Seattle" meets "City of God".
For a better portrayal of slum life, check out "Salaam Bombay!" and
"Los Olividados". For a better Cinderella story, check out "Rocky".Oddly, despite it's childish storytelling, the film is rated R.

tieman64 from United Kingdom - 18 February 2009

I understand the controversy.

I must admit, as a middle of the road, middle-class American male
living in the deep-south, I was completely ignorant to the plight of
India. In fact, any images I might have retained in my head concerning
India usually had Ben Kingsley in them. Or at the very least (and I
mean racist least) Apu from The Simpsons. I knew it was a very
beautiful place. And I knew it held a certain "mysticism" over western
minds. But, what I did not know was how dire the slums of India were.
There are images from this film that will be with me many years from
now. The fact that I left the cinema elated is a testament to how
wonderfully moving and uplifting the film actually is. It shows the
filth, but, in a very non-Martin Scorsese style, doesn't leave us with
just horrendous images of people in dire straights. It actually
inspires the soul by showing hope is never truly vanquished. Especially
if a person has goal and a journey. True, my heart wondered what became
of the mutilated children still left in the slums. And true, I know
logically that a population in the billions offers little hope of
"striking it rich". But, cinema should not be a window into reality.
That's what actual windows are for. Cinema should be an ideal reality,
a piece of knowledge, a way to educate, and lastly, a way of escape.In closing, I can understand the controversy surrounding this film. It
certainly won't help tourism in India. In fact, it might kill it. But,
to those with an open mind, it's just the start of a great adventure.

getupday from San Diego, California - 17 February 2009

A Film With Lots to Offer.

I saw this film last night with a few friends after hearing some
sparkling reviews. While I was expecting a positive experience, it
wouldn't be fair to say that my expectations were as high as they were
for a movie like "The Dark Knight" or last year's "There Will Be
Blood." That said, my expectations were met, and I experienced what is
probably one of the better films I've seen all year, but certainly not
one of the best I've seen in recent years, let alone of all time.What I must get out immediately is that the performances by the younger
cast, the art direction, the cinematography, and the editing are all
top notch. The characters are fully formed for the most part, and are
given the necessary time to develop. The film also has a great
soundtrack, which should be worth noting. Also positive is the
emergence of Freida Pinto, an actress we should all probably be looking
out for in the next few years.Having sung all the praises, a few things need to be said about the
film's flaws. The male lead, Dev Patel (as Jamal), seems only capable
of one expression: intensity. And as the story progresses, and Jamal
grows into adulthood, I felt that the character had stopped developing.
What would have been a charmingly optimistic childhood fantasy carries
over into adult life, something that seems an unlikely occurrence given
the film's theme that the children are forced into growing up quickly.Added to this are a few directorial decisions by the film's director,
Danny Boyle, which I felt didn't belong in the decidedly more realistic
tone of the movie (I'm not talking about the Bollywood dance, which I
thought was a fantastic choice). Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but
I felt that the more intense scenes were not as intense or suspenseful
as I would have liked, nor was there as much humor as there was in a
similar film, "Angela's Ashes" (I know the subject matter is serious,
but there were more laughs in "No Country for Old Men"). Add to that a
few on-screen metaphors, and one over-the-top "what could have been"
moment, and I felt taken out of the experience just momentarily.As for how the film stacks up to winning an Oscar this 2009, I can tell
you now that I haven't seen "Frost/Nixon", "The Reader" (along with
everyone else on the planet), or "Milk", but what I can also tell you
is that "Slumdog" is a better film than "Benjamin Button." Of the films
that came out this year, I can tell you that I felt "The Dark Knight"
and "WALL-E" were both better movies that I feel should have filled
some of these Oscar spots. If "Slumdog" had come out in the year of
"Babel" (a similar film which is FAR more affecting and leaves a much
greater impact, and had they both been released in the same year would
have left "Slumdog" out of Oscar contention), "The Departed", "No
Country for Old Men", or "There Will Be Blood" it would not stand a
chance at the Oscars whatsoever. Judging by other award ceremonies and
its current competition, however, it will most likely win, and probably
deserves to.

uckpshh from london, england - 17 February 2009

It's even better than people say it is…

It is difficult to encapsulate SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in any single
comment/review, as it is a much too powerful Motion Picture to
concisely summarise, blending together so many elements of human
emotion and humanity, all done in a stylish manner characteristic of
Danny Boyle. It is a film that begins with quite dark elements, leading
the viewer to believe that it is a film noir, but as this excellent
film progresses and unravels, the viewer slowly begins to understand
the non-chronological plot.The basic premise of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is Destiny, for those who
choose to believe in such things. For it is only human to embrace the
concept of Destiny; that someone is truly destined for something or
someone else, and that the Universe tends to unfold as it should in
order to facilitate such.The cast is impeccable, as even the younger unknown actors/actresses do
incredibly well. Special note must be made about Dev Patel, who it
seems was born to play the lead role. He is extremely likable (almost
too likable, one might say) and it is inconceivable to think that any
audience will be rooting against him. Anil Kapoor is also quite superb
as the game-show host, bringing a sense of deceptiveness and
deviousness to go along with his charm and personality. Freida Pinto
also deserves credit for her part as the eldest Latika. In all, this is
quite easily one of the best ensembles to grace the theatre in 2008,
and is another compelling argument (for) that Best Ensemble should be
added to the Academy Awards.The story is an engrossing and uplifting one, full of redemption and
victory following struggle and hardship. It is perhaps one of the most
inspirational films of the decade, and of all time.As of early February, much awards buzz has been surrounding Danny
Boyle's masterpiece, and it is easy to understand why people gravitate
towards this finely-constructed story. I will be posting this review
well before the Academy Awards, but I am confident that this film will
deservedly walk away with the Best Picture and Best Director awards,
just to name a couple.Unreservedly recommended. 9/10. 4 stars (out of 4). Even on first
viewing, this film should enter my Top 100 at 77.

Varun B. (varundelpiero@hotmail.com) from Trinidad and Tobago - 17 February 2009

your questions answered ..

Many people have wondered how the lead character Dev Patel was able to
answer the last question … well they show it ..the master hitting the
boy on his head with "3 musketeers" book .. calling the name of the
third musketeer 'aramis' ! Thought I will attempt to answer some questions by user/author
"wildsecks" on the previous page ..Q) How did this kid learn to speak English so well when he lived in the
slums of India and never learned to read? A) The kid was attending school before his mother died in riotsQ)What happened to all of the questions between 16000 and 1000000?
Since when is Millionaire a live show? A)It was movie, we are not saying the movie is based on actual events. Q)How did they all go from dark ugly kids to light studs at such a late
age? A) They have learnt the art of living, made money, grown up and now
they know how to clean their bodies ..Q)How did they all learn English? A)The movie is meant to target the west(obviously for commercial
reasons), the English speaking audience. Once the viewers mind is set
that the show is set in India, it doesn't really matter, that they have
to speak Hindi. (Most illiterates in most cities(in India) do
understand English and do speak English if not perfect)Q)How did the girl learn how to drive with an abusive husband? A)The point is she has to escape, the car was given to her, for her to
leave the mobile phone in the car. Also the point is Jamaal, who is
about to get the millions is still thinking about her. They wanted to
build some tension for the viewers, for the money we paid Q)Why did the brother want to die in a bathtub of money rather than
escaping himself? A) the gangster who had miserable life as child, he found dignity in
dying in a pool of money, his achievement. Q)How did the main character even find the chick in the mansion (why
was he even following his brother?)? A) he was following his brother, coz he believed Latika is not gone,
even though his brother tried to save his embarrassment for keepign her
It was all about how we feel about each other .. Q)The second time he came banging on the mansion doors, what was his
actual plan if someone had answered the door? I'm supposed to believe
this is a smart kid? A) May be this was 10th attempt, each at different part of the day,
with different secuirty personnel in their shift. Q)Did I mention how did they learn English? How were they able to give
tours of the Taj Mahal? How many shoes could they possibly have sold?A)I know some people who are illiterates, but do speak good English.
One can speak language by getting used to it .. though one cannot writeQ)Since when do people tip with $100 bills, and this AFTER the people
themselves have been robbed? A)The kid was winning .. he wanted to snap his host .. for making fun
of him that if he has even seen a dollar bill .. again mumbai/delhi in
a global village, the dollar is no rarity .. Q)Why did Amitabh Bachan play himself, but Anil Kapoor didn't? Why was
the host such an ass to begin with? A)The 'amitabh' at the helicopter is not the actual Amitabh, but his
look alike. The host envied the success of the boy, coz the host
himself took, 30/40 years to succeed and become a millionaire.When the
boy was winning, he could not believe that it can be so easy .. then he
suspects .. lays a trap .. Q) Why are all of the questions laid out in the same exact
chronological order as his life? A) well its a story, a bit of incongruity acceptable for entertainment,
it may still happen to one in a 20 million ..

gummadal from United Kingdom - 17 February 2009

Excellent movie. Worth a watch.

Saw this movie a few days ago. Luckily it was good enough to still be
fresh in my mind. Actually, the only thing that annoyed me about this
movie were the askew camera angles at certain points. They were mainly
used during the action sequence at the beginning. I think the quick
cuts and music would've built enough tension without the aide of the
odd angles, but who knows. The directing was still fantastic. Even more
impressive was the music. Most impressive however was the acting. Dev
Patel was remarkable. His acting was, well, Oscar worthy. Even the
children actors were fantastic. I can't give it a 9 or 10 simply
because I didn't feel fully engaged in the the movie until the last
30-40 minutes. Nonetheless, the directing and acting were good enough
to captivate me until I got there. Not much more to say about it that
hasn't already been said or written. The one thing I'm definitely gonna
remember from this movie, Dev Patel. I definitely hope to see more from
him in the future.

Eavan Masters from Fairport, NY - 17 February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the Most Incredible Movies I Have Seen in Years

Slumdog Millionaire is compelling, incredible and wonderful. The awards
and recognition that it is receiving is definitely deserving and i cant
wait to see it swoop up more. Eighteen year old Jamal Malik is having an amazing answering streak on
the Indian version of the television game show, "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire". He's only one correct question away from the big prize.
However, some, including those associated with the game show, question
how someone like Jamal, a self confessed non-genius who grew up in the
slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show when others who are
brighter, more educated and wealthier than him have failed. Is Jamal
cheating? Is it purely luck that they have asked him the questions to
which he knows the answers? Seeing Jamal's life journey to this point
ultimately answers these questions. His life journey includes being
orphaned at an early age; growing up with an older brother, Salim, who
was both his guardian/protector and antagonist; and having a
relationship since childhood with another orphaned child, a girl named
Latika. His motivation for being on the show also may provide some
answers to his success. Perhaps it was all just meant to be.Anyone who remembers when "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" first came
on here, everyone was fixated on it. It was one of the most popular
shows on TV. I think everyone was on the edge of their seats when John
Carpenter became the first millionaire. Slumdog Millionaire brings back
those feelings. As it shows the country watching Jamal play the game it
brings back the memories of sitting and watching someone win in the
show.The actors are all pretty well unknown. However, Slumdog Millionaire
will make them known. They were all so good and so compelling and
complex and engaging it was just mesmerizing. The two leads were
perfect though Jamal and Latika were played so brilliantly that it was
just amazing. The romance feels real and you feel for the two
characters. If the romance in a movie doesn't feel real then the whole
movie just falls apart luckily in this movie that wasn't the case.Danny Boyle's directing was great. He made great shots and thats really
the most important thing. He chose the right actors directed them in
good performances and just did everything so perfectly. The last
sequence of the movie is so perfect and it fills you up with such joy
and it really touches your heart it is really quite amazing. His very
last shot in the film is one of my favourite shots of the movie it is
just so well done and so gorgeous, it's hard to put into words.The music was great and it fit so well. I think right now it's my
choice for best score at the Oscars. It's beautiful and fitting and
makes the movie very enjoyable.But really what makes the movie work is the relationship between Jamal
and Latika. You see throughout the years Jaml continually rescuing her
but only having her getting snatched away again. His ultimate desire to
rescue and be with her is ultimately what makes the story so engaging.
It almost plays like "Rocky" where in the end it doesn't really matter
if he answers the last question right or not as long as he gets the
girl. It is what moves the movie from a good movie to an incredible
movie.In the end Slumdog Millionaire is just one fantastic movie. It's one of
the most incredible movies i have seen in years. Im sure it's going to
win Best Picture at the Oscars and rightfully so. If it is playing in
your town then you should definitely not miss it and go see it. This is
one compelling and amazing movie. Slumdog Millionaire rates at a 5/5

Dalbinder101 from Canada, British Columbia, Abbotsford - 17 February 2009

This film touched my heart…

Such a wonderful film that it really touched my heart… The acting is
superb, even the very little children play brilliantly. The directing
is flawless. The plot becomes very interesting with the flashbacks.
With every flashback, you learn more about the main character's
background and the chain of events that brought him there, to that
contest and every flashback answers why and how he knows the answers to
the questions. With every flashback, the audience is moved, our hearts
ache more, with every flashback, you get caught more in the emotional
storm caused by the story. One of the best movies of my life. I am sure
I will watch the DVD of this film many more times in my life… I
strongly recommend everyone to go and see this film. When the film
ends, the only disappointment is the fact that it ended.

vidana-2 from Turkey - 17 February 2009

Most overrated movie of the year

*May contain spoilers*Granted, the cinematography is decent and the story concept involving
the game show is a little different from the usual fare, but the movie
is hugely over-rated. It is not quite as "excellent" as critics and
movie-goers have been raving about. It is comparable to any Bollywood
movie, really. Childhood friendship develops into love and the lovers
are separated time and again by villains. Benegal, Ray and such other Indian directors have been making much
better movies for decades but have received very little acclaim in the
West for their work. With an American director delving into an Indian
story, however, this story now deserves an Oscar. Wonderful!Boyle should restrict himself to zombie movies.

farkomeister from United States - 17 February 2009

Somewhere Danny Boyle must be rolling in disbelief at how his laughable effort has been taken seriously!

After delivering an overly contrived, utterly plain and ultimately
boring movie,what else would any respecting director do but lick his
wounds and hope nobody notices. But for Danny Boyle - his joke worked!He fooled the movie world into thinking Slumdog is anything of anything
at all! He must be amazed at how easily a badly written badly acted
pretend Bollywood fare is taken as award-ready 'art'! Well, good for him, but woe the rest of us of having to put up with the
silly hype over nothing at all…y awn…and the Globes and BAFTA takes
another steady slide down the path to irrelevance… with every chance
the Oscar would go likewise… oh well, in the end… things bland and
plain prevail.

ken558 from Singapore - 16 February 2009

Shame the lead actors got underpaid.

I enjoyed the movie,..but shame to hear the film makers only paid the
three young lead kids in the film from the slums were paid USD 700.00
only and not proper USA SAG or Brit guild wages.They are still living
in the slums.This is why my vote is 5.5 for a good movie, minus 5 for
bad form.Even though the film makers state that they have taken care of
their schooling..fact is..any other lead actor in a movie gets greater
entitlements than that.They usually would get enough to pay for their
schooling and to keep some for better living.SAG minimum is about 2000
USD per week for a speaking role..maybe much much more as they were the
lead roles…these kids must have worked on it for several weeks. They
should have been paid USD 25 000- USD 50 000????.Maybe less ,maybe
more.That would have been fair.Hollywood needs to wake up when filming
overseas.

realdvdster from United States - 16 February 2009

Fascinating look at modern India

Tentatively — 8 out of 10 stars (I'll have to see it a couple more
times to finally decide) This is a movie about life primarily in
Mumbai/Bombay, India, as seen through the life, struggles for survival,
challenges, and aspirations of 3 street urchins, two brothers (Salim &
Jamal), and a girl (Latika) as they grow up from their preteens to
their twenties.The 3 are Muslim in a divisive culture — Hindu & Muslim — and their
parents are murdered, they are orphaned in a fratricidal attack by
fundamentalist Hindus on Muslims. The film's narrative shows how they
survived from then through early adulthood.I had problems understanding probably 25-33% of the dialog, sometimes
because of accents, sometimes for whatever other reasons (my own
hearing problems?) — soundtrack, foreign language, etc.The panoramic views of India's civilization, its mixtures of poverty
and wealth, ancient and modern, means of surviving, its varied levels
of comfort, are unparalleled. Have you ever called a Customer Hotline
and been answered by someone you figured was in India? Then you'll
appreciate some scenes.Most critics give this movie a 9/10 or 10/10. I need to see it again to
really decide.I can say that the background music was superb, the actors playing the
early, middle, and later years of the principal characters, the "3
musketeers," were excellent and Latika — in her various ages — became
increasingly more beautiful. As a professional family therapist, I
found the later divergence between the two brothers to be quite
plausible (although not inevitable). Nothing was out of place, out of
belief, for this clinical psychologist — a level reachable by maybe
only 30-40% of films.Some people who want a very propelled, tight and structured narrative
may not much appreciate this film.But those of us who especially appreciate a film that conveys a very
intimate glimpse into other cultures will feel greatly rewarded.

Bob Pr. from Topeka, KS - 16 February 2009

A masterpiece that will keep you glued to your seat!

To me, this movie out rules any movie I have seen in recent times, like
Frost Nixon or Benjamin Button, and I'll tell you why. Boyle created a
movie that is a real life situation and blended it flawlessly with the
popular game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He made us look at
the dangers and the extreme poverty of India, and the poor conditions
these people live in. Aside from that, It also shows the hate against
the Muslims and the oppression against them for worshiping Allah, in
relation to that, the poor infrastructure of India and its currupt
officials who let the offenders burn and kill the Muslims alive. What
is most genius but sad at the same time is how he actually managed to
get the answers on the show, how the host knew on the 10,000,000
question he was going to choose the other given answer than the one he
gave him by cheating, that scene was a nail biter! Overall, this movie
is about two brothers who fight for their life every day in India and
go from place to place, wandering everywhere. Jamal found love and as
they grew, a man picked them up and worked as beggars on the streets.
They escaped and eventually landed on the Taj Mahal, they settled there
for some time, and grew a small fortune. They got kicked out, and then
Jamal worked for the millionaire show, he got on it, and was falsely
accused of cheating by the host. He won the fortune and found his
girlfriend. The end. the people who didn't like this movie are those
who didn't get the message and probably don't know a good movie, but
this movie will endure generation after generation. 10/10

Ricky Gomez from United States - 16 February 2009

Cinematic life imitates art; an uplifting, unexpected triumph

If there is anything director Danny Boyle seemingly refuses to do, it
is play to expectations. Following a slew of praise circling around his
recent delving into science fiction (superb zombie film 28 Days Later
and existential space travel film Sunshine), it is hard to imagine a
project more out of left field for Boyle than a game show centered
romance set in India. But however unconventional it may appear, the
conviction and passion Boyle invested into what is arguably his
strongest piece of cinema makes Slumdog Millionaire, much like its
subject matter, seemingly overcome all obstacles and adversities to end
up as the almost universally recognized smash hit of the year. Upon attempting in to zero in on the film's massive source of appeal,
it would seem that it is the odd juxtaposition between the gritty urban
realism of its setting and magic realism of its central conceit which
makes the film such an appealing oddity. What might have emerged as a
relatively typical story of underdog romance in a different setting or
set of circumstances is transformed into an honest, pathos tinged yet
triumphantly uplifting hymn to life and persistence through adversity.
Boyle's emphasis on the hardships of growing up in a poverty stricken
Indian slum makes protagonist Jamal's inevitable triumph all the more
jubilant, as the audience's sympathies are so resoundingly behind him
after surviving his incredible, harrowing journey together. After two
hours of struggle, hardships and despair, one can't help but earnestly
wish for him to overcome the obstacles in his path and have his
stubbornly single-minded determination be rewarded by the sort of happy
ending only the movies could truly deliver, making what otherwise may
have proved a cop out of a happy ending instead a rejuvenating entry
into the pantheon of movie magic. Of course the technical plaudits of Boyle's film are inescapably
masterful, combining A.R. Rahman's pulsating powerful musical score and
director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle's raw, violently mobile
Scorsese-esq camera-work for a depiction of Indian slums erupting into
urgent cinematic life. Dealing with potentially tricky setting, Boyle
deals with his subject matter with the utmost of sensitivity and
tastefulness, never exploiting the poverty to the point of formulating
an urban testament to the horrors of humanity's excesses, but instead
driving home his dramatic point while still extracting a hauntingly
beautiful as well as chilling aesthetic out of mountains of garbage,
violence and destitution. However, beautiful or not, the film is often
a difficult watch, with Boyle refusing to shy away from some of the
more brutal aspects of Indian slum life, including orphaned beggar
children having their eyes put out with hot spoons to attract more pity
and money from passers by, and the infamous torture sequence where
Jamal is interrogated under suspicion of cheating at the game show. Far
from being senseless, these moments of brutality establish a deadly
reality to the tone of fantasy romance which might otherwise overtake
the film, keeping an appealingly balanced and understated tone
throughout. Nonetheless, countless plaudits or not, the film is hardly perfect, as
it cannot be denied that the basic premise of Jamal's life experiences
coincidentally serving to provide him with the answers to each "Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?" question strains credulity to excessive
points (as well as the latter questions of the game-show coming across
as conspicuously easy to fit the narrative), but so firmly does Boyle
manoeuvre audience sentiment that this potentially hokey approach
instead becomes one the viewer urgently wants to subscribe to,
regardless of the plausibility of it. Similarly, for all of the
screenplay's strengths, for the sake of narrative speed or cohesion,
character development occasionally suffers. Moreover, the
"history/social context of India in point form" approach through
telling Jamal's life through flashbacks may prove unsatisfying to some
viewers, but Boyle's neat cinematic sweeps, daring sentiment and
punctuations of brutal honesty and realism make the film a lasting,
troubling and eventually supremely satisfying experience. Co-director/casting director Loveleen Tandon's influence becomes most
prominent through the selection and direction of the film's exceptional
cast, who contribute an alluring energy and authenticity to the complex
subject matter, unquestionably bringing the film to life. Dev Patel is
truly heart-warming as the stoically irrepressible Jamal - while
initial criticisms may dismiss him as overly bland, over time the harsh
reality to Jamal emerges, and what at first might seem a lack of
emotion later becomes apparent as a protective exterior of stoic
resolution. Patel knowingly interjects with moments of caustic fury or
sly wit which add nuance and substance to a tortured character, making
Jamal instead one of the most inspirational pieces of characterization
of the year. Similarly, the luminous Freida Pinto makes Jamal's love
interest truly human in the midst of the horrors beset her, making
their unconventional budding romance just quirky and understated enough
to work, and not be consumed by melodrama. Despite an underwritten
character, Madhur Mittal builds layers of devastating depth to Jamal's
Jamal's ruthless, self-serving but ultimately human brother Salim,
refusing to bank on antagonistic conventions and keeping his character
frustratingly yet believably complex throughout. The supremely talented
child performers playing the lead trio at earlier installments of their
lives also demonstrate surprising versatility and authenticity,
maintaining a human context to the troublesome story. Finally, backing
up the lead performers, Anil Kapoor is slickly despicable yet
perversely charming as the host of the Indian incarnation of "Who Wants
to be a Millionaire?". The combination of flashy, operatic exteriors and the old fashioned,
intimate story lying on the interior make Slumdog Millionaire a winner,
melding unashamed sentiment with enough realist social context to make
it uplifting without being a guilty pleasure. While advising seeing the
film may seem slightly redundant considering the swarms of critical
praise circling it, reflection and distancing from the hype still
reveal a film, which, while hardly perfect, has more than enough
unassuming charm to warrant the recognition.-9/10

pyrocitor from Ontario, Canada - 16 February 2009

What's not to like about this enjoyable movie?

I'm not a fan of TV game shows. So the premise of this movie was not
appealing. But the game show is only a backdrop to this movie. It's
really a romantic film that has something to say about a few other
things such as poverty. The story line is fast-paced and the movie is
often funny and sometimes challenging. It tells its story in an
entertaining way. So, what's not to like about it?Having said that, it's no classic. I gave it 7/10 because it's…
err… a 7/10 movie. Enjoyable, fun to watch, interesting, has
something to say… but nothing new and the story line is amusing but
not gripping.At the time of writing this movie is #34 in to the top 250 movies on
IMDb but don't let that fool you… it will slip down the chart as more
people see it. Not because it's bad, because, at the end of the day,
it's a slight movie with not a great deal to say that has not already
been said.But if you go the movies to be entertained, you will not be
disappointed.

Bobby Elliott from Erskine, UK - 15 February 2009

Why it Works?

For millions like me raised on a staple-diet of commercial Hindi
cinema, there's nothing particularly novel about its plot: the
relatively lukewarm response it has gotten from Indian film-goers
compared to the rapturous applause elsewhere is proof of this. Its
rags-to-riches tale, adapted from a novel penned by a diplomat, could
well be a cinematic-metaphor for India's own rise during the period in
which Salim, Jamal and Latika's lives unfold. In so many ways, it is
the story of India as well as those of us who have lived here through
the tumultuous past two decades. Its phenomenal rules-breaking success- to paraphrase the longtime
film-critic, Roger Ebert- therefore owes equally if not more to the
disenchanted times the world suddenly finds itself thrust into as it
does to the movie's delightful intrinsic-charm: after all, what better
medicine than a good healthy dose of unbridled Hope wrapped in
wondrously uplifting Jai-hos to cure the globe of its seemingly
insurmountable Recession-blues? All the other films nominated for Best
Picture at this year's Oscars reflect the Gloom around- but also,
within- us; none with the solitary exception of this film offers a
way-out: even- or, especially- if the way-out is an implausibly
exhilaratingly happy ending. And that is precisely what makes it work.I leave you with this particular mise-en-scene: as Jamal weaves his way
through Mumbai's reptilian traffic to answer that one last remaining
two million-rupee question, a wrinkly old beggar knocks at his
car-window. Thinking she has come to ask for money he ignores her at
first only to be confronted with the realization that she doesn't want
his money at all; on the contrary, she wants him to win it all. Beta,
she beams to Jamal as he is driven away, jeet ke aana. (Son, win &
come.) His victory, after all, would be hers as well. Much as Slumdog Millionaire's victory on Oscar Night would be India's-
and of Underdogs everywhere.

Amit Aishwarya Jogi from India - 15 February 2009

As Yogi would say, "Deja vu all over again"!

I am surprised by the popularity of this movie.Anyone who has ever watched Indian Movies would know that 99% of them
have same exact plot, and same exact twists and turns and they are all
love stories with someone getting in between the guy and the girl.So when I watched this movie it felt like every other Indian movie I
have ever watched. The difference being the characters all speaking in
English.I found it annoying when the host of the 'Who wants to be a
Millionaire', played by Anil Kapoor, kept saying after every answer,
"Lock ki jiye computer ji", which means "Lock that answer Sir or Mr.
Computer". Really? I haven't been to India in long time, but I find it
odd to refer to a computer as 'Mr.' or 'Sir'.I also didn't like the ending where the hero doesn't know the answer to
the question who the third musketeer was and he uses his 'life-line' to
call the girl, and her answer is, "I don't know". So he guesses it and
gets it right.What purpose did that serve? She was supposed to be the third musketeer
with the hero and his brother when they were growing up. So they could
have flashed back and shown another conversation that the three had as
children where she remembers the name of third musketeer. That would
have been more fun and exhilarating then pure guess.Finally, after his first night on the show when the hero is taken in
custody by police and they torture him, even electrocute him, and then
they simply return him to the show on next day.I don't know even in India such torture is that brazen. That part of
the story didn't fit.In some ways that all fits together because that makes it TYPICAL
Indian movie.If you have seen "Slumdog Millionaire", you have watched 99% of ALL
Indian Movies.Congraturaltions ji.

shamsee (tazer_s@yahoo.com) from Monterey, CA - 15 February 2009

'Slumdog' is pretty much 'Rocky' in India

There is 'The Dark Knight' that everyone was hoping would be nominated
for best picture this year. After looking at all the picks, I only saw
Benjamin Button which was the film I was once rooting for best picture
this year. After seeing this movie last night, I changed my mind and
now I'm rooting for 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The film has much hope for a
big win at the Oscars just as much as what people are feeling when they
are watching Dev Patel try to win 20,000,000 rupees not just for
himself but for the one he loves named Latika and his escape out of a
dark world ruled by slum lords.'Slumdog' is pretty much 'Rocky' in India. Rocky (1976) is a poor man
doing loan shark work in America. Dev Patel's well realized portrayal
as Jamal Malik is also a poor young man in India acting as an assistant
to a phone company. Rocky gets the million to one shot to face boxer
Apollo Creed. Jamal gets the one chance in a lifetime that many others
want which is to compete in "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Therefore
this film is seen as one of the films to root for making Jamal one of
the greatest protagonists in film history. I would say he is a much
better hero than AFI's #1 Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird"
(1962).Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan's direction is superb. The setting
shows a lot of symbols. The set helps make the audience see why it is
necessary for Jamal to win the show. Chris Dickens editing is also an
achievement because I have not seen a style of editing like his
compared to the group of people who edited 'Any Given Sunday'. Even
though the editing of 'Any Given Sunday' movie was not nominated for an
Oscar, it was still amazing. Academy awards on this film is well
deserved. Of course like any other person who writes a review, I am
going to have to say if you liked any of the best picture nominations,
liked 'City of God' and 'Rocky', I would strongly suggest that you see
this film. It's a masterpiece.

pierrefonds_athlete101 (pierrefonds_athlete101@hotmail.com) from Canada - 15 February 2009

A Nutshell Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Deep down inside, I personally believe some game shows are rigged to a
certain degree. After all, organizers do try to profile you through a
questionnaire which also contain clauses such as
telling-nothing-but-the-truth-or-you-risk-forfeiting-any-prizes-won. So
you're presenting yourself on a silver platter for opportunities to
exploit both your strengths, if they choose to make you a hero, or your
weaknesses, should you so be deemed as being there for entertainment
value. This of course does not apply to some situations where obvious
hints are provided so that you're given an idiot-proof situation to
make away with some cash, should the sponsors be generous.Game shows are mathematical and probability at its best, and of course
one that can be programmed such that the house can win all, or choose
to let you go for a little bit of laughter at the side. You can be
asked questions that you know or to do something that you're
comfortable with, from the profile you built, or when the stakes are
too high and the house's appetite for risk is somehow subdued, in comes
the real challenge to see if you'd buckle under pressure, or can
overcome your fears. For Jamal, (Dev Patel), he's one question away in
India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hosted by Prem Kumar (played by
Anil Kapoor, and in real life hosted by Amitabh Bachchan who gets some
mention here), to winning 20,000,000 (count the zeroes, man) rupees,
given that he's answered seemingly random questions correctly, but on
the show's logical break, get arrested on suspicion of fraud and
tortured during interrogation to spill the beans.Based on the novel "Q&A" by Vikas Swarup, this Danny Boyle-Loveleen
Tandan co-directed film brings us on a spiraling journey through the
chapters in Jamal's life, where each episode of his tremendously rich
tale of survival had Destiny place every nugget of required information
toward those million dollar rupees. Hailing from the slums of Mumbai,
we see how Jamal and his brother Salim carve a living out of exploiting
their street smarts, even at one point being little artful dodgers
themselves in a Charles Dickens tale. It boggles everyone that someone
without a formal education could nab those random questions correctly,
a tea boy working in a call centre, beating participants like lawyers
and doctors. He captured the imagination of the entire nation, that
sometimes the wildest of dreams can come true.You'll find yourself rooting for Jamal, because here's a character
crafted so earnestly by the storytellers that it's hard not to root for
the underdog. And his story as told to the police inspector (played by
Irrfan Khan), especially in his early life, set the stage thanks to the
two adorable boys playing Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) and Salim
(Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) who arrest your attention in a solid tale
of two brothers growing up who eventually set foot on very different
paths - one unassuming, while the other ambitious. And nothing better
to drive the wedge between them than a girl Latika (Rubiana Ali) they
knew by chance, and grew up with.One of my favourite films of Danny Boyle's was Millions, where a cute
little boy with tremendous imagination, held court when a bag full of
cash come literally crashing down on his play house. Boyle seems to
hold court again with a tale of the little ones overcoming impossible
odds of survival through the honing of their street-smarts and
instincts, and again shows his eclecticism in direction with some
dizzying cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle. And providing the score
and music to punctuate the movie is none other than the Mozart of
Mumbai A.R. Rahman, whom I hope gets his due recognition with
non-Indian film fans, and even though I felt that his work here might
not have been the best I've heard, it's still a great introductory
platform to everyone caught up in the buzz for this movie.For a story with events firmly written in the stars, and had plenty of
coincidence and luck playing a part, it never for one moment felt
forced nor contrived. Everything seemed possible, which makes it
magical with Destiny having a big say, but one primary fact here is
that Jamal had entered the gameshow not to win money beyond his wildest
dreams, but to try and reconnect and search for a love that is lost,
through a media platform. It's not that far fetched an idea, because I
do know from personal experience that this type of scenarios do happen,
with differing success results of course.Slumdog Millionaire is up against very strong contenders for the Best
Picture Oscar, but it firmly has my support as one of the best this
year so far, and I'm rooting for it to take home the statuette. It's a
magical film with Destiny playing a huge part in changing the lives of
underdogs, where hope and belief are made chic themes again.

DICK STEEL from Singapore - 14 February 2009

A Pleasant Surprise

I was convinced I wouldn't like this movie. Usually when the critics go
crazy over a sentimental underdog film like this, I usually suspect
them of just following the crowd and jumping on the bandwagon. However,
this was a beautiful movie. I was amazed at the fluent pace and unique
matter at which the story was brought to the audience. I was glued to
the screen throughout the film with every question and flashback poking
at my curiosity.This film is a story of hope, survival, heartbreak, love, and
persevering against all odds. These characters live in a place where
the world is against them from birth, and where just surviving for a
chance to live the next day is first on the agenda. This film gives the
audience a peak into this world, and amazes us with a heartfelt story,
characters, and situations that connect with us all. This film is a
reminder of how difficult life really is for some people around the
world.The cast was made up of unknowns, from the young actors that played the
child versions of the major characters, to the likes of Dev Patel the
protagonist playing the older version of the character Jamaal. Although
they were unknown to the crowd, they didn't disappoint in their attempt
to captivate the viewers. They suck you into the story and make you
feel and understand what they've gone through and the difficult lives
they have inherited.Superb job Danny Boyle and cast, you deserve every bit of praise you've
gotten for your work. This movie has earned it's praise, and I'm glad
it's been rewarded. After watching Slumdog Millionaire, I've learned
not to judge a movie before actually giving it a chance. This film is a
must see, and without a doubt, a pleasant surprise. One of the best
movies of 2008.

Misterberto from United States - 14 February 2009

The sociological ramifications of Slumdog Millionaire in the United States

Slumdog Millionaire, in addition to being one of the most perfect films
I have ever seen, has some very real sociological ramifications in the
U.S. Ever since 9/11, there has been a feeling of being uncomfortable
around those people with brown skin–from the Middle East, from the
sub-Continent, indeed even from Latin America. I would say that Slumdog
Millionaire is the first major award-winning film introducing to the
audiences here in the U.S. a main character who is Muslim. (I'm trying
to think of another movie–but I can't–the main character in Lawrence
of Arabia was English–although most of the supporting roles were
Muslim–but that's as close as it comes.) The audiences here are seeing
Dev Patel–and are identifying with him, cheering him on, hoping he
"gets the girl" (in addition to the money!) He is a person, a human
being–and America is embracing his character. I know this seems like a
real exaggeration–but I think it is not all that far-fetched– to say
that in the same year that we elect a half-African American president,
we will be giving an Oscar to a film that celebrates the joys and life
of a brown-skinned character from the sub- continent, and a Muslim at
that. I never thought I would ever see either in my lifetime–but in
one fell swoop, it has happened within the same year. Wow! There is
hope–maybe there is destiny–that decency, human understanding and
compassion will prevail–we are taught this by a big-eared president,
and a big-eared lead character in a commercial movie!! All the nay sayers about this film should be ignored–completely! It is
not "Poverty Porn", it is not prejudicial or judgmental with regard to
the country of India. It is not a contrived film, who's sole purpose is
to provide manipulative entertainment. Yes–it uses an old– fashioned,
rags-to-riches, boy meets girl-boy loses girl-boy gets girl, where
there are good guys and bad guys. This is a story with characters as
old as the earliest Greek tragedies, and theatrical presentations from
around the world and in cultures in every corner of every continent.
But what makes this movie stand out is its glorious beauty, it's rich
characterizations, it's basic human morality, it's mind-boggling
artistry–I've seen the movie now 3 times–and each time I notice new
wonderful details in terms of story line, pure film- making, and
structure. This is a classic for the ages–that will live on as long as
there are films being shown! And above and beyond the film–is that in having the audience
celebrating decency and love and hope and belief in all the
possibilities of life–they are forging an understanding of a culture
and a people who are no different than any other people–and in so
doing, it is creating enduring human bonds and enduring human
understanding–this is no small achievement!

middleburg - 14 February 2009

Over-hyped and clichéd

Only a few films live up to their hype e.g American Beauty, No Country
for Old Men, Brokeback Mountain etc. I was eager to see how this one
was and I was infuriated. Anyone who has no idea of India, will after
viewing this film think that India is an anarchy where cops play cards
while watching men burning alive and chase street kids right upto their
houses. The same person will also think that India is a morally corrupt
nation where winning contestants on a game show are handed over to the
police for third degree torture and where the audience laughs in
delight when crass comments are passed on the contestant's poverty. Has
Danny Boyle even watched the Indian version of Who wants to be a
Millionaire? Mr. Bachchan was the most courteous towards all the
contestants. He won everyone's heart with his humility. Anil Kapoor
here makes the viewer want to punch him in the face. Plus the
uneducated protagonist of the film who speaks British English! Wow! And
this despite the fact that all around him speak in Indian English.The
most angering aspect was the portrayal of the magnanimous hindu
community who prey upon the hapless(!) Muslim minority. And the
portrayal of Lord Raam should make the blood boil of any devotee. I
dare Danny Boyle to make a similar portrayal of Jesus Christ or Prophet
Muhammad. He will be promptly butchered.And also all street children
don't end up in begging rings and gangs. They fall into good hands too.
A guy who's Mercedes has been stripped bare pays the accused kid $100??
Talk about the white man's burden in the post modern world!!A blind
beggar knows who is on a $ 100 bill?? A teenage Salim knows Colt 45?
Indians are film crazy but no one will jump and wade through excreta to
get an autograph of any film star. Plus, is the name of the third
musketeer so unfamiliar that one has to pose as a question for Rs 2
million????? And whats the fuss made about Freida Pinto's performance??
Her performance was even more insipid than the rest of the cast. How
can a battered girl who is not allowed to step outside drive?? And does
Salim's heart change when he sees his lil' bro win millions?? Why cant
he escape himself? And can a man who has won two million in a game show
go unnoticed in CS Terminus, one of the most crowded places on earth?
The only saving grace are the child actors. They are a welcome relief
in this otherwise insipid film.Had this movie been made by a Bollywood director or even some prominent
Hollywood director, it would have been labelled as trash which it is.
And I'm shocked at the academy. Yes, AR Rehman should win at least one,
but that's it. But then what do you expect from Oscars which can ignore
a movie like Dark Knight? Or which can award a hideous Chicago best
picture in place of the Pianist? I think this time the tradition will
be followed. And I'm aghast by the overwhelming approval by western
audiences…get a life, guys and leave India alone if you cant portray it
correctly.

ankurjayawant from India - 14 February 2009

Fresh

Jamal K. Malik is a 18 years old Mumbay teen that grew up in the
slums.At some point he enters the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?" as a contestant.As he answers correctly every question we
get to see in a flashback style how he knew the answers.Truth is, he is
not there for the money but in hope to reunite with someone from the
past… Slumdog Millionaire is a great movie and a breath of fresh air!
Its different then most films these days and the storyline is quite
captivating.In a way the film is about destiny but it doesn't really
try to make a point, its just a great story,very well written that
homages Bollywood films. I was not sure about Dev Patel's acting
skills, because I had seen him in Skins (2007) but his character in
here required a very short range of emotions so it wasn't that much of
a challenge. Freida Pinto doesn't get much screen time but she is
beautiful and quite lovely as the object of affection of Jamal. All the
children actors were great and they may very well be the real stars.The
musical score is absolutely fantastic and one of the best I have seen
in movies. Does the film deserve all the hype and the 10 Oscar
nomination? Probably not…it is a great film but not one of the
greatest in history and the huge amount of nominations kinda of
suggests that.8.5

KVolchok from Portugal - 13 February 2009

A rare story that could have become a classic..Alas!

Last things first - 10 Oscar nominations, 7 BAFTAs, 4 Golden globes and
God knows how many more awards!!!! And all these awards are assumed to
be prestigious, pity! By now, I assume everyone may be aware of the
plot and the basic storyline of Slumdog Millionaire. The film scores
high on the cinematography, screenplay, music and actually the rawness
the film has… Some sequences here remain true to the actual
condition. Like the backdrop of Mumbai and other places in Uttar
Pradesh are beautifully depicted. The filthy slums and the untidy
subways are natural. Director Danny Boyle uses many sequences to show
cheating and inhumanness with many of pretty apparent from the face of
it and some sidelined like the one where Salim prepares the mineral
water bottle from the bottle picked from rags and the sobbing kids
shown with the women when the brothers go to find cherry on the Pila
street (which only a sensible director like Danny could do)…Now a story beautiful like this but how badly sub plotted!! Extreme
loopholes which cant be ignored in the name of cinematic liberty…1) Where the hell do you find Mumbai slum kids in some 1-2 grade in a
local government school reading 'The Three Musketeers'?? I myself
haven't read it yet!! 2) The kids are waiting for their turn to sing as
if some Indian Idol auditions are going on… 3) A blind guy can
recognize his early year friend (who were barely their together for
some days) out of the trillion people in the world after 5-10 years of
their separation merely by touching his face. This guy can also smell
and tell which currency is this! As if this was not enough, he can also
tell the name of the icon on the foreign bill, smiling with pride as if
he was the governor who issued this bill!!!! Oh Miss Rowling - we have
found a better wizard than HaRRY PottER, here in India..!! 4) Oh!! The
international tourists can't make a difference between the guides and
cheats. Over the top they believe the fake story by these cheats about
an International Monument overriding what is written in the guidebook
issued by the tourism department. 5) The tourists are so innocent to
even handover a $100 bill to the person who robbed them miserably… 6)
Jamal knows who invented a gun. Why? His brother had once got it from
somewhere and threatened him muttering sounding something like colt…
(Jamal - what do u eat for keeping your memory this good)… Boss - I
myself have a refrigerator, cycle, table, chair…and I didn't knew I
was supposed to know the names of their creators… 7) And then you
have a game show host who is unnecessary teasing you in public (Was
that necessary - Indian shows are not like this though…)… D:
Destiny…..Truly!! GOD had planned everything in Jamal's in a
chronological order so that when he goes to the game show, he has no
problems to remember the answers… 9) Don't you dare think slum people
are illiterate or something - when they grow up, they automatically
learn to speak in accented English better than many of the highly
educated Doctors, engineers, police do….That's why the latters go
only till 60000 but slum people go up to be a millionaire… (This was
the secret answer to Irfan Khan's question in the beginning of the
movie)OK….OK…..I have many more weak points in the movie but I think I
should leave something for you toooo…… The movie is a good time pass if you say so……entertaining one…with
some strong points that I said earlier… Cinematography, Editing are
topnotch… AR Rahman's music grows on you and is superb…but again
the maestro has some better scores to his credit that this is pretty
expected from him….He should have got all these awards a lot
earlier..Acting by all the actors is fine but the pick of the lot are certainly
the child actors… I never understood the media attention Frieda is
getting!! Don't mind it but she had a some 5 minute role totally and
that too to look up to Jamal on the foot over bridge with a backdrop of
a local train…plus the number in the end credits (which I thought was
perfectly blended with the end credits)Finally, it was a brave attempt - Things depicted in a good way but a
more should have gone into research and writing…. Nevertheless India
has a lot of positives that these small negatives don't stand…..JAI
HO!!

vivek-livinglegend from India - 13 February 2009

for all those giving less than stellar reviews…

Just because part of this movie is un-realistic does not mean that the
entire movie needs to be realistic. This movie was absolutely
fantastic, spellbinding and I loved it from start to finish. A perfect
combination of fiction and non-fiction, that's how I saw it. It wasn't
depressingly realistic or completely phony, in my humble opinion it had
the perfect balance. It was a 'fairy tale' as many have said with some
very grisly realities injected into the 'childhood' portion of the
movie. This movie does not claim to be a 'true story' and deliver bogus
depictions of factual events, so get over it. This movie was made for
the joy of viewers world-wide and I believe that it has accomplished
that goal.. A perfect fusion of bolly-Hollywood which should win the
Oscar for best movie this year, I feel that aside from Hollywood
politics and politically correct biopics made by actors for a sure-fire
shot at an Oscar (Milk) that this was the most enjoyable movie of 2008.

Rictor33 from United States - 12 February 2009

Really?

This movie is not THAT good. In the end it just turns out to be as
meaningful as a movie like "The Notebook". It tries to reach deep but
then retreats to make sure audiences leave with a fuzzy feeling.Why do I choose "The Notebook" as a comparison? It is because "Slumdog"
is simplistic. It doesn't take long to figure out the characters. It
makes complicated emotions and lives too simplistic.When I left the movie theater I didn't think "Man, life is hard for
some people in India." I left thinking, "OMG! I am so super excited
that love conquered" Well, I guess I didn't think exactly that, but to
me this movie did not reach its potential.

artbrut from United States - 12 February 2009

A piece of Cinematic Feces.

This movie should rank as one of the worst movies of the decade if not
the century! The script is painfully flawed and deliberately
manipulative and full of clichés about India. It just takes those
painfully little things the west thinks it knows of India (Slums,
poverty, beggars, TajMahal, call centers, bollywood …) and paints it in
the most horrifying way! The flaws in the script are so glaring and far
from reality that it is preposterous to even consider this film for an
Award worth its salt! For any Indian some of these things below are
just laughable -• While some riots break out, some kid dresses up as Lord RAM and
postures while everyone else is running for his life. Ridiculous! And
of course, the muslims are the victims! • While Jamaal knows whose
photo is on a 100 dollor bill, he doesn't on an Indian Bill! Hello,
this kid is taking photos of the tourists with an imported camera &
hasn't seen ANY rupee note? (and FYI, All Indian Notes have Gandhi's
portrait on them!!). • In India while English is spoken by those people
whose medium of education is English (which is very small), Jamal and
his friends who never went to school manage to speak English quite
well! • Little children in a school study about the three musketeers
and that too in English! I can keep going on…Needless to say, this film has manipulated the poverty (that very much
exists in India like most places in the world) in a very tasteless way
to suit a western audience. Consider this, at one scene when a driver beats up Jamal, he says "You
wanted to see the real India. Here it is" and the woman replies "Well,
here's the real America", pulling out a hundred-dollar bill for Jamal.You'll find beggars and drug addicts on the streets of rich nations as
well (I've seen many in Vancouver, LA, Boston and Atlanta). And how
often do people there go around throwing hundred-dollar bills? It is this twisted, deliberate attempt to glorify the ugly side of the
Indian underbelly (again, which does exist to some extent) for the
maker's own selfish gains, is just not acceptable. My request for all those who saw the movie is - Don't type cast a vast
civilization like India looking at a piece of cinematic Feces like
"Slumdog Millionaire" and even worst please don't give it an Oscar!

yougetme from India - 12 February 2009

Danny Boyle's High Art

I've waited for this movie so long..Because I love the TV show of Who
wants to be a millionaire or in our language(Turkish)'Kim 500bin
ister?'and Danny Boyle movies.As my comment; I watched many films of Danny Boyle and this is the most
amazing one without a doubt.Probably the best motion picture of the
year..Surprisingly Wonderful and full with Life's itself.This movie
includes everything;Love,Money,Curiosity and other Life's games.. If
you miss this,You'll regret that's 4 sure..Question after question,movie gets you…I think this movie will get
more prizes and Oscar(s) –Last () was unnecessary :)–

powerofstorm from Turkey - 12 February 2009

Review of Slumdog Millionaire: a case of 'The Emperor's Clothes'

The film has been favourably received, gained Golden Globe and BAFTA
awards and we are soon to have the Oscar verdict. However, this is a
case of 'The Emperor's Clothes'.BACKGROUND Chris Tarrant's 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' is a
popular programme: the host's manner is distinctive and impeccable and
the contestants invariably interesting. I had misgivings about the
Indian version being effective, as the programme requires a familiarity
with the local culture. Similarly, I had difficulty with the Australian
version when I was in Sydney.TV INFORMATION The author was interviewed on television and stated that
the Major Ingram 'Millionaire' fraud had sparked the idea for his book.
We were fed with glowing reports about the film and various clips on
TV.DISCUSSION It is evident that the film is brilliantly photographed and
technically assured, although some of the shots were pretentious and
contrived.However, within a few opening scenes we see the hero is arrested on
suspicion of cheating, is tortured and even given electric shocks in
order to extract a confession. This is unacceptable and defies
credibility as there was no evidence of cheating. Major Ingram and his
wife were not manhandled in this manner. It showed the Indian police in
a poor light and made for unpleasant viewing. I was surprised to meet a
person (who liked the film) who said that the Indian police are like
that! Hmm… The children from the slums uncharacteristically did not
seem underfed, looked clean and healthy, had bags of energy and
triumphed on various daring-do. Then there was the distasteful sequence
of the child immersed in faeces and the unnecessary scene of the quiz
host in a toilet with the hero. The quiz host was assured and
obnoxious: he taunted the hero regarding his slum background and even
did his best to direct him to the wrong answer to the penultimate
question, thus violating the spirit of the Chris Tarrant show.There have been numerous intelligent films involving India: Bhowani
Junction, Jewel in the Crown and A Passage to India to name a few.
Slumdog Millionaire seems fatuous, distasteful and does not bear
scrutiny: It gives a distorted image of Mumbai and its inhabitants. Are
they all crooks and unscrupulous?It appears that many people succumb to a flavour of India, slum
children and an obvious happy ending to the love story, irrespective of
the detail.

Justin R. Aaron from London, England - 12 February 2009

see it for it's brilliant technicals.. but as a portrayal it's horrible.

I saw "Slumdog Millionaire" and i'm Indian. the movie was brilliant but
i am very upset as the way Danny Boyle portrayed India. I mean some of
the stuff was partly true but many many many things were just horrible.
We are a country thats progressing and showing us as a nation filled
with just cheats, prostitutes and mafia was not the best thing to do. i
am a very proud Indian and i will accept the things that are true, but
the movie just proved that everyone else just assumes that it is a
country where either people run around trees and sing and dance in
co-ordination or starve on the roads and dive into their own waste.
people who don't understand some things shouldn't make movies that so
blatantly abuse the country and it's people.Danny casted Dev Patel, who is a brilliant actor but for a person to
portray a role like Jamal's you would at least pick an Indian actor.
Which slum dweller has an accent??? i mean come on! The biggest mistake
was the casting and there were many factual errors. Now what was good. the direction was brilliant. The entire cast was
mind-blowing. Dev and Frieda are truly remarkable and will go a long
way. Two very very enthusiastic thumbs-up. The soundtrack is one of A.R
Rahman's best work. As a technical movie it was one of the best movies
i have seen. But that's it. If you take away the technicals the movie
is a very poorly planned out film. Sorry, but it's true.

gossipgirl4031 from India - 11 February 2009

Nothing more then a Masala Bollywood movie

Well I've seen the reviews and comments posted about how good the movie
is and how scary really is the Mumbai slums. There are many things
about this movie which didn't go down really well with me 1. The depiction of slums and there lives(You thought it was real, well
the real misery is more then what got depicted however whatever
depiction that was done was needless) 2. The movie is just like any other Bollywood movie with lots of twists
and turns that looks magical and audience is made to believe that its
destiny.3. Rehman is a true genius, but this is not his best musical work. Try
movies like Roja, Bombay or even the latest Delhi 6.I Appreciate the director for coming and making a movie in India,
however India is not only about Slums and Dog.I would have loved the movie if it hadn't got lost is trying to portray
so called the reality of Indian slums.India is challenge, its a developing economy and unlike any other
developing country it has its own problem, but then an outsider trying
to come and show this misery to outside world is nothing but a fake
attempt.

abhaykumar1 from India - 11 February 2009

Such a feel good, awesome movie about reality in India.

I have seen this movie 3 times, and just cannot get enough!! Slumdog Millionaire is definitely one of the best movies I have seen in
a while. I don't watch many Bollywood movies, because I have trouble
with the fact that most are copies of American movies which my husband
and I mostly watch, and mostly they are very unrealistic.This movie, however, is an honest movie about what the reality is in
India. This stuff really happens. People in India are not too thrilled
of the portrayal of the reality, because it shows the negative aspects
of that Country. However, you cannot go to India, and escape that
reality! There is severe poverty everywhere. It just breaks your heart.
1/3 of the world's poor are from India.This movie is just such an awesome story about survival, hope, courage
and triumph of the human spirit. It just mesmerizes you from start to
finish. Definitely a must see !!! Us Indians are really excited about the Oscar prospects for this
movie…Rekha - Fremont, Ca

dabloo69 from Fremont, Ca - 10 February 2009

Interesting and compelling,but I don't fully buy it

Jamir(Dev Patel,who should be bracing himself for plenty of work offers
here in the states and shortly)has had anything but an easy young life.
At eighteen,he's witnessed his mother get killed,his brothers get
separated from him and lost contact with a girl who'd become the love
of his life AT LEAST twice. He's been beaten,kidnapped,robbed and
humiliated in various ways and has had to scrape and scratch for every
rupee,pound and rupee as he's made his way to a safe,if perhaps lowly
and disrespected ,job at a call center not far from his hometown
province in Mumbai.So when he's able to somehow correctly "guess" his way through the
Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" on his way to a
fortune(20 million rupees,which I'm guessing would equal about $5
Million American),there is more than a little suspicion and skepticism
as to this "Slumdog"'s conquest of the show.Firstly,I have to say I'm probably far more aligned with those who've
reviewed this that were NOT in love with this film,and I'll dispense
with my reasons first and thusly: this film's central struggle–the boy
Jamir's calm,almost mystic and improbably march toward the grad prize
on the game show–taxes my own personal suspension of disbelief to the
point of snapping. EVERY single one of the questions has a cosmic
"connection" to his life to that point,and his completely uncanny
ability to divine the answers through that,while it may make for an
interesting,compelling and,yes,romantic story,it leaves a less
stock-committed viewer(such as myself)gawed in disbelief through much
of it. Also,the pacing of this movie moves in such
herky-jerky,stop-and-start patterns that unless a viewer is fully
invested in it(which I gather many people have been),then one is either
going to be agitated,distracted or even drowsy(as I was,I must
confess,at one point)trying to keep up with the weaved or blended story
lines.It's most principally in those reasons(plus the decidedly
cultural disconnect of the sort of larger-then-life Bollywood style
film-making,particularly toward the end,which may be more of a problem
of my just not being greatly familiar with rather than any real quality
inferiority of the show)that I cannot give better than a decent rating
of this film.NOw,that having been said,why I cannot give this movie terrible reviews
lie mostly in the fact(hinted in the summary line)that the movie,for
all its quirks,inconsistencies and challenges to one's suspension of
disbelief,STILL manages to possess human stories and conflicts that
really are interesting and compelling. I credit the actors,most notably
PAtel,Freida Pinto(as the girl of his dreams,a one-time friend),Saurabh
Shukla(As the highly skeptical police Sargent,charged with trying to
shake down Jamir when the show gets suspicious and calls the
authorities in the middle of taping),Ayush Mohammed Ismail(As young
Salim,JAmal's friend),Ayush Mahesh Khedekar(As young Jamir),Rubiana
Ali(As a younger LAtika)and Anil Kapoor(as the host of the
"Millionaire"show,a both charismatic and yet potentially shady
character)as being the ones who give this show the kind of sympathetic
qualities that both salvage it for me and has made it such an emotional
fan favorite elsewhere.Director DAnny Boyle,one NOT shy about incorporating
dense,jarring,gross and all-around-disturbing images to his movies,does
the same here,but is able to temper it with more tender,intimate and
humane moments to give it the kind of fanciful,romantic spirit that it
so desperately needs to make this film have any chance of walking and
talking. While I cannot claim to be a fan of this show,I can appreciate the
qualities that it brings. I just cannot say this is the best movie of
2008. Worth a look,however,absolutely.

S.R. Dipaling from Topeka,Kansas,USA - 10 February 2009

Not half bad

The first half of this movie was good. The kids were excellent, the
whole effect colourful and fast moving. Although it dealt with some
pretty traumatic incidents and serious issues with too light a touch
and was a tad condescending, on the whole, it wasn't bad.The second half was pretty dire. Clichéd, syrupy nonsense which spoiled
the whole with wooden acting from the adults and far too much simpering
about. Of course, some people like the sugary stuff. If you do, go and
see the whole thing, you'll enjoy it. If, like me, you hate badly done
schmalz, go and see the first half then go for a dunkin doughnut or
whatever to make up for what you missed.

alexmccourt from United Kingdom - 10 February 2009

Who wants to be a slum dog millionaire

Why is this movie gonna win the Oscar in the category "best movie"?A: the screenplay is genius. B: the actors are astoundingly good. C:
the directing is amazing. D: it is written.There aren't many moments in a movie consumer's life when you know that
the movie you're watching is gonna be a classic. And I'm not talking
about "Back to the future"- kind of classic, but rather that people
will say: "Once in your life you have to see Casablanca, The Godfather,
Forrest Gump and Slumdog Millionaire." I'm sure, the light of this
movie will shine for decades. The plot may sound a little funny: a
teenager from the slums of Bombay wins at a quiz show, not because he's
educated but because of destiny. To each question there's a point in
his life that leads up to the right answer. You could ask: what are the
odds of that? But you just have to accept that the story is all about
fate. The life of the slum dogs is harder than what any child in the
world should be forced to experience. It is heartbreaking how the main
character who loses his mother as a child in a street fight motivated
by religion, who's constantly exploited by the men, who never knows
what he's gonna eat tomorrow, whose brother becomes a criminal and
rapes the girl he loves, doesn't lose his confidence in the world nor
his power to love. The essence: you learn a lot more about life that
way then by going to college. It also shows the development of India
from a typical third world country to a global player with a corrupt
system overflowed by organized crime. The story telling really is
classic. There are tons of unforgettable pictures and little side
stories. It definitely is Danny Boyle's best movie, and it is gonna win
"best picture".D: It is written.

peter-bruck from Austria - 10 February 2009

Beautiful and brilliant

I found this film such a treat to watch. I went with my friend, and
honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I normally totally disagree with
reviewers, and almost every review i had seen heaped praise upon
Slumdog Millionaire. By the end of the film, however, all i was say was
'.. wow!' Slumdog Millionaire takes you through a myriad of emotions. I
went from happy, to sad, to angry, and over those again throughout the
film. All the actors in the film were brilliant, but in particular Dev
Patel and Freida Pinto stole it for me. I found their chemistry very
believable and moving. At the very end of the film, several people in
the showing i was at cheered.The only slight problem i had with it was what happened when the
credits rolled. Had they left the story the way it was, i would have
left with a happy smile on my face. But, for some reason, they chose to
add a Bollywood-style dance routine right at the end, that made me a
bit baffled.That didn't stop me and my friend discussing every nuance of the film
all the way home. The BAFTA's and Golden Globes have been well
deserved, and if it doesn't receive Best Film at the Oscars, it's been
cheated!

MissNaylor from United Kingdom - 9 February 2009

What is wrong with the world???

I've lived in Mumbai, India all my life. Nowhere do they teach Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers), in fact our
education is so bad people don't even have English textbooks.
Examinations conducted just ask for essays and comprehension.The blinding of beggar children is ridiculous… but that couldn't be
enough, could it? So we have a beggar child blinded by circumstance
familiar with the face on a hundred dollar note. Man! Get a grip. The
Prime Minister, President, and Industrialists wont know whose face
there is on a hundred dollar note. No no wait… still not enough…
Jamal doesn't know whose face it is on the Indian thousand rupee note
(after seeing him receive several of them in the movie - one may ask?
Dear Jamal? what now has happened of thy photographic memory?)One should wonder what direction has Danny Boyle done. If you watch any
other film of the actors involved in slumdog you'll realize how
repetitive and monotonous their performance is. Dialogues were really poor. Music was the only side that didn't let
down. But A R Rahman has composed far better music for films other than
this.The world has seen little of India… that does not give one the
liberty to paint a picture so untrue and pathetic. Its poetic license
being abused. Abused and how? What is wrong with the world??? and the
awards its bagged???Heavens!

skybugtissue from India - 9 February 2009

Life, love and millionaires

When a young guy from the slums of Mumbai makes his way to the final
question in the TV quiz "Who wants to be a Millionaire" there are
people that are so doubtful of his sincerity that they have him
arrested and interrogated - in their eyes there is no way he can know
all the answers to the questions, so he has to be cheating. And as the
film rolls on the question gets answered.The quiz is not the only red line running through the film - there are
a few more things that keep re-appearing. And with each single
explained moment in life the puzzle pieces connect better and in the
end one knows what the truth behind everything is. Filmed as both drama
and comedy it is intense yet light and able to leave a deeply set smile
on the faces of most of the audience - yet the smile is a knowing one
and there's a strong thought behind it.Few films are able to cause that effect and that's why this one is to
be rated amongst the better ones - it's not brilliant and takes a few
poetic turns here and there to make the story work out better, but it's
good enough and to be remembered.8 out of 10 questions answered correctly

Pascal Zinken (LazySod) from Maastricht, The Netherlands - 9 February 2009

It's About the Girl

Young Jamal (Dev Patel) is a contestant on the verge of winning 20
million rupees on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?" How it is it possible that orphaned "slumdog" Jamal can
answer all the questions so far, when so many others have failed?
Sergeant Srinivas (stalwart Saurabh Shukla) would also like to know, in
his interrogation of suspected cheat Jamal. I had heard about much of
the storyline of Director Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" prior to
finally seeing it. The "Millionaire" game show plot device initially on
the surface seems contrived, as a way for Writer Simon Beaufoy to
explore the story of Jamal through a series of riveting and captivating
flashbacks.However, about half an hour through the movie I got it: "It's about the
girl." Perhaps, midway through, there is a scene of movie magic where
direction, story, and performance culminate together. Jamal waits for
the love of his life Latika (stunningly beautiful Freida Pinto) at the
train station. Jamal is distraught thinking Latika has dismissed him.
Suddenly, she arrives. She looks up and sees Jamal, and lets out a
smile. Not a word is spoken. It's about the girl."Slumdog Millionaire" is a timeless love story, and the best movie of
the year. "Slumdog Millionaire" follows the story of Jamal, Latika, and
Jamal's older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) from the time they were
orphaned children to now. Theirs is a story of tragedy, innocence lost,
courage, and love. Danny Boyle is the mesmerizing and poignant
storyteller. Simon Beaufoy's screenplay based on the novel "Q & A" by
Vikas Swarup is beautiful and touching. All the actors, who play the
lead characters at various stages of their lives, are amazing and
authentic. Boyle generates the enrolling spirit throughout "Slumdog
Millionaire"– the story he tells is passionate and inspiring.Jamal and Salim become orphans as children following a Muslim massacre.
They befriend orphaned Latika. Latika is destined to become the love of
Jamal's life. They are all taken in by a ruthless group that enslaves
children as beggars. Jamal and Salim manage to escape, but lose Latika.
Years later Jamal and Salim rescue Latika, but at the cost of Salim's
very soul. Salim chooses the dark path, one from which he can not
return. Jamal is really now alone. His redemption may lie in
"Millionaire", but not for the obvious reasons. His is for love and for
Latika.Eventually, Jamal reunites with Salim and grown up Latika. Life has not
turned out as all had envisioned. At the story arc Jamal confesses to
Latika, "I love you." She replies, "…It's too late." She implores
Jamal, "Forget me." Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are amazing, and the
heart and soul of "Slumdog Millionaire". Yes, it's about the girl. More
to the point: it's about the power of the human spirit, and love. There
is tremendous pain and suffering, and at the same time deep compassion,
selfless sacrifice, and redemption. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a very
special movie.

jon.h.ochiai (jochiai@socal.rr.com) from Los Angeles, CA - 9 February 2009

I have to disagree.

I'm sorry but i have been studying film since i was 7 years old. And i
personally believe that this film was BS. It was a tooty fruity human
rights film and i am absolutely appalled by the fact that it has gotten
this much attention. Yes i get it India has problems but so what!i believe a film not a movie but a FILM appeals to people because
beyond the desire to be entertained we want to be able to connect. In
order for this to be achieved the primary motivator of the story has to
be the characters personal struggle. If not- and it's the plot working
as the primary motivator than it is in fact a blockbuster- Jaws, Star
Wars, Legally Blonde etc. don't get me wrong i love a healthy dose of
blockbusters but I'm aware of the difference and trust me there IS one.But films - Schindlers list, Fight Club, Gladiator, Terms of
Endearment, The Duchess, Breakfast at Tiffanies, Lost in Translation,
the Squid and the Whale- these are all films that allow you to connect
with someone- films that offer depth, and analysis of the human
condition. And i do not believe that Slumdog Millionaire does this AT
ALL. so if it wins best picture in the Academy Awards i will have lost faith
in peoples ability to tell the difference.

Alaa Habib from Geneva, Switzerland - 9 February 2009

Oh! Poor Danny, not again…

Please, please tell me why so many of you people love this piece of
crap?! It will probably take my entire life to figure it out! I'm gonna
tell you the reason why I still gave it a 4. It's the ambition, the
ambition of Danny to make a different movie, which is obvious if only
you see half of the movie. The difference lies in the storytelling. A
boy reveals his life by explaining to the suspicious policemen why he,
an uneducated slumdog boy, managed to win amazingly great money that no
one ever did in the history of the program Who Wanna Be The
Millionaire. Deservedly it is great storytelling. Yet a great
storytelling alone is never enough to make a great movie.Remember the excitement we had after we saw Pulp Fiction? Was the
excitement purely out of the outstanding storytelling? Certainly not,
we love the storytelling because it is combined with shining acting,
fascinating music, deep ideas, and solid ending. The storytelling is
just a skeleton, and the other things make the flesh. How beautiful can
a great skeleton be if there is little decent flesh on it? Pulp Fiction
is strong both inside and outside, however, Slumdog Millionaire, just
has a nice outside.Before I saw Slumdog Millionaire, many people told me it is the Indian
version of City Of God, and I felt even more excited when I found its
director is Danny. But after I saw it, I was completely disappointed.
Because Danny did the stupid thing again! After his greatest movie
Trainspotting, this guy seemed have turned to someone nobody can
recognize. Look at 28 days later, it could have been a milestone if he
had added a unique idea for it; The Beach, great acting and story, but
the ending, so so disgustingly stupid… You will easily fall in love
with these two movies if you see the first half only… Why Danny, why
always lack a little bit to be great? Slumdog Millionaire has the same
and new problems. The end is as meaningless as The Beach; the lack of
ideas is inherited from 28 Days Later. And the new problems this time are terrible! The music is sick; the
whole plot is very very far-fetched and unnatural: how did the two
characters fall in love; this is a movie talking about things in India,
and it is honorably compared with City Of God because they are both
about the crime and violence in the worst places of the world(India and
Brazil), however, if you wanna introduce something violent and
horrifying, you should do it in a violent and horrifying way. So many
people that like this movie say Slumdog Millionaire is the City Of God
without blood. That just doesn't make any sense! If there is no blood,
it's not India at all!!!I almost lost my faith in Oscar when I saw it gave so many nominations
to Slumdog Millionaire but not The Dark Knight and The Wrestler… They
are truly solid movies.

Steve Lee from China Wuhan - 9 February 2009

Great theme, bad film-making

Finally I saw 'Slumdog Millionaire', And to say I was disappointed,
would be an understatement. Separately, each element of the film, seems
to be a great, at least a good film in the making. But put together, it
doesn't add up to anything more than an average film. As a whole, I am
not left with a great cinematic experience at the end of the film.And my criticism is not about the usual objections brought up. I have
no issues with the depiction of poverty in the movie. In fact contrary
to the brouhaha, I hardly found any intense depiction of poverty. Yes,
there is a gut-wrenching scene of a boy's eyes being gorged out. But
its more about evil element the boys confront and overcome, which
doesn't make the whole movie about stark poverty, like good old Mrinal
Sen movies. Bollywood films have shown much more of these horrifying
scenes, and we have seen them without batting an eyelid. So its not
fair to point fingers at Mr Danny Boyle for this. If Indian films can
show our poverty in its most crass state, why cant Mr Boyle ? My
criticism is purely about the technicalities of film making. Now that
will immediately make you sit up and sarcastically question me, if I am
an authority on it myself. Well, I am not. But I am a viewer and movies
are for the masses just not for a selected few "knowledgable" persons.
And as a viewer, I am left emotionless at the end of the film. Neither
did it make me cry, nor did it make me laugh. Neither did I shed a
single tear drop in the entire film, nor did it bring out a chuckle.
Neither did it make me introspect or philosophize nor was it
informative and accurate. And most importantly there is not a single
moment in the movie to be taken away and remembered, like there are so
many in Munnabhai MBBS , Rang De Basanti or Life is Beautiful. Not to
mention our evergreen classic Sholay, which has so many great moments
sprinkled all across the film - any filmmaker would be proud to have
even one of those scenes in his or her film. Unfortunately 'Slumdog
Millionaire' has none.Despite trying to infuse complexity and different layers in the story
telling, 'Slumdog Millionaire' remains a simple linear form of story
telling. It races through the narrative, without slowing down or
harping on any moment. Its trying to shock us, but I am rather
surprised at its complete lack of emotional connect, more due to the
way the movie speeds through from one scene to the other.But I am not surprised the western critics and reviewers fell for this
movie. There are so many stereotypes that the west just loves. But the
master stroke in Mr Boyle's strategy was to use real slum boys for the
film. This is impossible for the west to ignore , and lo behold the
movie gets ten Oscar nominations.I am a firm believer of "willing suspension of disbelief" when it comes
to viewing films, but Slumdog Millionaire's' unique selling preposition
lies in its realism. And keeping that in mind I find it absolutely
unbelievable that a boy who has become a national star on the sets of
"Who wants to become a millionaire" could be tortured by cops. Can you
believe what would happen to the cops and to the show organizers, when
the news reaches the media ? I know this movie is difficult to
criticize. The subject is such – children, that too poor children
battling the odds in their lives. Our mind cant be so politically
incorrect as not to like it. And especially now, when the whole world
is appreciating it. I feel like the child in the tale of the 'King's
New Clothes'. Neither am I a filmmaker nor an expert critic, but I am
surprised that no one had the courage or the honesty to criticize the
film for its real merit or the lack of it. The only criticism the movie
has received has been on trivial and irrelevant issues, outside the
meaningful discussion of film-making.The subject of the film is interesting and the screenplay Mr Boyle got
to work with, must have been any director's delight – a definite recipe
for success. But the end product in form of 'Slumdog Millionaire' is
mundane and ordinary. Mr Boyle is unable to portray the complexity of
the characters and situations and the narration is too fast and flat
without exploring the minds of the protagonists. 'Slumdog Millionaire'
is visually interesting, but not stimulating to the mind at all. The
film moves from one scene to the other at a rapid pace without trying
to emotionally connect the characters to the audience. Mr Boyle as a
filmmaker is definitely not in the league of Robert Benigni or Rakeysh
Omprakash Mehra. And not even of the débutant director Florian Henckel
Von Donnersmarck, who made the brilliant 'Lives of Others', which left
me speechless.Despite having a winner of a theme on hand, Mr Boyle fails in pure
film-making terms. Luckily for Mr Boyle, the juries world over have
stuck to political correctness and have not been able to discard such a
socially sensitive and a cinematically attractive issue.And while the music and songs of the film are good and would have been
commendable coming from any other composer, its definitely not among
Reham's best. In fact it doesn't even remotely match up to his
masterpieces from 'Rang De Basanti, Swades or the upcoming 'Delhi 6'.Without viewing 'Slumdog Millionaire' through the spectrum of awards
and only on the basis of pure objectivity and cinematic yardsticks, the
movie fails miserably. And Mr Boyle falls short as a filmmaker. This is
definitely one of the most overrated film of this millennium.

Global Netizen (global.netizen@yahoo.com) from India - 8 February 2009

Overrated

I think this movie has been overrated. Maybe it is appealing to the
Western audience but for someone who is used to seeing the grandiosity
of Indian movies, it is not clear why the movie has got such rave
reviews.A.R. Rahman's soundtrack is good, though not clearly his best. I think
the lyricist could have done better though (Personally, I think "Jai
Ho" did not fit well with the song's tune, which I thought was pretty
good overall).Anil Kapoor overacts his way to glory, and the movie could have done
without him. Amitabh might have been better suited to the role - he was
the original KBC host, after all.Having said that, the movie is watchable. But Oscar worthy? Well, I
leave that for the committee to decide.

from United States - 8 February 2009

I will NEVER believe the hype again…

Or never pay 11 bucks for it again, anyway. All I've heard was good
things about this movie and assumed it would be $11 well spent. Well,
so much for that.This movie is a "boy meets girl" fairy tale story, and I don't mean
that in a good way. I know it's supposed to be uplifting and
heartwarming but it rings hollow. It's based on nothing more than a
gimmick. Seriously, this movie is about a series of improbable events
and the rationale by which we're to believe it all is that it's
destiny. And, the thing is, I'd buy into it if I could buy that the two
characters (boy and girl) had any sort of chemistry. But they don't.To sum up as briefly as possible: boy meets girl (who, along with his
brother, is orphaned at a young age), then boy loses girl. Luckily,
some years later, boy finds girl again. But, since his brother is a
dick, he loses girl again (he loses contact with his brother as well).
Some years after that, he is able to find her again (as well as his
brother), but things are complicated. She has somehow fallen in with
the wrong crowd and is married to a gangster, who then whisks her away,
so boy again loses girl. But he doesn't give up and gets the idea to go
on the popular game show "Who Wants to Me a Millionaire," which, he
reasons, she'll be watching.He then goes on the show and answers all but the last question before
the show's hour is over. He then ends up at the police station where he
is roughly interrogated on suspicion of cheating. It is this point at
which the movie starts, and we are then given the rest of the story
alluded to above via flashbacks. That is the film's narrative device,
to show each question and flashing back to the point where the boy got
the answer (except for a few questions for which he uses his
lifelines). Turns out, each answer was gotten in the same order as the
questions on the show.As you can probably imagine, yes it's all HIGHLY improbable.
ASTRONOMICALLY improbable even. But hey, it's DESTINY and the girl
actually does come to watch the live broadcast of the game show and
even ends up being one of his lifelines! (Although she doesn't know the
answer – more on this later) Then they meet at an oddly empty train
station, declare their love for each other and touch lips. Then they,
and a bunch of mysteriously appearing other people, go into a funky
Bollywood dance number over the end credits. YAY! Except not YAY! BOO!
Again, I think I'd be willing to buy this fairy tale if the love angle
between the boy and girl was in any way believable. But I didn't see
it, feel it or believe it for a second. The characters barely had time
to know each other. When the two first meet, they're about seven years
old, i.e. a while before puberty, and together for a few days at best
before they are separated. When they are reunited a few years lager,
they are together for perhaps an even shorter time. When they meet
still later, well the girl is hot, but the chemistry between the two
still fails to come through, mostly because it's never adequately
established before this. The fact that the two characters (as well as
Salim) are played by three sets of actors (young, older, oldest)
doesn't help. Thus the message of destiny ultimately falls flat.The movie even poses a multiple choice question asking how Jamal could
have known the answers to the WWTBAM questions. Choice A was "he
cheated," choice D, "it is written" (I forget what the other two were).
When I saw this, I had no idea that the answer would actually turn out
to be D, "it's written." Yep, it's written alright. And do you know
where it is written? In the script. I'm sorry to say, it really doesn't
go any deeper than that.

paulo20 from NYC - 8 February 2009

A true winner

After the rather disastrous response to The Beach (which wasn't
completely unjustified), genre-hopping director Danny Boyle declared he
works best at home, in the UK. How ironic, then, that his best film
since Trainspotting - which was released in 1996 - is set in the
low-life areas of Mumbai (better known to foreigners as Bombay), India.
Then again, Slumdog Millionaire remains an eminently British production
since, alongside Boyle, producer Christian Colson (The Descent), writer
Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty) and star Dev Patel (Skins) were all born
and raised in good old England.The director's versatility pushes itself to the limit, considering the
story revolves around the famous TV quiz Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
As the opening title card informs us, a certain Jamal Malik (Patel), is
one question short of winning the top prize. How did he do it? The
show's sleazy host (Anil Kapoor) is convinced the boy cheated and calls
the police, who arrest Jamal as soon as he leaves the studio (the final
question will be answered the next day). He is questioned/tortured all
night, simply because no one believes an uneducated "slumdog" can be
that smart or lucky (and let's not forget the host tried to set him up
at one point). Jamal chooses to tell his story, revealing that the
clues to the answers are all hidden in the key events of his brief,
tragic life.At this point, the film follows a flashback-based structure: as every
question of the quiz is displayed on the screen, Jamal recalls a
specific incident that contributed to his current status. We are thus
enabled to see the various tricks he and his older brother Salim used
to earn money when they were kids, the religious persecution that led
to the death of their mother, the multiple challenges in the form of
local criminal gangs and, most of all, his pure, honest love for a girl
named Latika (played by Freida Pinto in the present day sections). All
these elements are connected. Or, as Jamal says: "Maybe it is
written.".Shot with gritty realism on the real streets of Mumbai, the film reeks
of hand-held energy and comes off as Boyle's most dynamic and vital
movie in a long time. There's a certain similarity between Jamal
getting by on the sidewalks and Mark Renton escaping from the police at
the beginning of Trainspotting, and Boyle bravely acknowledges the
connection by openly inserting a homage to his cult masterpiece's
legendary toilet dive scene (the Slumdog Millionaire version takes the
concept quite literally). He never looks away when things get ugly, but
fundamentally this remains his most uplifting picture to date, so
beautiful and touching it almost feels strange to know he nearly turned
down the project, based solely on his lack of enthusiasm - to put it
mildly - for the quiz aspect of the premise.The truth is, of course, a whole other thing: the game element is
merely a MacGuffin, an abstract factor that serves only one purpose,
namely starting the story and thus leaving room for the extraordinary
circumstances under which Jamal, Salim, Latika and dozens of other
children had to (and still have to) survive. In the end, no one really
cares whether Jamal will win the top prize or not (although Boyle
deserves credit for making the quiz sequences even more suspenseful
than they are in real life); what matters is his story, the human
story, the one everyone can relate to on some level.Ultimately, the victory that counts is off-screen: it's the artistic
triumph of one man, who against all odds (given his rather dark back
catalogue) delivered the feel-good movie of the decade. Calling him a
millionaire is a tad inappropriate (the film was made on a shoestring
budget), but thanks to this amazing story, Danny Boyle is a real
winner.

Max_cinefilo89 from Italy - 7 February 2009

Slumdog is bound to sweep the Oscars

I saw the movie before its appearance at the Golden Globes. It was in
fact recommended to me by my financial adviser. I guess its a
punchline. Anyways, Slumdog Millionaire is all what the critics are claiming as
the best movie in 2008. Slumdog Millionaire is about a teenager, Jamal
(Dev Patel) who wants to get the attention of his love interest by
going on the Indian version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?". Jamal
grew up in the slums of Mumbia, India and received little education.
Does he cheat or just know the answers? (Didn't want to spoil it)Here are my grades: ACTING: AWhere did they find these actors and actresses? This is Dev Patel and
Freida Pinto's first movie and it's a breakout performance. The rest of
the cast has been in Bollywood for a while.SOUNDTRACK: AAll tracks stick with the Indian culture except for MIA Paper planes.
Great selection and the cast does a musical number during the end
credits.OVERALL: AI can't believe that this movie was so close to going straight to DVD.

rdsoxs86 from United States - 7 February 2009

A man from the slums of Mumbai competes in a game show

Slumdog Millionaire is a rags to riches saga, and it's also the oldest
story in the world: Boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy
tries to get girl back… But yet, in so many ways, it takes what could
be such a dusty old story and makes it new again. Even the premise of a
game show on first blush seems like it will yield little if anything of
interest, but even though I am not a fan of these silly game shows
(except of course Jeopardy, which challenges the mind) I was enthralled
by this movie.And on top of the compelling story, you also get a most fascinating
backdrop: India, and the City of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. You
get teeming slums filled with poor but resourceful people juxtaposed
with the splendor of the Taj Mahal; you get an ancient culture making
rapid fire changes to a modern one, transforming before your eyes.
Slumdog Millionaire is quite an achievement, and one that seems to have
come along at precisely the best time: Like the game show, it offers an
escape in times of economic strife.The device of the game show is brilliant, as it allows the questions,
and the subsequent interrogations, to each trigger a flashback, an
episode in the past that will illuminate how Jamal Malik, the
nominative Slumdog Millionaire, came to know the answer. Sure, there is
some luck involved, but oftentimes a memorable event in Jamal's past
will make the answers stick in his mind. As we discover how he knew the
answers we also learn about how much he loves Latika, and how his
brother Salim became a gangster. The performances of the three
characters in that "bazaar" love triangle, as children, and then young
adults, were brilliant. Kudos to Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, and the
lovely Freida Pinto. Anil Kapoor was brilliant as the show host, Prem
Kumar–a younger, Indian version of Regis, but with an edge.Prem Kumar: So are you ready for the final question for 20 million
rupees? Jamal Malik: No, but maybe it's written, no? Prem Kumar: Maybe…

Christopher Craddock (imdb@chriscraddockrealtor.com) from Bakersfield, United States - 7 February 2009

Haven't been there, done that

The story behind Slumdog Millionaire is as enchanting as the film
itself. Danny Boyle's and Loveleen Tandan's flick was originally going
to be released straight to DVD. It has since been nominated for eleven
BAFTAs and ten academy awards. If it wins Best Picture, it will become
the most adored small production since The Last Emperor. There's a lot
to love about this movie. You've seen the poor person who becomes
wealthy plotting device before, but you probably haven't seen it like
this. Slumdog Millionaire is a richly formulaic recreation of
Hollywood's mid-twentieth century epics. Danny Boyle is an adventurous filmmaker. No genre or cultural
difficulty escapes him. This must have been a difficult project to
direct. Hindi is spoken in several scenes and numerous shots were
captured in actual slums. The film, if nothing else, will provide
Western audiences with an opportunity to experience a realistic
portrayal of India. This idea is even used as a comedic device multiple
times as the film progresses. I find it odd that the movie has received
as much praise as it has. Some Indian film critics have argued that the
movie is an opportunity for Westerners to see their own conventions in
a new paint. The critic Gautaman Bhaskaran stated "there is nothing
Indian about this film" in his review for Seoul Times. Bhaskaran has a
point in his statement. Take this movie back to storyboard, insert any
area of poverty and adjust the leads to create a new film on the same
premise. I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire for the same reason any other
Westerner would like it. The film only stylistically invokes the viewer
and only for certain audiences. After watching movies like The
Wrestler, The Reader, and Milk I think Slumdog Millionaire is a
pleasant diversion but a forgettable motion picture.Jamal Malik is interrogated by police officers following his
astonishing success in the Indian version of Who Wants to be a
Millionaire?. Everyone asks how a telephone operator with no formal
education could know enough to advance to the final round. Jamal
insists that he isn't well-read and was fortunate to have received the
right questions. He reveals his life's story to the officers. Malik and
his older brother Salim go through hell until they reach adulthood.
Their mother is killed during a village raid and they meet a young girl
named Latika. All three are whisked away to an orphanage where children
are trained to be street performers. Salim and Jamal escape and become
vagabonds, picking pockets when able. They encounter Latika again when
Jamal insists they travel to Mumbai, where they meet their old
orphanage leader. Salim dispatches him, uses his new street cred to
join a gang, and claims Latika as his prize. He loses that prize to his
boss who makes her his wife. Jamal is left alone, so he applies for Who
Wants to be a Millionaire? in hopes that Latika will see him. The
narrative switches to present time once the police accept Jamal's
story. His success becomes a national phenomenon, and Salim sacrifices
himself so Latika can finally be with Jamal.Jamal and the other central characters are played by three different
people throughout the film. The child actors have the most screen time
and deliver the most impressive performances. All of them cope with
homelessness through dry wit. When Jamal and Salim meet Latika, the
former is hesitant to allow her entry into their shelter because she is
a girl. Jamal responds by suggesting that she could be the final
musketeer, whose name they never learned. I found moments like that
one, of which there are many, to be the best part of the film. When the
young adults appear, humor ends and the tone is more serious. Dev Patel
is seemingly expressionless as older Jamal. He looks worried, hustled,
or whatever but his body doesn't respond, like a statue speaking for
the first time. Freida Pinto does much better as older Latika, even
though any other actress could have played her role. She hasn't acted
in a movie before and delivers the quick, emotional punch from her
earlier work as a model. I liked her performance because it filled in
the gap created by Patel's rigidness. Boyle has made the same mistake he did in Sunshine. He doesn't pace the
movie well. Sunshine begins as a noir science fiction film and becomes
a slasher. Slumdog Millionaire changes from a loose childhood bonding
movie to a romantic thriller as it ends. A Bollywood dance sequence
follows to remind you of why you enjoyed the first two thirds. The
discrepancy is less obvious in this movie, but it still bothered me.
For purposes of plot, such alterations were necessary, unlike Sunshine.
Forest Gump is a film very similar to this one and presents the same
story favorably. Both movies feature characters in impossible events,
but that is irrelevant. The main difference is Slumdog Millionaire is
unable to create unique characters. Take Forest out of Forest Gump and
the movie would be a failure.The world is experiencing a gigantic financial crisis now. What better
way to separate oneself from it than watching a film about an
impoverished person who legitimately earns his wealth? Add to that a
love story, and the result is Slumdog Millionaire. Its resonance with
filmgoers was guaranteed at any time of release but especially now. ***
out of *****

doctorsmoothlove from United States - 7 February 2009

Slum Dog

Very good, well done movie. Not sure what I was expecting. I don't
think it was exactly deserving of best picture. I thought The Wrestler
was better. A little too many clichés in this movie. No real surprises.
Not a movie that makes you think much. I do like how the movie showed
the slums of India. I guess I don't have much to say about this movie because IMDb.com
keeps making me add more lines. I suppose if that is the case the movie
might not be as good as I think? I was entertained throughout the movie
though, it kept my interest. Maybe it just wasn't that memorable? I
recommend seeing it.

mcdude-1 from United States - 6 February 2009

Overrated, overrated, overrated.

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the most overrated movies I have ever
seen. It proves to us once again, that almost any film that 'exposes'
the bleakness of life in third world countries/countries of political
instability, scores massively with the blissfully ignorant Western
audiences. The first half of the film is pretty good, in all fairness. The child
artists do a fantastic job, and there are ample bizarre and hilarious
moments. However, the flaws are just too many to ignore, especially for
a person who is well-acquainted with the situation in these places. The
way the slum children speak English is just bizarre. They have had no
decent education, yet they speak as freely as any kid coming from an
affluent family, incorporating words like 'gonna', 'dude' and
'cool'.(Yet, they don't know what the Taj Mahal is, which every
uneducated bloke in every little village knows about). They are
supposed to be Muslim, yet their mom wears a sari. Just unnatural. The
young Jamal meets a beggar in a subway, who recognizes him immediately,
and knows who Benjamin Franklin is.As far as predictability and disjointedness, this film takes the cake,
the baker, and the bakery. One moment he is running around near the Taj
Mahal, another he is looking for his 'lost love'. They are reunited,
and then separated again for no rhyme or reason. The grown-up Jamal,
I'm sorry to say, doesn't do a convincing job at all. His British
accent comes out in spurts, making the improbable sound impossible. And
then you have the villains. Mamman, Latika's husband, the host of the
show- are all the absolute-evil types. One would think someone gives
them a cookie for every evil laugh and lecherous comment they pass. The
gangster is a bad, bad man, so he has to hang out with call-girls ALL
the bloody time. Lechery is the only common quality in evil people,
didn't you know? Love story is clichéd as usual, and the drama
resembles that of any B-grade Bollywood movie, I kid you not. His
brother Salim, is another weird character. For some very strange
reason, he fills a bathtub with money and lies down in it with a gun
while he waits for his nemesis.And the icing on the cake- The song and dance sequence at the end. Why?
Why? Why? No reason- just cheap entertainment, the type you see in
EVERY Bollywood film. So finally, everything works out for our friend
Jamal, with the whole nation behind him, and everybody's happy. Except
the bad guys of course. All the bad guys lose. No it's not as bad as I make it sound. However, does it deserve Oscar
nominations? Hell no. So many Bollywood films like this one are made
every month. Is this one so special just because Danny Boyle is the
director? Probably.

Arks B from India - 6 February 2009

It is a good movie but I did not feel like India

I was not bored, I loved the direction, the colors, the rhythm, yet…
it felt like this movie could have been written for a complete
different background. India was an excuse and in a way and I found that
annoying. This was not as bad as say the "Last Samurai". I mean both
the director and script writer made an attempt to avoid some obvious
clichés - they did not put emphasis on a rural India without any
technology, on the cast system or a pseudo-spiritual nirvana. Yet, they
have not grasp the essence of the India. You could transpose their
story in China, Africa, Mexico and it would hold the same.For lack of cultural authenticity I give 7 out of 10. Beside that, it
is quite an achievement.

videoqualia from Canada - 5 February 2009

Brilliant Idea/Story/Pacing one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

I can't believe people would actually give this movie 1 star because
they use a combination of Hindi/English, or that this is stereotyping
about "poor Indians", come on!!!!. It is a brilliant film, the music
was especially surprising given I have seen several Bollywood films and
usually dislike the music. I have read comments on this board like
"This film feeds into the Western mind that all Indians are poor." Give
me a break, all "the west" has seen of Mumbia is the incredible growth,
a rising standard of living, night clubs..etc, so will those people
stand up and say there are no slums like the ones viewed in Slumdog
Millionaire?? Of course there are. If you want to see an American film
that is pretty harsh on American city standards, you only need to look
one place above Slumdog on IMDb top 250. 33. 8.6 Se7en (1995) 220,812
34. 8.6 Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 53,243But the point is THESE ARE MOVIES PEOPLE….it is not a
documentary…so lighten up.

dave-mast from United States - 5 February 2009

Not bad

Not a bad movie, a bit drawn out but worth watching compared to some of
the rubbish that gets released. I thought it could have been a bit more
hard hitting in places. I would imagine it was not easy to shoot this
movie.It was interesting to see how rude the presenter was and yet it seemed
very acceptable to the candidate and audience so now I have a better
understanding of Indian humor.I am sure that the police action is normal and yet no one complains.His bruises got fixed pretty quick for part 2 of the showRemind me not to apply play when next in IndiaI wonder how much of the child abuse still goes on

steve-4406 from Taiwan - 4 February 2009

what you may not like ….??

Good movie, fantastic editing, excellent scene composition, nice
lighting & storytelling, … and the list is endless… but then there
is something that I would think was unnecessary .. which diverts your
attention from the main theme .. and here is what i call the Director's
mis-direction … although for a little while…The character of Anil Kapoor… The host for the Show…!! Although
from the very beginning of the movie… we see that the host is not
happy having a "Chai-walla" on the show… and hence a sarcastic humor
.. and the tendency to underestimate "Jamal" …Only till this point is the Host's character acceptable!! What goes
beyond expectation is that the Host (Anil Kapoor) feeds an answer to
"Jamal", which later is discovered as wrong!! thus making the host a
negative character - which is unnecessary.Secondly, The suspicion should have been raised by someone else and not
the host. and "Its my Show" .. . that is what i could not digest !! It
is too big a truth for me to swallow that, one is able to have the
right questions co-incidentally for the answers he has learned in
life… but it would be very practical to show that at least on one
question, he received a timely help.. of course from the host.Thus saving the movie to go in direction not really asking for.

Vispi from India - 4 February 2009

Pretty darn good…

So on Saturday my husband and I decided to go to a movie. We originally
went to the theatre to see Revolutionary Road but at the last minute I
decided that Slumdog Millionaire would be a better choice to see with
him and that I could see the RR next time when I go alone. I must admit
– I had done a stellar job at avoiding trailers and interviews for
Slumdog. I had no clue what it was about. None. And like I usually
suggest – try to do this as often as possible. The less you know about
a movie going in – the better. In saying that, if you have not seen the
movie, I actually suggest you do not read more of what I write about
it. Let the film be seen through fresh eyes.Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, is one of the best
underdog type movies I have seen. But because of that, don't think it
is a straight forward or as common as those we are used to popping up
in Cineplex's across the country. I actually think of this movie as a
cross between Hoosiers, The Usual Suspects and Red Dawn. Except…it is
nothing like any of those movies. So figure that one out!! SM takes
place in Mumbai, India. The main character, Jamal played by British
actor, Dev Patel, is a contestant on India's most popular television
show, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. In India, this show is much more
popular than it ever was in the US and the host is considered an idol.
Jamal shocks the audience, crew and police by answering every question
correctly. When they break for the day, just before the 20 million
rupee question, Jamal is taken into custody on the grounds of suspected
cheating. Believing that a 'slumdog' such as Jamal could know so much
was impossible for those in charge.After an entire night of questioning and what most of us would consider
torture, Jamal goes on to explain what circumstances throughout his
life brought to him the answers he needed to win the millions.
Throughout the flashbacks, as he tells his story, the viewer delves
deeper and deeper in to the lives of these gorgeous Indian children
whom were orphaned in the slums of Mumbai. As they grew and faced
obstacles the majority of the world could not even imagine we are given
story lines which are very fresh and original to the typical American
audience.Within this movie there is the magic of rooting for the unlikely, for
true love, for justice and for mere survival. I wanted to see
Revolutionary Road that day because I was feeling pretty somber and
actually needed a good cry. Turns out what I needed indeed was a good
cry, but through a smile.While I am usually reeled in by characters and dialogue when it comes
to my favorites – with Slumdog, I was drawn in by the remarkable
cinematography, film editing and soundtrack. The camera work is
artistic without being obnoxious. At the beginning of the movie there
is a series of aerial shots of the aluminum roofs which cover the slum
homes. It was a marvelous view of the massive poverty in which we were
about to witness. The direction was just flawless. This is an all
around beautifully made film with a beautiful story about beautiful
children. So I guess I give it two beautiful thumbs up

cheers-2 from United States - 4 February 2009

cult to hypocrisy, a fairytale for retards

first i must admit, i'm huge fan of Danny's real work, not this one,
which can be qualified to the Hollywood crap-swamp.very disappointed in "i believe i can fly" spirit of this so called
movie. so if you're Santa believer and admirer - this is just for you.
but if you walk the life with respect and honor, your intelligence will
be offended and against all the people who find this movie
"attractive".if we remove all the bells and whistles out of it, there's really
nothing left in your mind after. we cannot talk about acting, music,
art because there was simply nothing of them. maybe just the editor's
work was good, but just maybe.i really can forgive Danny this debility. and if he read this i want to
say to him: "Danny, we love you, we know your work, we expect of you so
much, so bring back your real art to us!"

lubomirchev - 3 February 2009

good "bollywood" movie

May be its the immense hype given by the Indian media and the golden
globes it won, I guess I was expecting too much from this one. But it
came out as a fairly good work, though reminding a bollywood movie most
of the time, except the childhood of the protagonist. Of course it
portrays India in a very bad light. But then, its a story about the
slums and we have a lot of them. I will not say that these kind of
things never happens in India. It do happen. There are murders,
prostitution, begging, and money involved in all these, but still we
have a civilized section too. People who watch Slumdog Millionaire have
to keep one thing in mind that… This is India, but India is not just
this.And about the music… If any foreigner thinks the music in Slumdog
Millionaire is great, then I feel sad for them, coz they missed all
those beauty of A.R. Rahman's earlier works. Trust me, this is just an
average work according to his standards. He's the mozart of madras. I
mean, how can anyone churn out hits after hits like this. Two
characters I love about his music are… 1. Its timelessness. You will
love it 10 years after now as you love it today. 2. You hear it first
time.. you'd think… wow! second time… woww! third time… wowwww!
and it goes on like that.

rfreddy from India - 3 February 2009

Beyond the words

Movies which can lead me to applause when the credits scroll down
through the screen are very, very rare. As far as I can remember, I
probably did it only twice in a quarter of a century … Rarer are the
movies which can lead me to tears … Even rarer are the movies which
can turbo-charge me with joy and happiness while i leave the theater
…Slumdog Millionnaire did it. And it did it all at the same time.Why ? I can't really say why … With its colorful picture, its intense
rhythm, its perfect actors, its fantastic soundtrack, this movie is a
real diamond, but other movies deserve these "technical" compliments.
The little thing which make it really outstanding is hidden somewhere
else … surely, this movie has a spirit.

bestof from France - 3 February 2009

Stop reading reviews, just go and see it

It's finally NZ's turn to see this film and now I totally understand
the hype surrounding it at recent award ceremonies.I really enjoyed this film - Danny Boyle and his cinematographers have
outdone themselves by managing to capture the 'bigness' of India- the
sounds, the sights, the vastness of the landscapes and the sheer amount
of people. However the individuals within this place are not forgotten
with the nine actors who play Jamal, Salim and Katika doing an
outstanding job of making their characters' 'ordinariness'
extraordinary.A lot has been made about the way Jamal's story unfolds (in flashback
we are shown how this 'cheat' really did know the answers to Who Wants
to be a Millionaire). I haven't read the book Q&A on which the movie is
based so I don't know whether this is a feature introduced during the
screenplay or not. Either way I think it works and stylistically it is
very appropriate as it reminded me of Bollywood movies that I've seen.That said it isn't all glitz and glamour and Boyle, as his fans no
doubt expect, has not shied away from the darker aspects of slum life.
However he does this respectfully and without exploiting his
characters. What is perhaps most amazing to me about this film is that,
even after showing us the sheer desperation of these characters, Boyle
still manages to pull it together for a truly exciting finish.Right now there are vast numbers of positive reviews around about this
movie so you will just have to go and see it.

Juliette-10 from Wellington, New Zealand - 3 February 2009

Sounds good "on paper", but executed implausibly and sloppily, with extra cheese

This movie is a great proof that Joe McMoviegoer only cares about the
plot in its most simplified synopsis version, and nothing else. I admit: the IMDb synopsis DID sound interesting. But an interesting
idea is one thing; how it's executed is a whole new ball game. Let me start by saying that the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show is
not (repeat: NOT) aired live: it's a recording. This makes the entire
ending fall flat on its face, as it rests on the premise that it IS
aired live. How can people just ignore such plot holes in order to
enjoy the movie, I don't know. Speaking of the show - one of the early questions was this:What is written on the national emblem of India:A. The TRUTH Triumphs. B. LIES Triumph. C. FASHION Triumphs. D. MONEY
Triumphs.Most of us have never seen the emblem of India, but can easily guess
the answer, right? Yet our dumb protagonist uses the Ask the Audience
"lifeline".Come on, Mr. Director. I know you had to get rid of one lifeline in
order to leave only two for your vision of the grand finale, but
couldn't you have picked a more realistic question to do so? Is our
protagonist such a moron that he actually thought the national emblem
might say "Lies/Fashion/Money Triumphs"?!The premise of the movie is that Jamal, the protagonist, albeit an
uneducated slumdog, knows the answers to most of the questions simply
because he has "lived them", so to speak. An interesting fictional
premise, but…Thus our Jamal knows that the revolver was invented by Colt (and not
Browning, Wesson, et al) simply because his brother once, when attacked
by bad guys, miraculously, deus ex machina-style, pulled a Colt we'd
never seen him acquire prior to that and killed one of them. And that's how Jamal knew Colt and not Wesson invented the revolver.In a similarly inane fashion, he knows that the face on the $100 bill
is Ben Franklin, because his blind(!) slumteen beggar buddy, after
Jamal had given him $100 and described the face on the bill as a "bald
man with hair on the sides", told him it's Ben Franklin. Are we
supposed to believe that underage, illiterate, uneducated Indian beggar
kids that have never seen a book or a TV set in their life, let alone a
100-dollar bill, know what Franklin looks like? Please. But I guess
anything's possible in a movie in which an elementary school slum
dropout talks to British tourists in perfect BBC RP, firing out
collocations such as "in a top-class fashion" and "maximum-pileup
traffic accident" like it ain't no thang.Also, the final, million-dollar question is (drum roll): Name the third
Musketeer: Athos, Porthos… Come on. If the final questions were that easy, we'd all be
millionaires. And how does Jamal know the answer? He takes a blind guess, because it
was his destiny to win. "It was written". And he guesses right.Just like he told the (also teenage) love of his life that they'll find
each other no matter what, because "it is written". Come on. I haven't
heard such salad-tossers blurted by teenagers(!) since Dawson's Creek.
Even The Last of the Mohicans barely managed to get off with similar
cheese. I could go on forever.So, in the end, our fate's pet Jamal answers all of the questions,
while his big brother frees the girl from the jaws of mafia by killing
the boss. Mind you, he first killed bad guys, then joined them, and now
he switched it up again while you weren't looking and mended his ways.
He held Jamal at gunpoint, raped the love of his life, and cut her
face, but now he suddenly wants to help them. Must have been touched by
the hand of God off-screen. Anyways, the girl is now free to catch the
impossible live airing of the show, reunites with Jamal on-air, and
they live happily ever after as millionaires. And she thought they
would "only be united in death" (direct quote… the kids of today, so
profound).Because puppy love conquers all. Especially if your future-boyfriend is
about to become a millionaire. So, two hours of an interesting premise ruined by carelessness in
details and chuckle-inducing implausibility, slopped with saccharine,
drowned in a one-sided portrayal of life in India (read the other
negative reviews for more on that), and spiced up with a dash of that
straight-out-of-Bollywood fairytale love story - which you couldn't
give a rat's ass about even if you wanted to, since the girl suffers
from a severe case of character underdevelopment (all we know about her
is that she's "the most beautiful girl in the world" (of course)), and
there's more chemistry in your hamburger than there is between her and
Jamal.But I guess the morning after watching the movie you'll only remember
the core of the story as summarized in the IMDb synopsis, and that
would suffice. Good for you.P.S. Nice hand-held camera work in a couple of shots. And nice colors.
The only things hinting, albeit infinitely remotely, at the fact that
this is the same guy that directed Trainspotting. Incomprehensible.

translator (kgottlicher@net.hr) - 3 February 2009

Slum Dogma

Bless us all, Danny Boyle is in his prime. His "Sunshine" was
lifeatleringly effective for me. He does things with a camera that are
new, effective. He does better than others in providing a story
foundation that fits the cinematic effects. He's visually clever. Its
all more than enough for me.Here, he appeases audiences too much for my taste in building a happy
ending that has you walking out actually believing that you have seen a
happy romance, worthy of Bollywood dance fantasy. This, I suppose is
his answer to those who were confused by "Sunshine"s failure to support
a common genre. Alas, a shame.But the cinematic bits are more than enough. Quite apart from the romance, what we have here is a (unique I think)
synthesis of the film (here a TeeVee show) within that affects the film
without plus a similar device of memory within. Here it is both a
recall and a storytelling. The earlier in life we go, the more hectic
and jagged the visions. It starts with one of the three "City of God"
types of choppy editing and slowly bleeds into a normally paced
picture. But that "City of God" stuff was mostly just in camera motion,
and intended to contrast with the other two "personalities."Here it is in the camera, in the movement of the actors and deeply in
the editing. Its integrated and cinematic. Its brilliant. I think that
is because of the way Boyle has digested the results of Dogma 95. There
was a lot of pretentious stuff in that manifesto, but its core and
ultimately its effect has been the opposite of the intended. The
capture of the natural to be true has to involve intrusive craft, not
lack of craft. Boyle, without notice has picked up Dogma graduates for
his crew, more this time than usual.The beginning of this film is true, powerful, full of life, energy. It
is real. As it progresses and our hero enters and is accepted into
TeeVee land it becomes more romantic and unreal, more like a Bollywood
romance. It is more powerful than any from Bollywood because we assume
it to be real from the beginning. Clever.Ted's Evaluation — 3 of 3: Worth watching.

tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach - 2 February 2009

Pure Cinema

Slumdog Millionaire is probably the best movie i have ever watched for
2009. I recommend this movie to all independent filmmakers and students
who are planning to shoot their first film. Make this your inspiration
as you continue reaching for your dreams.Cinematography is amazing! The angles are well defined as it reveal the
highlight of the story, the slum. The cast, Dev Patel, has played a
very intelligent role as well as the rest of the cast. The young and
middle Jamal, and Saleem, have developed and portrayed a very realistic
mood that make the story very significant. The setting, a slum part in
Mumbai reflects not only in the country but the whole world. The face
of the world, the reality, that 70% of countries around the world have
been suffering for a long time. Poverty, prostitution, crime, violence
and oppression are common and visible realities that are deliberately
ignored over the years.As an aspiring film maker, I truly admire Danny Boyle for bringing this
echoes of realities to the world. The movie as a whole is a pure
cinema! Admirable and truly a masterpiece!

Wilfred Tangid from Canada - 2 February 2009

Zero out of Ten.This piece of shoot is a very bad piece of non sense

Some Indian people will do anything to earn American dollars.The
situation in Indian cinema of the last 100 years is very confusing. No
one likes art cinema (X Ray,Railway Bhatak,Pampalkrishna) where these
intellectuals show poor people.In a film disco dancer mithun is showed
as a poor hunter.X Ray has shown Gabbar Singh in a role of players of
chess.Pampal has shown kerala super star Mum ooty.So rich people do not
like art cinema as it shows only poor people.Sunil Dutt wife angry over
X ray because in parliament x ray showing poor people. Indian
intellectual class don't like Hindi films as 180 minutes full of
songs,dance,comedy and action.It is like a spicy pizza full of
different flavours.So Indian cinema is very confused state.Shyam
Benegal making a silly film about village post man in Sajjanpur. Each
time a non sense like this is made,it puts to shame all the good work
which Indian software professionals are doing in India.Such a piece of
an idiot's fantasy puts to shame all the Indian people who work for
NASA in USA.This is because people will think that India is a poor
country.No India is not a poor country but India is a golden sparrow.It
is a pity that an Indian film "Stars on Ground" is not appreciated by
west people.It is about mentally retarded children who are trained by a
mentally retarded teacher.Many people write to Indian newspapers why
Oscar is not giving a special prize to a gem of an Indian film "Stars
on ground".A word about bad actors.The actor who played the role of
police inspector cannot speak English at all.I happened to see him on
TV and boy ! he was struggling to utter even some of the most basic
sentences.I wonder he must have also been picked up from some Indian
slum.Some of my friends told me that he has also acted in other English
films.This makes me feel as if boorish guys can easily get roles in
Hollywood.SM is sado masochistic film.The only person who has gained
from this bad film is its casting director Loveleen Ton Ton.If she can
earn lot and lots and pots and pots of money,there would be millions
like her who have done mass communication who would do casting job of
casting poor Indian children to earn shiny dollars making a mockery of
India's progress.What a shame !

atikin1983 from Baffin Islands - 2 February 2009

Annoying… unashamedly overrated!

The first 45 minutes of the film turned out to be actually very very
good - in the waters of City of God. However, later on in the film,
sunk in the the cheesiness, pretentiousness and the banal ending which
killed the whole thing.I understand this is a realistic take on a intrinsically cheesy way of
storytelling, but nevertheless I felt it should have been a less phony
outcome.The film itself stands as a praise for a state of mind which strands
millions of miserable souls to those miserable slums…Hence the mega-idiotic and ultimately shallow poster.

CanEvrenol from Istanbul, Turkey - 2 February 2009

Great humanizing story, but hard to not think about the importance of good family planning

The wonderful gimmick of the movie is that each question a) calls up
more or less in sequence a formative incident in Jamal's life, and b)
as the incidents get closer to his current life we see Jamal is on a
lifelong mission to find Latika once again and make her his own. As my
lady friend remarked, the movie is "relentless;" one doesn't get much
in the way of a break. It seems one or the other of the characters has
to urgently get from point A to point B or to crawl figuratively over
hot coals to find someone or something critical to his purpose.And seeing this one at the theater, these days the sound guys feel they
have to break your ear drums with the music or sound effects or they're
not doing their jobs. Geez, about the only thing you can do is give in
to the high decibel level, and fortunately the sound-visual-action
qualities of this particular film are mentally absorbing. (I wasn't so
complimentary of the Dark Knight experience, mainly because all the
noise seemed to signify violence.) So, I'm not cool with the loud, but
at least it's loud with a high-quality foundation….For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book
reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.Brian Wright Copyright 2009

Brian Wright from United States - 2 February 2009

Welcome to India

This film has truly captivated the hearts of audiences all over the
world. It is quite simply: a masterpiece. Almost completely flawless from beginning to end.It is to be cherished among many for years to come and will remain a
classic forever. It is truly this years Best Picture. Danny Boyle has created an unbelievable movie for all ages. (Well maybe not under 14,but certainly those over.) Go see this movie, I'm sure you'll never see a movie as awe inspiring
or captivating as this one in your whole life.

gmarrast from Canada - 2 February 2009

Absolutely Amazing

This is one of those films that you do not come across very often. It
was absolutely amazing. This film is one of the most well written, well
directed films I have ever seen. The non-linear narrative was executed
perfectly and the plot was astonishing. Every single actor in this
film, especially the child actors, played their roles perfectly and the
casting was so spot on as it was hard to imagine these characters being
anybody else. The character relationship between Jamal and Latika was
brilliant and the development of the characters throughout the movie
kept you on the edge of the seat wanting to find out what is going to
happen to them next etc. The soundtrack (music) in this film was mind
blowing, every song selected, every sound effect fitted so perfectly
within the film, some moments gave me shivers and goose bumps and the
music was so gripping. This movie by far deserves to win the Oscar for
best picture and i will not be surprised if it takes out all 10 Oscars
it has been nominated for.A definite MUST SEE 9/10

bbqballs - 2 February 2009

Not good enough for Oscars

Danny Boyle has done a good job by making this film because it
remembers the people of Mumbai that there are a lot of slums in Mumbai.
Slums are the other face of Mumbai. Anyways, i wanted to talk about the
film.I personally would not like the film to get an Oscar award because its
not worth of getting this much big award, though nice but not good
enough.There are many Flaws in the movie but I will share you the two most
famous flaws of mine. Like the very first scene in the movie where the
game show called "Who wants to be a Millionaire" starts, Jamal
remembers the way he was treated in the Jail; Slaps of the cop, etc,
and Jamal gets frightened. But let me tell you he(Jamal) gets bitten up
by the cop when he is one question away from becoming a millionaire. So
at the very beginning how can they show that he(Jamal) was frightened??
Another flaw was that the game show in the movie hosted by Amitabh
Bachchan(Anil Kapoor) as shown, is given the same music and same style
of the show, but they forgot that the real game show was never
broad-casted live at any question, but in the movie at the last
question they are broadcasting it live, as they have shown in the movie
that everyone is watching the show at the last question.Just think whether this movie is worth getting an Oscar??

mohd-tharani from India - 2 February 2009

Great Movie…great music…

Amazing movie by Danny Boyle… have seen his "Life less Ordinary"
earlier..n had liked that too… This one was amazing though… With
the life of Jamal revolving around the Slums of Mumbai n going on to
answer the questions, was just amazing storyline.. N the realistic view
of the slums, well I guess he couldn't get more real! The only thing I
felt was that he should have had used just one language in the entire
movie, for the main characters. He starts the movie in Hindi, for the 2
brothers…their entire conversations happening in Hindi.. but as the
story moves on…they move on to English…this was something awkward..
Had he made them speak in English after the Taj Mahal scene, where the
situation demands to speak in English because of the entire Guide
thing, it would have made more sense.. but anyways…the movie scores..
And after sometime A.R. Rehman is back with his winning tact's to top
the box office! Great work with the music..loved the music instantly!
And Paper planes by MIA just comes at the right time too.. So overall
was a great package to watch!

Ajay Katkar from United States / India - 1 February 2009

Silly Mistakes Took Me Out Of The Experience

Slumdog Millionaire is a love story, about the troubles one young man
goes through in order to be with the woman he loves. Jamal is a
contestant on the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and is
interrogated after answering all the correct answers, he explains how
he knew those answers and we are taken on a ride through his life and
through India.This film is marvelous to watch, from the opening shots of India and
the hyper kinetic chase through the slums, I was immediately captured
by the beauty this film offers its viewer. Both beautiful and
depressing, violent and peaceful, dangerous and safe. Slumdog rises to
be one of the better films of 2008 and was so close to being a top
contender, but faults with the film are technical and it immediately
took me out of that zone of beauty and made me realize I was watching a
movie.I'll get to that later, but first, let me tell you how good the film
is. It's really good. The vibrant colours hit you and never leave, you
actually feel like you are in another world. The sound design is
immense and astounding, great attention to detail that is backed with a
joyful soundtrack.The cast is wonderful, Freida Pinto is beautiful beyond words, playing
the love interests of the main character in the present time. Each
character (Jamal, his brother Salim and Litika) are portrayed at
different stages in their lives, by different actors. I enjoyed the
really young child actors the most, their innocence and voice worked so
well. Dev Petal plays Jamal on the show and despite being new to the
acting craft, feels comfortable in the role. One would not know that
the kid is actually British.The film is an all around feel good flick, you will cheer for the kids
and their adventures. I will admit, when I first heard about it and saw
a trailer I was not really interested, the India background turned me
off. I didn't think it was going to be an endearing and thought
provoking film. First mistake ladies and gentlemen is going into a
flick with preconceived notions. Of course after hearing all the praise
I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did.Now on to my own little personal rant as I said earlier. I was taken
out of the movie experiences a couple times and it ultimately ruined
bits for me. One would be after the show is turned on the television
and Jamal is being questioned we see a boom mic over his head. Bobbing
away up in the air, the second is when we see Latika for the first time
after she was captured. The continuity with her piercings in her nose
were totally off. Normally the continuity thing wouldn't bother me if
it weren't so apparent, but the boom mic really did take me out of it.
Or what about the fact that these kids speak English when they are
older. Where the hell did they learn that?That said, the film does have some minor flaws, it's not perfect in
anyway. I wanted a bit more from Latika, she was under used. The
millionaire questions were incredibly easy, I could be a millionaire
right now. you'll enjoy the flashbacks more then the present, but I'm
assuming you're suppose to. All in all, Slumdog is a good film.

Matt_Layden from Canada - 1 February 2009

One of the Best films ever made

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the best movies ever made. It is at the
top of the list with crash and citizen cane. Brilliantly filmed,
spectacular acting,amazing story, creative cast, and a great
screenplay. It is a beautifully done and has many morals that effect us
all. Dev Patel and Freida Pinto make a wonderful couple. Their
chemistry is marvelous and stupendous. No movie in 2008 or 2009 can
compare with this. Besides the fact that Boyle beat Christopher Nolan
and Ron Howard is not only shocking but "maybe its written"? I hope
this motion picture wins best picture at the academy awards it deserves
it for all of the hard work the cast and crew have put into it.

speedracer7000 from United States - 1 February 2009

Will make you 'feel good', but lacking in substance

There are good and bad things about this film. First, the good things.
It shows aspects of the reality of slum life in Mumbai that are
routinely ignored by 'Bollywood'. In this film, we see the shacks
people live in, the way they dry their clothes and how they go to the
toilet, and there are allusions to prostitution and to the criminal and
communal violence that can be a feature of living in the slums. We also
see something of the organised nature of begging and the cruelty of
those who control the child beggars. The filming is beautiful, the film
is entertaining, and we can all leave on a high and feeling good about
how it ends, with its underlying message of the power of love and
compassion.However, the key problem with the film is that everything is captured
on no more than a superficial level. There are beautiful images in the
film of the Dharavi slums and the inhabitants, but they are the kind of
images one would expect to see in a guidebook. In other words, these
images are taken from the perspective of a tourist, and, like the
tourist, the film merely scratches the surface of life in the slum. The
superficiality continues in the simplistic nature of the characters and
the lack of any real character development. Some of the characters are
introduced to simply be one-dimensional 'baddies', such as the
gangsters Maman and Javed. The plot itself is contrived, with one
question on the game show leading to a 'flashback', another question
leading to another 'flashback', and so on. The plot is also implausible
in a number of ways. For example, it is never explained how Jamal goes
from the slums to a clean-cut looking, English-speaking call centre
assistant. Also, the reason for Jamal appearing on the game show is
because he apparently wishes to resume contact with Latika, but we are
not told how he expects Latika to contact him, given that she is being
kept under lock and key by Javed.Despite these shortcomings, there is no doubt that the film manipulates
the viewers' emotions in such a way that they 'feel good' after seeing
the film, they feel on a high, and they love the film. However, this is
a typical feature of many Bollywood films. This is what these films are
designed to do. They are there to act like a drug, like alcohol or like
sex to give you a kick and to make you feel good. This is not
necessarily a good thing because the kick is not going to last. When I
walked out of the cinema and into the supermarket, the comedown from
the high I felt after seeing this fairytale left me feeling nothing but
depression. Watch Slumdog and get your buzz from it, but be ready for
the cold turkey as well. Somehow, I think there should be more
substance to cinema than this.

asylumseeker from United Kingdom - 1 February 2009

He is the winner

As movies continue to come this movie that I saw at my local multiplex
drove me to another way of life. In the slums of Mumbai, India a kid
named Jamal is sent on a game show. Little does he know he is sent
through a time warp that he never expected. In this beautifully
mastered drama directed by Danny Boyle, he makes this film best picture
material and makes you think about, can this really happen?This movie will make you really think about how can a kid from the
slums of Mumbai become a Slumdog Millionaire? I give this film ten out of ten. I recommend this film for everyone
over the age of 13.

charliote13 from United States - 1 February 2009

Over-rated, but has a great entertainment value.

Eighteen year old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is having an amazing
answering streak on the Indian version of the television game show,
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". He's only one correct question away
from the big prize. However, some, including those associated with the
game show, question how someone like Jamal, a self confessed non-genius
who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show
when others who are brighter, more educated and wealthier than him have
failed. Is Jamal cheating? Is it purely luck that they have asked him
the questions to which he knows the answers? Seeing Jamal's life
journey to this point ultimately answers these questions. His life
journey includes being orphaned at an early age; growing up with an
older brother, Salim, who was both his guardian/protector and
antagonist; and having a relationship since childhood with another
orphaned child, a girl named Latika (Freida Pinto). His motivation for
being on the show also may provide some answers to his success. Perhaps
it was all just meant to be. Oscars, Golden Globe & much more! Really?
It is unbelievable that a movie like "Slumdog Millionaire", has been
acclaimed highly by the critics & the rest of the whole world. But does
it really deserves all the appreciation? Absolutely no. This is only a
movie, meant for some fictional entertainment. This movie does not
makes any sense at all. People & children from Slum of Mumbai are
speaking in English, beggars are aware of who Benjamin Franklin is,
"Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" having it's live telecast & hell lots
of other silly stuffs! Mr. Boyle, a true Indian, would actually
criticise your movie. And more over, in a scene, it has been said that
Americans are great & the Indians are just opposite. Not a sensible
movie in any way. But if you go for entertainment, then there's loads
of stuffs. The performances are very refreshing, Dev Patel is a fresh
face with a fine execution, Freida Pinto with her cute & lovely looks,
Anil Kapoor & Irrfan Khan with their as usual talent of serious
performances & all the child artistes executing some fantastic
performances, makes the movie special. Adding to it, A.R. Rehman's
exciting soundtrack & score. Danny Boyle's direction is full of flaws
with no sensible situations. One of the most highly over-rated movies
ever to be made, though the movie has a great entertainment value. Only
meant for entertainment, but does not deserves the critical
appreciation. Mr. Boyle, you still need to know a lot about India.

Abhilash Sabat from India - 1 February 2009

Fear, violence, savage injustice and cruelty… hilarity and filthy beauty

Slumdog Millionaire "Feelgood". That's what was in my head as I sat
down to watch Slumdog Millionaire − I'd read everywhere how it's the
feelgood movie of the decade etc etc.So I was a bit surprised to find myself plunged into a world of fear,
violence, savage injustice and extreme cruelty − though admittedly shot
through with great hilarity and a kind of filthy beauty. It seems
director Danny Boyle has done it again, and brought Trainspotting's
pungent attractions to the notorious slums of Mumbai.The film chronicles the precarious lives of three kids struggling to
survive in the dangerous, predatory world of the slums. The story is
told through the sequence of questions in a nail-biting episode of Who
Wants to be a Millionaire? Slum kid Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) inches his
way towards 20 million rupees while the whole of India watches TV,
transfixed − and so are we.Malik (one of the excellent ensemble in cult TV show Skins) has
garnered much publicity for his role, but the three main characters are
also played by other actors, as little children then as young teenagers
− they all give mesmerising performances in highly challenging roles.The vivid contrasts of India also play a starring role in this film:
baby scavengers in the mountains of rubbish, the glorious colours of a
thousand saris drying in the sun, poetic train journeys, battalions of
tuk tuks, the sleek glint of Mercedes and Dior sunglasses.There are many memorable moments, horrible, poignant and wonderful.Early on, young Jamal, locked in a 'long-drop' communal toilet, is
desperate to escape to meet his favourite Bollywood movie star. He
jumps into the brimming pit below one of the most disgusting things I
have ever seen − and very funny.An idyllic orphanage turns out to be anything but: the children are
forced into joining an Artful Dodger-style gang of beggars and thieves.
But their masters are no cosy Fagins: youngsters with a talent for
singing are chloroformed and blinded to increase begging revenue.A few years older, the two boys operate as inept, fraudulent tour
guides at the Taj Mahal − their services include taking Polaroids of
women tourists wanting to recreate the famous Princess Diana picture.Jamal's older brother Salim grows up to be a cocky, trigger-happy
gangster working for the top dog who sweeps away the slums to build
glitzy skyscrapers, while his childhood sweetheart Latika (Freida
Pinto) becomes the vile old crime lord's beautiful, beaten mistress.As Millionaire reaches its climax, there's a tear-jerking welter of
revenge, redemption and lovers united − finally that feel-good factor!
The entire slum population crowded round TV sets rooting for their boy
fair brings a lump to the throat.But don't leave your seats just yet − or you'll miss the best
end-credits I've seen: a joyous disco pastiche of a big Bollywood dance
number in Mumbai's iconic Victoria train station.

paulrevel from United Kingdom - 1 February 2009

Not deserving of the 34th greatest movie of all time, but still good

Amidst a lot of positive feedback and reviews, i decided to watch this
film. Prior to watching the film i had seen the trailer and was not
overly impressed. Not that much changed after i watched the movie.
First things first, the acting by the children was spectacular. I heard
that these kids were taken from slums and after the movie the directors
gave them money for education which is highly commendable. The acting
by patel and pinto is average as best but the story is good enough to
overshadow this. The movie is exactly what they say it is. Nothing too
much out of the ordinary. If an Indian or person from that area will
watch this like myself, it will just seem that this a story of an
individual person in Bombay. The reason that the movie has had such
success is because many North Americans are not aware of the issues in
India. The movie basically serves as an eye opener for them which is
why the movie has had so much success. It's a good movie, undoubtedly
not deserving in the 50 greatest movies of all time, but a good movie
nevertheless. Watch it, but perhaps watch it with a little lower
expectations that you may have been exposed to.

cb429 from Canada - 31 January 2009

Definitive of a "Feel Good" movie

I was so upbeat exiting the theatre after seeing this film, and that
made me feel good.I had no idea what I was getting into when I went to see this movie,
having made the decision to go based literally on the music that was
played as the actors took to the stage during the Golden Globes.I'd heard from so many people how this was "The best movie of the year"
and I kind of figured that it was a bio-pic of some sort (since those
are the movies that are so often fawned over in the critical community)
or possibly something rather deep and depressing like "City of God". I
just wasn't in the mood. Then I heard the music. It was so upbeat and
catchy! I decided to give it a chance.I loved it. It had it's moments of deepness, several moments that
reminded me "Ah, that's why it's a Critical darling" but the plot was
anything but a heavy drama…it was more feel good.It's strange that a movie that contains so much torture and children
living in such terrible squalor could make you feel good. But the
premise of the film, how Jamal's difficult life led to him winning big
and most of all, how love and destiny conquer all, was all so
inspirational.In a lesser directors hands it very well could have turned out
amazingly cheesy as well, but somehow Danny Boyle managed to tone the
cheese factor down on such a clichéd theme as "Love conquers" and make
a "surprisingly plausible" story out of it.So I loved Slumdog Millionaire. I loved that I was able to leave the
theatre smiling (the dance number helped). I absolutely loved the
music. And I'm very excited that a movie like this is receiving such
recognition and praise.

YoSafBridge from United States - 31 January 2009

I really don't know why everyone's getting so carried away!

OK, Slumdog's a really good movie. That's it! Its good! So what? Does
it deserve an Oscar? No, it doesn't. I'm an Indian, and I'm supposed to
like this movie. Even if I manage to put aside all those negative
things which have been shown about the country, I still can't find the
one thing which is making everyone turn their heads and clap for this
movie! I really cant!Point is, this is a good movie, but its too overrated! Put your hand on
your heart and ask yourself a question, have you not REALLY seen a
better movie in 2008? REALLY??? I think you have.The performances of all the actors are quite good, although in my
opinion, Frida Pinto (Lathika)leaves a lot to be desired. She really
could have done a lot better job. The child actors are awesome, wait
thats an understatement, they are outstanding! I really haven't seen
better performances by people so very young.In short, a nice movie, but a bit too overrated.

Arnab Das from India - 31 January 2009

One of the best Movies from 2008

This Movie is, as mentioned by others an Indian Version of "City of
God" but if you ask me with a much better plot and better story.I've been to Bombay and have seen the slums and it still gives a cold
shiver when i think about it sometimes. Once you've seen how people
live (vegetate) in this huge area, you don't believe in anything
anymore.. (at least i don't)The Movie has a good pace, interesting story, involving heart, action,
thrill and even comedy sometimes. The colourful scenery of Bombay and
the good music do the rest.Trust me, it's hard not to like this one..

widerfocus from Germany - 31 January 2009

(d) It is written

Highly acclaimed and rightfully so, "Slumdog Millionaire" has one of
the most unique structures of any film I've seen: the main character,
Jamal – a superb performance from the young Dev Patel – is on
television, on India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He is
presented with the questions and we are shown, through extensive, vivid
and sometimes brutally shocking flashbacks of his incredible life
experiences, how he has come to know each of the answers.Without giving away too much, we see how Jamal and his brother Salim
grow up in the slums of Mumbai, India, where they meet Latika. Jamal
and Latika realize very early on that they are soulmates, and the film,
we find, is actually at its heart a story of how of the power of their
love survives all of the many (and there are many) obstacles thrown in
their way. It also reminds us, brilliantly, through the structure of
how Jamal has come to know the answers to the questions on the game
show, that in life, things do happen the way they're meant to happen,
when they're meant to happen – it's the energy of the Universe, which
works with our own energy, giving us the tools to achieve exactly what
we are seeking, on a deep soul level.Danny Boyle has said in interviews that the city of Mumbai is a city of
contradictions, where the slums exist literally in the midst of the
more affluent sections, and he wanted to capture that reality. He has
most definitely succeeded, both in the film's kinetic energy and in the
way the story veers from horrific brutality to lyrical moments of
beauty and everything inbetween, sometimes all at once. And Dev Patel
is a real find, who can register childlike hope in one second and
intense, gritty resolve in the next – a perfectly modulated
performance. And the actors who played the 3 characters as children
were all brilliant and perfectly cast, as well.I did have a little problem with the writing in some of the off-camera
game show scenes, plus in the scenes with the older Jamal and older
Latika (the gorgeous Freida Pinto), it seemed that she was older than
he was; it turns out she indeed was born nearly 6 years earlier. This
sort of detracted from the power of these scenes, for me; if they could
have either made Pinto look a little younger or made Patel look a
little older, it would have been more effective, I think. It's a
dazzling piece of film making, nonetheless, and make sure you stay for
the dance sequence, over the end credits. It rocks.

Rogue-32 from L A. - 31 January 2009

Surprising for SM to be at #32 on the IMDb top list

It is really surprising for Slumdog Millionaire to be at #32 in the
IMDb list. It is just one of ordinary movies which are churned out in
dozens each year in India.I wonder what is the hype all about? Is it because the movie is
directed by an American? The highlight of the movie is the way Slums of
Mumbai are portrayed (which is great), But then whats wrong with movies
like SATYA …Aamir Khan's "Taare Zameen Par" did not find a place at the Oscars and
Slumdog Millionaire is making waves .. Boy I am slightly confused.I have myself worked at different top notch Call Centres across India
for 5 years, and trust me I have never come across a single
Housekeeping boy (chaiwallah in the movie), who was so fluent in
English. I was wondering why was he not taking calls and serving tea
instead …. he would be earning at least 10 times a month.If we deep dive into the plot, a minimum of 25 defects can be pointed
out any moment. The one mentioned above was just a single of the lot.
And on "Well here is a little bit of the Real America Son" … and that
$10 Bill … Its probably the most disgusting way to discriminate a
Nation against another upfront. In the movie only parts of the car were
removed, In the US the entire car could have vaporized. Mr, Danny Boyle
there are infinite reasons for the plight of people in the SLUMS of
India or the people in general … But the above statement. What
exactly did you wanna prove ??? Or was it to melt the hearts of the
Oscar Jury members … Personally to me as and Indian it was
sickening, honestly.******* Bottom line … I am happy for A.R.Rahman for being honored for
the music score (though this ones not his best), he is great and
certainly deserve it ******** But the movie as a whole … Oscars
…….. I mean; I don't know *********

cool-buddy1 from India - 31 January 2009

absolutely brilliant!!!

I came to this movie with few expectations other than hearing it was
nominated for a bunch of awards…which as far as I'm concerned was a
huge strike against it. I have to say that I was not only wrong but was
entirely blown away by how good this film is! This wonderful movie
works on so many levels and across so many levels I don't know where to
begin. The settings were ideally suited for each act and the ever
changing story drawn together by an overall story arc was simply
breathtaking. The acting was top notch to the point I was happy to
watch the credits, which for me is rather rare. I could go on and on as
to the good in this film, but I encourage anyone reading this to see it
for themselves…this is one movie, film, work of art that is worth
more than the price of admission. I would say that this is an ideal
date movie, so keep that in mind, one where both sexes will walk away
not only satisfied but worth something to talk about after it's over.
Enjoy the flick…peace and good journey!

kletch from Canada - 30 January 2009

If there are no schools, where do kids learn?

In obedience to some feeling - a subjective one - I want to embrace
Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" because in a medium of much
darkness, here is film that sparkles like a halo in the night sky, with
images so visible, and so visibly distinct, they replay in your mind
long after the screening. Within a few days of seeing most movies I
forget most of the individual shots in predilection of the most
fruitful, whatever they should be in regards to visuals or sound
properties. I saw this movie a week ago, and can recall virtually every
scene, but deeper than that, the number of moments within a scene are
unforgettable. Yes, if you are familiar with Boyle's filmography you
will not think this notion even mildly curious. He is a very good
filmmaker, and a show-off. Could he make a straight-in-front-of-you
drama like "The Godfather" if he was asked? Could he let the actors
pull more of the dramatic crux from their talent? If "Slumdog Millionaire" were a novel I would describe it as an aureate
piece of fiction. The movie, by chance, was actually based on a book
and, sinceI have read the work, I am pre-empting myself by saying it
does not fall into the same category of this movie. Q and A, by
novelist Vikas Swarup, is a great read, and if you love the movie I
suggest you take the time to investigate the source material. Unlike
the book, which relied heavily on the main character's sorrow at being
refused his deserved winnings, "Slumdog Millionaire" rallies to a
higher level of narrative complexity, aiming most prominently for a
tagged-on love interest. Romance in a fairytale is fair game, but not
so much when the actual actors are sidelined by the filmmaker. There
are hundreds of brilliant shots throughout, more than most cinematic
experts will have experienced all year. The harsh reality is that the
style weighs outthe substance, especially if you are an Aristotelian
disciple. The screenplay exhibits a discomposure that leaves an inertia
on the experience, however magical it may have appeared.The best way to understand a person is to tell stories about them. The
best way to tell stories is to jump from one tale to another with no
method to the process. In "Slumdog Millionaire," the stories we learn
about the young man at the heart of the picture, Jemal (Dave Patel),
are told in the actual sequence of order he lived through them. Every
scene of his past is grooved into specific episodes that are related to
the series of questions he is asked on the Indian version of a popular
television quiz show. The movie ponders Jemal's status as a contestant;
a successful contestant no less. Time and time again Jemal comes up the
correct answer. How is he doing it all - even when he admits to not
knowing an answer for sure, his instinct comes up trumps? Lady-luck is
on his side if we accept his word as honesty personified. Maybe he is
regurgitating information linked to him through some intricately
sophisticated crowd partnership? Is he simply fortunate, or a genius
posing as a slumdog? Not every man can be great, but greatness in men
can appear from anywhere, including the poverty-stricken slums of
Mumbai.Read the full review at my personal website: –http://www.sightforallseasons.co.nr

(only_marti_has_the_answer@hotmail.com) from United Kingdom - 30 January 2009

City of God Has One Vital Thing Slumdog Millionaire Does Not

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of
2008 but the hype surrounding it is a bit undeserved. Don't get me
wrong, this is at the very least a good movie and is quite a terrific
movie 2/3 the way through. What the movie does though in the last 1/3
is make the fatal mistake of turning into a Hollywood or maybe in this
case a Bollywood movie. It takes away from that genuine and satisfying
feeling. The acting all around was very good particularly from Dev Patel and the
small kids. There performance are probably the only thing that is
overlooked in this film. Without much of these very good performances
the movie would not have been at the level it was at.The directing of
Danny Boyle was his best yet. The look of the film was amazing and many
screen shots of India were breathtaking. The musical score was very
fitting to the style of the movie. It was one of the best scores of
2008. Where this film fell apart was at the writing. Towards the end
its withdrew into a standard romance. It was no longer the great and
amazing adventure we had witnessed for most of the movie. The complex
relations seemed to be over simplified and it does the safe thing to do
in the approach of tone but if taken into a drastically different
direction could have lead it to be a real classic. Yet instead of ever
peaking or sky rocketing to greatness it had plateaued and didn't
deliver the way I had hoped it would, this largely in part by the
failure of the screenplay.Many people have compared this film to City of God because the film are
actually similar in many ways. Yet City of God has something Slumdog
Millionaire does not have which is depth and character motivations.
These things are vital to these kind of movies being successful. City
of God seemed to have a more plausible story because the story was more
linear. Events took place as a result of other events. This did not
happen in Slumdog Millionaire, the story was more chopped up and too
many of the events just seemed to pop up out of no where. Slumdog
Millionaire did take a very ambitious approach in the way it was made
which is commendable. Is this a 1st rate movie though? The answer to
that is no.

alexkolokotronis from Queens, New York - 30 January 2009

for all those who like this film, did you actually watch and listen carefully

first of this is not a feel good but a very feel bad film. all the
characters and i mean all of them are nasty and quite stupid. the elder
brother constantly screws his younger brother and puts him in difficult
and life threatening situations he stills the love of his life. the
policeman, the quiz show host, the gangsters are all horrible and nasty
people. everything that happens to the kid is tragic. the kid as a
grown up is a gormless guy, who just wants his girl, neither he nor his
brother aspire to anything, they just get by, by any means mostly foul
and violent. the film is loud abrasive and the utmost in exploitation
cinema. i think audiences today just go in leave their brains, if they
have one, at the door and lap up what is in front of them. going along
with critics, who today, have lost all critical faculties, just wait
for when the DVD comes out i bet anything that critics who gave this
film rave reviews will be more conservative on their appraisal, on a
second views all its very many flaws and unbelievable implausibilities
will come to light. a bad film in every way

grumpy-3 from london - 30 January 2009

Watchabe bullshit about keeping trying and "love"

Watchable is a keyword. It's really is an OK movie.Yeah, it's a fairy tale about a male building a nest for a female. Life
is so tough and cruel, but love will overcome everything. You'd better
believe it.Too frequently during the movie I had the feeling "I know earning lots
of money is not THAT important", so why am I expected to be so excited?
I guess it's just an appealing theme, conveniently re-marketed as
believing in destiny, and trying harder. Thanks!Anyway, the main characters are cute. Not sure how truthful is portrait
of the scene - the India, but it does look cute too. Like I said, it's
a watchable movie.

Pat Delancey from NYC - 30 January 2009

Danny Boyle's best film

I didn't expect to like this movie. When I heard the basic plot line I
thought it would be a movie with fake characters and a tacky happy
ending. Having seen some Indian English efforts, I didn't expect much
from this. But I was wrong.The plot is quite unique. A boy Jamal(Dev Patel) from a slum goes on to
win the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire. The focus in
this movie is on how he knows the answers to the questions. This is
quite an interesting concept and it has been executed well. What I
liked about the movie is the portrayal of the characters in this movie.
The characters seem real and down to earth. Unlike in some Indian
movies, the main characters here are not entirely moral. An example is
Jamal's brother. This is why the story rings true. It shows the
travails of street children quite accurately. But it isn't too dark so
it still can appeal to a lot of people.I am a bit disappointed to see Irfan khan in a short role here as I
feel he is more capable than that. He has done well in his short role.
Dev Patel as Jamal is a major find as he aptly expresses the anger of a
slum boy who is suspected of cheating. The little boys who did the role
of Jamal and Salim in the movie have done a wonderful job. The music by
AR Rahman(I am a fan of his) is quite top notch and it shows that he
does better music when exposed to a better screenplay. The whole
"suspected of cheating" part is too unbelievable though. Would a slum
boy, who is in the limelight now, be taken into custody without ANYBODY
knowing? The last time there was a guy who won a huge amount, there was
such a lot of publicity that the contestants became stars overnight.
The same thing happened here so it is a bit unbelievable to note that
nobody knew that he is missing. The happy ending part was a bit cheesy
too but I don't mind happy endings. The scene with the toilet was quite
unnecessary though seems to be characteristic of Danny Boyle. A related
scene was in Trainspotting too(The only other movie I have seen of
his). I have an aversion towards such scenes.Even if the movie is a bit cheesy, it gives a realistic picture of the
situation on Indian streets and can be described as an Indian version
of City of God. The movie captures the filth and crowded nature of
Mumbai in such an exquisite manner. One of my favourite lines is when
Jamal's brother proudly says that India is going global and he is at
the centre of it. This line shows the influence of the mafia in Mumbai
in so many sectors.9/10

mandibles2 from India - 29 January 2009

Like no other film I've seen before!

The British grit of a Danny Boyle film comes together with the
character and colour of India to form an all round feel good movie.
That's not to say the film is always light-hearted, far from it in
places, but we do focus on a young lad from India's slums who goes on
to become a millionaire. Not too original in a 'rags to riches' sense
you might think but rest assured the film goes deeper than that. The
key to his success is in his past and a child's life is not easy in
poor India. Yet it is companionship that shines through, with the two
young boys (slumdog and his older brother) providing the movie with its
many warming laughs and the eventual truth that the real prize is not
money. Slumdog Millionaire is a heart-warming story with a hidden
message for the more observant of us to take heed. Recommended.

M_Rio_Letts from United Kingdom - 29 January 2009

Mumbai Teen Amazed to Discover Corrupt TV Show.

There are two completely different story-lines taking place in Slumdog
Millionaire, and they take place simultaneously and involve mostly all
of the same people. Director Danny Boyle Has woven the stories together
with such precision, such seamless skill that it presents an almost
impossibly clear picture of this kid's life up to the point where he is
a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."Jamal Malik grew up in a Mumbai slum and has lived a life of of
devastating poverty and drastic heartbreak. As a child, he and his
brother Salim formed a close friendship with a young girl named Latika,
but the happy times they had together ended with a tragic separation
that continued for many years. As an 18-year-old young man, Jamal found
his way onto the Millionaire program, and a chaotic reunion with his
brother and Latika ensued.The sequence of events that led to Jamal's participation on the program
and the reasons that he sought to be a contestant in the first place
are major plot points that I don't want to reveal, but it seems a
little unnecessary to do that anyway. t's nearly impossible to do
justice to a movie like this by explaining plot points, so suffice it
to say that Slumdog Millionaire is the intricate work of a master
director at the top of his form.He has created a story of ordinary people living in terrible poverty
and extraordinary situations. There are no caricatures in the movie,
every character is developed with such clarity that it's almost
impossible to determine who the good guys and bad guys are because we
understand how every character has come to be the person that he or she
is.The movie is told in a wildly unchronological order. The timelines are
so mixed and blended that it is a spectacular feat in itself that Boyle
has managed to craft such a compelling story and that it never becomes
confusing. Many people were confused by Christopher Nolan's brilliant
film Memento for much the same reason, and while I can't understand
much criticism of that movie, I don't think Slumdog Millionaire will
receive many of those kinds of complaints. Jumps back and forth in time
and from one simultaneous story to another with such ease that it all
feels completely natural.It has been said that Danny Boyle has reinvented the crowdpleaser with
Slumdog Millionaire, which is a pretty apt statement. It never once
panders to anyone, it never compromises its integrity with weak, sugary
plot developments, it doesn't even appear to have any influence
whatsoever of the Hollywood machine. There is terrific payoff at
various times, intertwined with heartbreaking disappointment and
struggles. But probably best of all, it provides astonishing insight
into the lives of the Indian people.Jamal's young life took place in an slum of such complete destitution
that the people almost seemed not to realize it was happening. The
people are filthy poor, but its all they've ever known, and the way the
kids play with such glee, it makes us understand that they don't view
their lifestyle with the same understanding audience that those of us
on the outside would.For the full effect, Boyle juxtaposes this level of existence with the
polished world of a successful television show, hosted by a man who is
so incapable of accepting that a kid who came from this background
could possibly know the answers to his questions. In fact, possibly the
film's only real weakness, the thing that will be difficult for us to
believe, is that every question asked by the show happens to coincide
with remarkable accuracy to some traumatic incident in Jamal's life.But that is a good part of the movie's message, as well. About 70% of
India's population, which I believe is nearly 1.2 billion people, live
in small, poor villages, probably not terribly unlike the one where
Jamal and Samir and Latika grew up. Slumdog Millionaire is the story of
one kid from one of those villages for whom, after a childhood of
unbroken poverty and beggary, all of the stars finally aligned.

Michael DeZubiria (miked32@hotmail.com) from Luoyang, China - 29 January 2009

Great story telling, but so many awards?

Trust me, Danny boyle has truly understood the essence of story-telling
using cinema. That'd be the only reason I'd give you to watch this
movie.But does this movie truly deserve its awards?Well, I am from India and there have been times when I'd hope that a
particular bollywood movie would end up at the Oscars. Well that never
happens, reason best known to whomsoever is responsible. When you see
Slumdog Millionaire, you kind of have the same hope (for the Oscars)
but then you wonder, what about ~~that other~~ movie, that deserved its
Oscar as well, maybe much more than Slumdog?Now if I pick a handful of bollywood movies which I think have the
"essence" as mesmerizing as Slumdog, recreate them with an English only
cast, would they too end up with as many awards as Slumdog did?

ridzadi from India - 29 January 2009

So much more than a bollywood film

A couple of my friends were lucky enough to get press passes to the
premier of Slumdog Millionaire in Mumbai on the 22nd of January. By all
accounts it was a glamorous event where all the stars of Bollywood came
out to shine. Apparently this is rather rare, to draw such a star
studded crowd, so what was it about Danny Boyle's new film that had
them all in their glad rags?Andrew and I didn't make it onto the elite guest list so we settled for
buying one of the advance DVD copies which have been available on the
streets of Mumbai for over a month – the DVD pirates here are really on
the ball. This means of course that most of Mumbai had already seen the
film before it premiered – but this will not stop the theatres packing
them in for weeks I am sure.Although the film pays homage to the Bollywood model with it's daring
colours, romantic narrative and big musical finale this is definitely
no Masala flick (masala describes a film that is all spice and no
substance). It's a classic story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy
gets girl back only to lose her once more, Boy wins millions on who
wants to be a millionaire, and guess what gets the girl in the end. But
it is so much more than that. For a start it has the smooth post
production sheen that Indian films rarely attain, something that having
been on Indian sets I'd put down to better organisation and attention
to continuity, and of course access to expensive post-prod editing,
cleaning and colouring techniques.But what makes it even more it's own film is it's honest and realistic
portrayal of India's underbelly. The film is told in a series of flash
backs as the hero relates his story under questioning by the police.
The flash backs take you on a journey through the life of a Bombay slum
kid, no holds barred. It's portrayal of an anti Muslim riot perpetrated
by Hindus in the slums has caused some controversy sparking protests
against the film. However I gather from Indian friends that such
actions were all too common in the slums at one time, with the 2
religions clashing on a regular basis.Many of the begging and con tricks that the protagonists get dragged
into and eventually start to devise are all too familiar to us as
tourists here. Some of the worst stories of what goes on behind the
scenes of the street kids lives are shown in heartbreaking detail.The film maintains a delicate balance of tragedy and romance, of
violence and hope incredibly well, and with that dark humour that
British directors are so famous for. Most of all though the strength
and humanity of the main characters lend this love story real depth.But in my opinion the highest acclaim has to go to the talent scout who
found the incredible children who played the roles of the main
characters as they grew up. Plucked from the slums themselves these
kids are so natural in front of a camera it's startling. These
protégées bring so much to the film, taking the most dramatic scenes,
both the tear-jerking and the hilarious. The young Jamal standing
dripping human excrement from head to toe as he joyfully receives an
autograph from his hero Amitabh Bachchan will stay with viewers
forever.Whether you're a Bollywood fan or not this film is a must see, and I
wouldn't be surprised if it inspired you to take a trip out there
yourself although with your valuables carefully hidden away!

Julia Emily Knox from United Kingdom - 29 January 2009

Improbable instances, but scores on quality storytelling

The word ‘slumdog’ really doesn’t exist, or is it, especially after the
movie’s success at getting itself nominated at the academy awards!
Probably, the usage has to do with the context of the story that
emphasizes fate in the case of a boy from the scum of the society
winning twenty million rupees in ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’; our very own
desi version of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire?’ The story emphasizes
destiny’s power.The protagonist Jamal is seen in Police custody, being interrogated
over his successful run in the game show up to the penultimate
question. While the inspector (Irrfan Khan) plays the questions on TV,
the boy narrates the bizarre and sometimes touching stories about the
past involved with each such question based on his years in the
underbelly of the country’s economic capital. Some stories seem highly
improbable though.Three actors portray the youngest, adolescent and adults for Jamal, his
brother Salim and his love interest Latika. That makes it 9 actors! In
my opinion the youngest three were the best, in their effective
portrayal of life in slums and nursing dreams of a decent life. The
trio are effective in scenes where they lose their family and the one
in which they are captured by the local begging cartel from where they
make a close escape.What makes the movie impressive its emphasis on the story rather on the
usual stuff on individual performances. While specific performance of
actors is nothing amazing, each plays his part in the story. However,
none of the hosts on TV today would be as rude as Anil Kapoor is to the
boy, when he says ‘we have a chaiwala here’ sarcastically. Such
brashness is usually seen only in MTV Roadies! What did Boyle really
want to show? Showing India to be full of slums seems to be an obsession for foreign
filmmakers. Barring a mention by one of them that India is the centre
of the world, the film is full of stereotypes. First, the slums, then
the slumlords, filth, goons running rife and of course, the call
centers. When will Hollywood ever learn that the very same city also
has Nariman Point and Bandra Kurla Complex that really look and feel
truly global! The movie has really hit the headlines for the simple fact that it has
bagged nominations in key categories including the coveted best picture
and director. Our desi Maestro AR Rahman is on the verge of getting an
Oscar with two of three compositions being nominated! While Rahman has
given better hits than ‘Jai Ho’, I am really glad that the
international recognition has come last. And there are others for the
technical awards.Despite bitter disagreements on the stereotyped portrayal of poverty,
why do I rate this as a well made movie? Is it because of the ‘phoren’
tag? Surely not! If you want to see plain story telling with perfect
editing, no redundant scenes explaining every little detail, go for it.
For the Oscars though, I believe Indian films could have made history
long ago; if only the powers that be didn’t succumb to lobbying that
led to sending lousy films.

Vikas SS from Mumbai, India - 29 January 2009

Terribly contrived

This film left me with one thought, "So what?"This is a movie without any act of heroism, and simply another movie
aimed at trashing the concept of living a purposeful life with goals. It expresses the modern day philosophy that says if you are born in
poverty you cannot help yourself other than through luck (winning a
game show). Why not tell an inspiring story of a "slumdog" becoming a successful
businessman, overcoming various obstacles that inevitably come life's
way, and developing a parallel story showing how and why he falls in
love with the girl of his dreams?The theme of the movie has been misleadingly portrayed as a moral
comment on today's global recession and in particular we are shown a
character who cares more about the concept of love than money. This is
demonstrated in the less than dramatic and completely contrived climax
when the lead character attempts the final question knowing he does not
know the answer and simply makes a guess.We are being asked to accept that a poor kid in love would willingly
give up the winnings he has accrued to date because the woman he loved
answered the mobile phone when he decided to use a lifeline and "phone
a friend" in attempting to find the answer to this last question. Of
course, he did not know she would answer it, but it seemed he had
already made some inexplicable decision to gamble his accrued winnings.In this situation, any reasoned person would accept his winnings to
date, collect the cheque, and put the money towards investing in a
career through which he could support his (supposed) future wife - and
use the money to invest in her career as well.But no, he gambles all that potential life enhancing value because of
love. The ending and the last 30 minutes were nothing more than
contrived nonsense.In fact the love story itself was limp - there was no rhyme nor reason
as to why the lead character was in love with his girl; there was such
limited dialogue and interaction between the two of them that they may
as well been passing strangers.The idea of portraying scenarios explaining why the lead character knew
the answers was interesting - to a point - and did explain his
upbringing, though as many have noted, quite how he progressed to
well-spoken English is left unexplained.The vignettes themselves were uninspiring as stories in themselves -
quite what is so funny about a boy covered in faeces I am not so sure;
lame humour at a kid's expense. This was followed by episodes of child
torture and criminality - malevolent stuff indeed.

(was1966) from United Kingdom - 29 January 2009

get a grip people!

As I watched this cliché-ridden, manipulative and wholly-predictable
film unfold (quite slowly) on the screen, I kept thinking - if this
film was set on a Glasgow housing estate, it would have sunk without a
trace.I'm gobsmacked that filmgoers have apparently been so dazzled by the
fact that it is set in Mumbai that they are blinded to the corny
seen-it-all-before nature of the plot and characterisation. I felt
throughout that my emotional strings were being pulled by a clumsy
child. I didn't believe one single emotion in the whole movie. The
brothers Jamal and Salim stuck together when it suited the plot and
fell out when it suited the plot. Jamal's love for Latika was poorly
drawn and ultimately cardboard. The device of the gameshow was a
tenuous link for a series of vignettes which built not to an emotional
peak, but a fiscal one. The climax of the show was so predictable that
I guessed it in the second scene of the movie. Even so, Danny Boyle
found it necessary to beat us over the head with the set-up at least
twice more before the end, even using a flashback just in case we might
not appreciate the punchline when it was finally delivered with all the
comic timing of Stephen Hawking.Nothing in this movie exceeded my expectations, which is a terrible
indictment when the film is about a place and circumstance you know
very little about. I felt as if I'd guessed every scene in the film
before I watched it. The story and characters are so familiar to
watchers of small British melodramas that they seem disconnected from
their landscape, and I couldn't help feeling that Boyle had failed to
exploit the city in the way that would have given depth to the story.
Apart from the opening scene on the airstrip, I was never surprised or
delighted by the strangeness or odd juxtapositions of the setting.Simon Beaufoy will forever hold a place in the hearts of movie fans for
his excellent script for The Full Monty. Slumdog Millionaire doesn't
have a tenth of the heart or originality of that film and doesn't
deserve the rave reviews it is getting.Stories of young friends or siblings facing hardship and danger are
common and I can think of a few excellent films straight off the top of
my head that handle the theme so much better (Small Faces, City of God
and A Room For Romeo Brass).Simply setting a film in an exotic city cannot - and should not - mask
the shortcomings of plot and character.

b.bauer from Cardiff, Wales - 28 January 2009

Life-Affirming

Danny Boyle has proved time after time that he is one of the best
directors alive today. He has dominated nearly every genre, and has
done it again with his romantic drama "Slumdog Millionaire". This movie
is perfect in every way it sets out to be, and then some. The acting is very well done, with newcomer Dev Patel displaying his
skills. The child actors for youngest, and middle Jamal, Salim, and
Latika are superb. The cinematography is unlike anything is recent
cinema. It adds the perfect touch to the films high octane pace. The
setting of India is heartbreaking, yet full of hope as a nation
climbing it's way into the ranks of world powers. Surely, I believe that this will be a major winner this year at the
Oscars, and rightly so. The film proudly displays that life is a gift,
and every moment in life is meant to be cherished. A must-see for any
human being.

jack1992 from United States - 28 January 2009

Intriguing Bollywood-inflected picture, but not the "stellar, life-affirming picture of the decade" it has been lauded as.

I was expecting to be blown away by this picture. It's been endlessly
talked up by critics and regular people alike. It's been lauded as one
of the most groundbreaking pieces of film for years. I love rooting for
the underdog in any form of media, so is this really one of the Top 50
films of all-time?No. Actually it isn't. It's a good story - end of story. There's
nothing new here, and nothing old done so well that it seems new.
Crucially, there are also some flaws that snapped my suspension of
disbelief throughout - I think it averaged about one every fifteen
minutes.WHAT WORKED: Interesting use of the flashback twist to allow skipping
around the time-line; worked well despite increasing implausibility of
said flashbacks even for a motion picture. Excellent performances
throughout, especially Devi Patel. I hope he signs on for more films
because I'd definitely like to see him expand his range. Music is
average - nothing grating and nothing particularly memorable.There were some excellent wide angle shots. In fact, much of the camera
work and cinematography, though not particularly varied, was very
tasteful and enjoyable from a purely technical standpoint. There is a
long pan outwards on many slum houses that was simply breathtaking in
scale, and it is probably my favourite shot of the entire movie. There
are other epic scale shots I admired nearly as much, too. From a
limited budget much has been achieved that is notable.I did enjoy the ride immensely, flaws not withstanding.WHAT FAILED: Some of the posturing and social critique was blatantly
heavy-handed. Without wanting to spoil the plot too much, the literal
interpretation of a "blood money" death almost single-handedly
destroyed the picture. Especially since it came towards the end. Okay,
we get it - a life of crime is bad, live by the sword and die by it,
people get whats coming to them in the end etc.There are other less jarring examples. They all seem to create a sense
of emotional blackmail that didn't convince this viewer for one minute.
The film would have gone up one whole rating point in my eyes had it
cut about five minutes: just little things here and there that made the
meaning too clear and obvious, the moral too anvilicious and
detrimental to repeated viewings. I really really appreciate subtlety
and restraint even though it sometimes makes the initial viewing
frustrating (Blade Runner for instance). The potential was undoubtedly
there, but Danny Boyle didn't take that option much of the time.The portrayal of poverty and a harsh upbringing aren't particularly
revelatory or shocking (that's a popular buzzword these days!) and I
fail to see why anyone would think so. Watching a standard news report
you might expect to see these kinds of things at least once per
broadcast, albeit in less gratuitous ways and with the focus on the
general issue. There were some examples of monstrous humanity but
nothing I hadn't seen or been aware of before.People who have only this picture as their impression of India are
forgiven for thinking it's a complete slum throughout, with only the
odd landmark providing any variety. India is actually filled with areas
of both natural and man-made structural beauty, rich towns and poor
ones, so seeing such a one-dimensional distillation of the country was
mildly offensive, something I considered about a week after watching.
There's certainly more than shanty towns, crime lords and the Taj
Mahal. (It should be noted that I'm caucasian and don't have any roots
in India therefore I'm not biased in that sense.)In conclusion this is a very strong film, something a little (not a lot
as has been harped on by critics) off-kilter and unusual. At times it
felt like the successful Westernisation of the traditional Bollywood
ideas and themes - I don't know, perhaps Boyle wanted to plug into the
stronger elements of that style of film-making to produce a compelling
picture on the cheap. Regardless, he shows enormous potential as a
feature film maker and I honestly believe that if he keeps producing
movies this will be seen as "an interesting debut" - not his best work.When the hype has died down, this film will take the place it deserves
in the Top 250. This wasn't as big a disappointment for me as The Dark
Knight or Burn After Reading, but it was yet another moment where 2008
failed to impress.

Gary Diamond from United Kingdom - 28 January 2009

Brutality, Corruption, Abhorrence, Drama and Romance intertwine in Boyle's magnificently directed glance into life in the slums of India

Slumdog Millionaire examines the life of Jamal Malik whose troubled
background ranges from struggling to live in a Mumbai slum as a child
to narrowly escaping murdering organ sellers. The basis lies in Jamal's
stint as a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is one day
away receiving the question worth the grand prize of 20 million rupees,
yet Jamal's slumdog background rouses suspicion about how he is really
getting these questions correct. A violent interrogation ensues in
which Jamal explains how it was so that he answered all the questions
correctly. From this, the film switches back and forth to Jamal's past
which links masterfully to the questions asked. The editing was
stunning; the story slowly reveals that Jamal isn't cheating, he is
just experiencing some amazing luck! Stupid it may seem but this
abstract concept is an expression of fate and destiny; yet this isn't a
simple rags to riches story we have seen before.Boyle examines the cold, brutal, corrupt life that is lived in the
slums that I can't help but link to City of God. We slowly learn about
the somewhat dysfunctional yet beautiful brotherly relationship between
Jamal and Salim which leads to a poignant conclusion. Boyle uses a bona
fide directing style, oozing with eccentricity, encapsulating the
horror of the slums and utilising some truly memorable shots. The film
was stunning on the eye, a magnum opus of directorial achievement.Not only was the brutality envisaged stunningly, the compassionate
romance between Jamal and Latika was a great inclusion. Although the
film could have held its own without it, it added some well-needed
happiness to an otherwise grave and morbid mood the film has.The non-linearity and flamboyancy of this picture has won it a
dream-like critical acclaim dominating award ceremonies across the
cinematic world. At first I didn't agree yet after watching this
inspirational film, I can see what the appeal is. The film was
entertaining, it plays with your emotions, makes you cry with sadness
and happiness. Slumdog Millionaire is truly sensational yet I don't see
it being film of the year.The Oscars has given it an astonishing 10 nominations. I feel it
deserves, best director, best editing, best sound editing and best
cinematography. Gasp you may say by the fact that i don't think it
deserves best picture. Well to be honest, best picture is going to be
very close this year. Benjamin Button I can see being film of the year.
But we shall see.As for Dev Patel, I'm not going to praise him highly for his
performance despite it being faultless. His role wasn't a complex one
yet he played it to the best that it could have been played. He doesn't
deserve his BAFTA nomination and rightfully didn't get an Oscar
nomination. Other powerhouse performances (Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke)
this year easily overshadow his performance. Freida Pinto was fine as
Latika and the actor portraying Salim was excellent. All in all, the
cast didn't have one poor performance which is required in such a film.
A lack of intensity could have destroyed this film.Slumdog Millionaire is poignant, shocking and ultimately astonishing.
It explores the slums of Mumbai whilst building an inspirational story
of fate, love and determination. Boyle has really pulled one out the
bag this year.Oscars will be close this year.8.5/10

Alexander Penn from United Kingdom - 28 January 2009

An average film. Nothing worth the buzz!

I'm honestly surprised about the recognition and buzz about this film
throughout the world. And 10 Oscar nominations!! Man.! How are
stupidity and ridiculousness instantly absorbed and appreciated by
people without hesitation? OK. let me be pragmatic in my turning down
this film as average.Most things about the film is clichéd. Every damn bad thing imaginable
in India happens to the protagonist. But the protagonist overcomes them
all. In a way, it confirms what many outside India think about India.
People rolling in sh*t, dirty slums, caste based riots, begging,
cheating, poverty, cunningness blah blah. All packed in one tight
container name "Slumdog Millionaire". The only good souls in the movie
are Jamal and Latika (and perhaps amitabh who generously signs
autograph for a fan drenched in sh*t). We call this type of movies as
"mas ala" in India. No logic. Lots of action. Fast paced screenplay.
The protagonist finally smile along with his lady-love who does nothing
essentially but just dances in a few songs. (Danny has satisfied even
this criterion by making the duo dance with a suddenly formed gang in
the railway station at the end of the movie) A typical bolly-Hollywood
mas ala movie. A few questions.. How can a slumdog get the answers for
every damn question from his life and win 2 crores of rupees? How can
slum dogs speak such an excellent English to cheat the foreigners by
impersonating themselves as guides? And did you notice their perfect
slang?! Rupees is never mentioned in millions. Another attempt toplease
the western audience rather than attempting to bring about the truth.
Truth? damn! who needs it?! Why did Jamal reject the host's help? Why
did the show host suddenly turn villainous? Why did Jamal's brother let
Latika go at the last minute and get killed after ceremoniously killing
the gang leader? My god! height of insanity.Certain parts of it are awesome without doubt. Music, screenplay,
cinematography. The way the slum has been captured in the police-
chasing-the-boys scene is really appreciable. A.R.Rahman is God. But
these are nothing to justify the hero-worship the movie is getting. I'm
not bothered about India being portrayed in this way by a foreigner. I
just expected truth and naturalness which are greatly missing. 6 votes!

sganesh88 from India - 28 January 2009

Good, but come on… the globe? SAG? Oscar??? #34 on the top 250???

Slumdog Millionaire…Hmmm, where do we begin… This is a very nicely
shot movie with amazing screenplay, great story, the music is good (not
the best of Rahman's work though) However, thats all the positive there is in the movie. Coming to the
downside, the acting is very poor (excluding the kids , i thought they
gave mind blowing performances). There are reinforcements of
stereotypical India that so many Westerners believe (Not everyone works
at a call center and not everything in India has to do something or the
other with the Taj Mahal). Anyway coming back to my point, there are
plot holes that Danny didn't think of, like how the host and the
contestant could talk in the middle of a show or how the show became
live!! And the worst is the fact that the English language doesn't come
naturally to Indians, it sounds odd. It could have been a better movie
if the other two sets of kids spoke in Hindi. I've given this movie an 8, so obviously i feel its good. But i can't
believe that it won so many awards for best movie and direction. There
are so many movies which were better than this one. The only awards it
deserves are for the screenplay and music. Thats it. In a nutshell, i
feel this is a wonderful story, told fantastically but extremely
over-hyped, does not deserve the #34 spot at all if you ask me.

Aneesh T (doc-aneesh) from India - 28 January 2009

Sir Richard Attenborough, a British man made a good film in 1982

I am writing this comment as a Russian person who regularly travels to
India,Eurupe and USA.So I know the tastes of people from all these
regions.My vote for this film is a big zero out of ten.The reason why I
am giving it a zero is simple.This piece of madness is an attempt to
denigrate the dignity of India and Indian people especially slums.
Indian people are very tolerant and they are known for their artistic
tastes.No one in India protested when Sir Richard Attenborough made a
classic film called "Gandhi" in 1982.That was a film made by a British
film.Many people in the world still admire that film for the vivid and
honest description of India.Danny Boyle is also an Englishman and even
this film's writer Simon Beaufoy is an English but it is a shame they
way they have twisted facts to show India in a very bad light.They have
completely mutilated the original material which is present in Indian
diplomat Vikas Swarup's book Q and A.Since a score of zero is not
available,I am giving it a one our of ten as it is a really awful
movie.Let me also state why this film is being liked by people in US,UK
and elsewhere.Slumdog has come out at a time when Hollywood has almost
run out of ideas and India is a big market for American and British
products.So this movie is just a tool for Americans and Britishers to
put India in a bad light to impose their ideas on Indian audience.

rouzeland from Tierra Del Fuego - 27 January 2009

The feel-good movie of the year (even if it is only January)

I live in a part of north-west London with a large Asian population
that was home to Dev Patel, who plays the eponymous Jamal Malik, an 18
year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who demonstrates utterly
remarkable knowledge or amazing luck when he appears on the Indian
version of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire". So, if the rave reviews,
the enthusiastic word of mouth and no less than 10 Academy Award
nominations were not enough, the movie was a total sell-out. Nobody was
disappointed; on the contrary, everyone left with a smile of their face
after viewing this wonderful feel-good movie.Although containing both humour and romance, this is categorically no
standard rom-com. It opens with a torture scene and, along the way way,
we see slums, poverty, crime and violence - but ultimately this is a
tale of redemption and hope. Who would have thought that British
director Danny Boyle - who first came to our attention with
hard-hitting films like "Shallow Grave and "Trainspotting" - could give
us such a tale of India? But, together with cast and crew, he has
produced a triumph. Jamal, his brother Salim and fellow orphan Latika
are represented at three stages of their young lives by different
actors who bring immense charm to the movie and Freida Pinto as the
oldest Latika is simply gorgeous. In a succession of convincing
performances, Anil Kapoor is especially good as the show's presenter.Of course, colourful, chaotic, charming India itself is a star of the
film - notably the vibrancy of Mumbai (the former Bombay) with an
appearance by the Taj Mahal in Agra - and, if you've never visited (I
have), you'll leave the cinema wanting to do so. The shooting of the
film used a prototype digital camera which underlines the kinetic
energy of the narrative and puts the viewer right in the action,
especially in the crowd and chase sequences. Another key ingredient is
the atmospheric music. Finally, don't leave as soon as the end credits
start to roll or you'll miss an exuberant dance sequence. In short,
this is a movie that has all you could want for an uplifting of the
human spirit.

rogerdarlington from United Kingdom - 27 January 2009

It's an OK movie, sure - but it's not THAT good.

I only voted this movie a 1 star just to try and offset all the 10-star
fanboy votes.Here's the lowdown: This is a pretty good movie. It's a good story, and
all the elements that make a good story are there. Unless you're some
racist, mouth-breathing, tobacco-chewing hick from the hills of
wherever, you should be able to sit down and watch this movie without
feeling like 2 hours of your life was robbed. (These days, that alone
is worth the price of a rental.) All in all, on an absolute scale of
one to ten - with 10 being the greatest piece of cinematic art ever put
to film in the history of all humankind, and a one being a piece of
mindless garbage like Death Race or something similar - this movie
probably rates a solid six.It's good, sure. But it's definitely not one of the greatest movies of
all time.

uncertain from Poland - 27 January 2009

After this film there is only "Punch and Judy" for Danny Boyle. He is not fit to be a director

If the lowest vote were 0 then I would have given it to this stupid
flick which has been giving innocent viewers strange ideas about poor
people and India.I am really wondering why this stupid movie is
compared to a classic of Brazilian cinema "City of God".To my mind it
is a very false and incorrect notion.City of God was an absolute
Brazilian production with Brazilian setting,Brazilian cast,Brazilian
crew.Everything about it was Brazilian in nature.This film is an UK/US
co production.It is made by an English man.Its producer Christian
Colson is a Briton.The only thing that is Indian is its cast of poor
children who must have given a couple of chocolates and a glass of cola
to act.Danny Boyle has made a film which does no justice neither to
Hollywood nor to Indian cinema.This is the reason why a lot of Indian
people are finding his film to be an insult to their country. Danny
Boyle has made enough number of bad films in his short career.After
this flop film,he should retire and do "Punch and Judy" show.

zohlder from Guam - 27 January 2009

Very disappointing, after all the hype!

Many people are being subconsciously bullied by the media hype to
actually like the film, fuelled further by the silly Oscar orgy of ten
nominations. Why don't we - Indians- have the guts to speak out about
what we actually think or feel about the film, now that the
disappointment over the film is growing? It is an absolutely average
film. Apart from being obviously shallow, there is nothing of much
worth in the film. It needs an idiot to believe that a slum child in
Bombay talks with the British body language of Dev Patel. All the
actors are so mediocre, I don't even understand what the hype is about
the 'great acting'. This must be one of A. R. Rehman's most
unimpressive musical scores and it is a sad irony of fate that he would
be nominated for the Oscar for this one! By now he should have received
20 of them if this is the benchmark for Oscars! The screenplay is so
full of loopholes and the dance at the end of the film is so badly
choreographed that it would have been lambasted if it was made by an
Indian director. Actually the dance at the end sticks out of the film
like a sore thumb. It does not ever grow out of any context. If western
audiences can appreciate and actually patronise something so illogical
and outrageous, their general contempt for 'Bollywood' cinema now seems
a case of moral hypocrisy because the film is made totally in the
Bollywood style with every possible form of illogical excess. There is
not a second in the film that touches me emotionally or can even be
considered as quality cinema. It is indeed a heady mix of the worst
variety of third world poverty, an internationally successful TV show,
a rags-to-riches story and vintage Indian exotica. Even the geography
is all wrong! It is interesting that when the kid falls off the train
and the dust settles around him, he finds that he has landed right in
front of the Taj Mahal. Any one who has been to the Taj would know that
there is no railway line in its vicinity to give that cinematic view of
India's most well-know icon seen through a sea of trash. I am not even
talking about the display of poverty in the film which is a bit more
complicated issue. We know that contention - we must not wash our dirty
linen in public - has come from the most conservative quarters in the
entire history of cinema, whether it was Italian neorealism or Bunuel's
'Los Olvidados', Ray's 'Pather Panchali' or even the more recent
'Salaam Bombay' and 'City of God'. A filmmaker has every right to
explore whatever he wants. The real contentious and political issue is
the reception to image-making of realities that are not lived through
personal experience. Amitabh Bachchan's response can be perfectly
understood in the light of the fact that he has been particularly made
into the villain of the film, which was unnecessary in any case. (There
is absolutely no ambiguity in the film whether Anil Kapur is playing
AB.) So his reactions and critique may have grown out of a personal
sense of hurt but then we need to ask ourselves, why do we like 'City
of God' so much? Are we getting some perverse joy out of consuming the
poverty of the Brazilian favelas or are we just captivated by its
palpable characters and plot situations? It needs a depraved mind to
even believe that anyone would spend their money to enjoy seeing
poverty. So, ultimately the question is whether 'Slumdog Millionaire'
qualifies as a film of high quality. I seriously doubt that. At best,
it is a well-made Hindi film. What needs to be understood is the myth
around it and the mind-boggling hype about hype itself. How did that
happen? That would be more revealing about the world around us than the
film's laughable claim to authenticity, that too legitimised by
gullible Indians themselves.

Indranil Chakravarty from Mumbai, India - 27 January 2009

WOW! Watch It.

Rarely does a Movie live up to its hype. This one does. But I must say
that the negative sentiment against this film for showing poverty is
illogical and a low IQ sentiment. When the same director made
Trainspotting(based in Edinburgh) it did not mean that everyone in
Edinburgh is a drug addict.Similarly this film SM does not mean that
India is full of JAMALS or LATIKAS(READ POOR PEOPLE). Please all
Indians should realize that it is just a fiction film based slum life
as its by ground.Watch it and don't listen to any Indian criticizing this film.I am an
Indian and I loved it because Iam not stupid!

sandeepsingh-2 from India - 27 January 2009

Amazing Movie

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a slum dweller from
Mumbai and his travails that culminates in him landing as the winner of
20 million rupees in a game show and eventually joining is true love.As such, the movie is not a masterpiece or a piece of gem that has been
conjured out of thin air. It is a Bollywood movie told Hollywood style.What makes 'Slumdog Millionaire' stand apart is that it is not the run
of the mill story that we have been used to over the years. Even in
projection of the poverty and the way of life in slums, there is a
celebration of the manner in which their conditions are portrayed
rather than merely making an attempt to provoke and elicit sympathy of
the viewers.The big plus of the movie is its style of narration. Its racy, its
engaging and it shifts from one frame to another so fast that your
emotional curve will also keep hopping very quickly. Before you start
to think of crying, you will be laughing, before you soak in the
anguish of the pain or suffering of the characters, you will be
intensely absorbed in what is about to unfold next.The movie, as it is originally derived from Vikas Swarup's novel, is a
kind of page turner. The editing, screenplay has been woven so well to
suit the medium of cinema and keep the interest level of the audience
very high without letting them droop even for one moment.For all these reasons, Slumdog Millionaire is notable, yet it is these
very reasons that don't make it a hardcore attempt at unraveling the
layers of life of the Indian poor.And for the argument of those who say it is a commercial potboiler that
exploits the story of the slums to make moolah, they cannot be more
wrong. Nowhere has there been an attempt made to glorify the life of
its characters in a manner such that it would be deemed as
exploitative.Rahman's music is different and vibrant, but it is loud and glaring for
the most part. Those who have been mesmerized by the dream music of
Rahman will certainly feel it is not his best but who cares? Do the
best works always fetch you awards? The awards are more of a
recognition of Rahman's talent and it is high time the world took
notice of the Mozart of Madras .Cinematography is painstakingly beautiful and suits that vacillating
pattern in which the story unfolds. There is one factor that has sat
pretty well for the movie though no one will ever want to fathom that
connection. Mumbai has been in the news after the 26/11 attacks and so
a film with Mumbai as its soul is bound to grab everyone's attention
and surely it has grabbed the eyeballs of the Oscar jury by its retina
can I say? Everybody in the film has done their role neatly but the
pick of the lot was the boy who played the youngest of Jamal, the
protagonist of the movie. With his natural performance, abundance of
energy and mischievous smile, he steals the show.Go watch it, for it is path breaking in the sense that it will tell
Bollywood film makers the way to tell enchanting stories minus the
usual formula. Leave all your pretensions and see the film with an open
mind and you are bound to enjoy it. After all who will not like to see
the rise of an underdog?

Ajith J S from India - 27 January 2009

Amazing, never expected it to be this good

Well, the first time I saw this movie's trailer I never expected it to
be what it turned up. In fact, I even thought they were announcing the
program itself on the first posters I've saw about the movie.Despites this, the movie caught my attention when I learned that it was
nominated for the Oscars. Well, since Oscars aren't won by TV programs,
I understood that this wasn't the case.Right after the movie session started, and the first musics started to
play. I felt in love for the soundtrack. The last time I felt this
attracted by a movie's soundtrack was in "Juno"s movie.Then, I really got involved with all history and, the movie's capacity
of showing both sides of India. The most touristic, the most regular
ones (the croudness of the streets and public transportation) and,
above all, the underground world. Like, I still doubt it but, is it
really true they cripple kids so that they look more believable when
they go ask for money?? It shocked me.In overall, I loved the movie. Even the capability of the writers to
keep the movie interesting from the beginning to the end. Like you
can't get off it until it's finished.Amazing movie I tell you. I already have a space in my DVD shell for
when it comes out.

Paulo Dias from Sintra - Portugal - 27 January 2009

Slumdog Millionaire.

As we head into Oscar Season, Slumdog seems to be the front runner. I
first saw The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. I thought it was the
best film of the year. I was bashing Slumdog because it was wining. Now
when i saw it. I loved every minute of it. Slumdog takes you to a world
that you want to live in. Well, without the awful stuff the kids go
though. But like how it looks. Well when the Jamal goes on Who Wants To
be A Millionaire he gets to the final question. But he dose not know
it. He calls his brother, who gives his cell to Jamal's love interest
Latika. Latika answers. Well his brother ends up dieing which you can
guess. But the film is wonderful and everyone should see it. A A+ which
i hardly give. SEE THIS MOVIE!

SlumdogMillionaire_Oscar from United States - 27 January 2009

unrealistic & over-rated

Scenes of poverty and squalour may appear romantic to Westerners and to
our snooty elite but for ordinary Indians they are nothing new. They
are an everyday reality. However, one wonders what sort of mind can
find such images aesthetically pleasing. Party-hopping socialites (for
example, Shobhaa De after all her bombast of "enough is enough" after
the Mumbai attack, went and watched a pirated copy!) who are distanced
from such reality may find this film an "eye-opener" but for us it IS
just poverty-porn. Leaving that aside, I have eight other objections to
the film. 1) The director seems to RELISH showing violence. Some of it
(like the police-torture) is quite needless. And why was the boy
arrested in the first place? On what charge? Was it realistic? 2) How
can a boy growing up in slums speak such accented English? Even if one
assumes that the language he actually uses to communicate with the
game-show host and the police officer is Hindi (granting the director
the creative license to use a language better suited for international
audiences), there are 2 instances where it is stretched too far: (a)
when the boy becomes a 'guide' for foreign tourists at the Taj Mahal &
(b) when he becomes a substitute-operator at the call-centre. 3) When
the boy uses his 'lifeline' during the game-show, his friend discovers
that she has forgotten her mobile and has to run back for it. This is
plain Bollywood masala! Did the director HAVE to make it so
melodramatic? 4) How did the boy know who invented the revolver just by
watching his brother use it? How does his friend know about Benjamin
Franklin? 5) "Darshan Do Ghanshyam" is NOT written by Surdas. It is
written by Gopal Singh Nepali for the movie Narsi Bhagat (1957). This
song is also credited as traditional and originally written by 15th
century poet Narsi Mehta, whose life that film is based on. 6) After
winning the game-show, the boy sits on the railway platform and nobody
recognizes him! Considering the popularity of the show, is that
realistic? 7) Two glaring omissions: To qualify for the show one has to
answer several GK questions over phone or Internet. Even after making
it to the show, a contestant can reach the hot-seat, only after
"fastest finger first". All this is conveniently forgotten in the film. And of course the greatest flaw in the storyline: programmes like
'Kaun Banega Crorepati' and 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' are NOT
telecast live. As a result the entire structure of the film becomes
unrealistic. For a film that boasts of being realistic such a flaw
cannot be overlooked.Anyone else wants to say this is a g-r-e-a-t film despite all these
flaws?

sambitprem from India - 27 January 2009

who am i to say anything…

to those non-Indians and the conformist Indians here's a little bit of
perspective…when i write what i have to say some of you may think that I've been
hurt by the negative depiction of Mumbai… well, not at all, actually
i was hoping for a more gritty, realistic, up-close depiction rather
than a 'long-shot' impersonal superficial one…slum-dog millionaire is not a great film, slum-dog millionaire is not a
good film. it's an OK film.first the good things… cinematography is edgy and mind-blowing…
editing is razor sharp… sound design is amazing…but,it is very hard to digest slum kids talking in English, harder still to
digest is their (kind of) fake UK accent. also the cops speaking in
English, the local mafia speaking in English…the acting (in Hindi) of Salim and Jamaal though over-the-top, is
passable. but once they grow up and start speaking in English, it's
pathetic.the story which is basically a love story between Jamaal and Latika is
lost in the gimmicky impersonal screenplay and you don't connect…
actually you don't connect with any character and not because the
characters are dark but because neither the lines nor the acting are
good. and Danny Boyle knows this and that's why the long-shots and the
silhouettes and the characters-in-dark treatment to the film. Dev Patel
has only one expression on his face when he is on the 'chair'. Anil
Kapoor is irritatingly snobbish, Mahesh Manjrekar is irritating, Freida
pinto is irritating… Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla are passable…Rehman's music is a mix of few average tunes from the great A. R.
Rehman library. he's given great music, absolutely great music in
infinite Hindi, Tamil films… so if he gets the Oscar, it'll be for
his great compositions over the years and not for the average
'slum-dog..' album. ditto for the lyrics of Gulzar…the main problem in the film is the lack of emotional attachment one
feels with the film… i mean when Salim suddenly changes his heart or
when he dies in the bath-tub filled with currency, we don't feel
anything… when Jamaal finally gets Latika, we don't feel anything…
when Salim kills Maman, we don't feel anything… when the film ends we
don't feel anything (except irritation)…the film is an amazingly shot and stylishly edited set of gimmicks
which have been forcibly interwoven in to a very convenient story…but when the world says that it's brilliant cinema, who am i to say
anything… and if the world enjoys the irritating yet laughable ( a
bad wannabe Bollywood) song and dance sequence in the end, who am i to
say anything…

creative_chaos from india - 27 January 2009

Absolutely brilliant

Apart from brilliant I cannot think of anything to say about Slumdog
Millionaire.The way all aspects of the story come seamlessly together is superb.
Also how it flowed well into the end.For me the music was whilst not superb was good and helped create a
good atmosphere.The level of acting was great. Also the actors seem motivated and
willing.Overall an excellent film and well worth watching. It deserves all the
awards that it has been nominated for.

michael-turner13 from United Kingdom - 26 January 2009

Not a best one for Oscars.

For the past few weeks there has been a lot of talking about this movie
and finally I got a chance to see this movie.With a great and a lot of
expectations I went to watch this movie!!!!!Didn't impress me a lot.It
has got a lot of negative traits about India and mumbai.Each and every
scene disgraces India and mumbai.I accept the movie speaks about the
reality but the million dollar question is????whether It stands up for
Oscars.On my opinion,There are lot of other films better than this one (From
the point of film making) and this should not qualify for Oscars….
firstly,The screen play was good Secondly,Rahman' music.Apart from
which a story is created But Here i didn't like the way they have
projected India there are lot of other good things about India.If we
are to make a film about America's corruptions and conspiracies how
will it look like.Already lot of our national films are being made
about problems faced in our countries depicted or projected in their
individual manner.But nothing has changed or nothing will change.In One particular scene… Two foreigners come to visit India rural
area..where dev Patel guides them and in the mean time local people
steal all the parts of their cars..and here dev patel tells them that
this is India!!!!!!and in turn foreigners give money and tells that
this is America.this particular scene has projected India as a beggar.But I would like to congratulate the director as he has taken a lot of
pain in researching about India's current scenario and bringing out a
story in a form of a film.Great job done,Hats of the director and to the whole crew members.. All
the actors have done a great job.Finally I conclude to say that this is a movie to be watched by every
India who is looking forward for building a developed nation from the
current situation.Jai Hind

krish_bugsy from India - 26 January 2009

Awe

I have seen this movie.Its an amazing movie that depicts life of the
Metro city Mumbai,the slums,the people,the life and India.This films
writer has done the best.But if this film was not directed by Danny
Boyle it would never have reached to Oscar nominations for 10
categories.It might just become like Lagaan going after 1 Oscar
nomination for Best Foreign Film.It was an awesome challenge by a
foreign director to make a film based on Indian Slum.The story is
remarkable and i sincerely thank all the people involved in this Great
film from The Director,Producer,Music Composer,Writer etc to the light
boys(i mean the whole crew) for bringing a joy of some sort to the
Indians by canvasing this film into the world market.

Anup Viswanathan Thampi from India - 26 January 2009

A very good movie, but apparently over-rated.

I must admit that Slumdog Millionaire(SM) is indeed a good movie,
complete with enough cinematic liberties taken by the director, Danny
Boyle. But this is what also turns out to be the Achilles' heel for the
movie. And the fact that the movie drags, ever so slightly though,
towards the credits, does not seem to be helping it much either. But
nevertheless, the performances by the young kids in the beginning is
compelling enough to make you sit throughout the two hours. And not to
mention the music by A R Rahman is indeed of very high quality, though
I wonder whether its deserving of an Oscar, considering that this is
certainly not the best of Rahman. Nevertheless, this is one slightly
over-rated movie which should be watched, if your willing to accept a
bit of "violence", though I, for one, never felt it was violent even
for a moment. Go ahead, give it a try.

keerthivas123 from India - 26 January 2009

Beautiful, Compelling, Inspiring

I saw the trailer to Slumdog Millionaire and wasn't expecting much from
it. But seeing that it had been nominated for so many awards I thought
I'd give it a chance.So glad I did. It has got to be one of the best films I've ever seen. I
can not fault anything about this movie, it is as close to perfect as a
motion picture can get. All the cast are brilliant and draw you in to
their story, and you don't want to miss anything. It shows India as a
beautiful place that has a dark side, I couldn't tear my eyes from the
screen, even during the dark moments I was mesmerised.The movie tells Jamal's story. Jamal is a young contestant on "Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire". He does well, a little to well however, and
is suspected of foul play. After brutal interrogation he explains how
he came to know the answers; in doing so he tells the compelling story
of his life up to that point. If I told anymore of the story I might
take something away from the experience of watching this stunning and
inspiring journey that Danny Boyle has brought to life with exquisite
beauty and shattering excellence.A film has never made me feel the way that Slumdog Millionaire made me
feel and I would urge anyone and everyone to see it. This is a truly
magical journey…must see!!!!!!!

Eland15 from England - 26 January 2009

Over the top, unrealistic and unneeded

I think this movies is doing well just because of the shock value; the
revelation of violence/poverty in India to the western world. Now, i
would have overlooked this fact(in fact i did, for movies such as city
of joy) if the plot of the movie hadn't been so unrealistic and bland.Seeing this movie reminded me of another movie The Color Purple. There
is lot of talk in the forum about the movie portraying all African
American men as sexists, abusive and mean(not surprisingly most of it
comes form African Americans). SM portrays a similar picture of India
only way worse. Now, I like hardcore realism as much as anyone and an
not denying these things happening in India.The plot of the movie is universal and could have worked in any country
or culture. Imagine this movie is directed by a french or Canadian guy
and is set in America and the protagonist is an African American woman.
Her parents get killed in a race riot in Alabama. She hitches a ride
and ends up in the streets of new york where she works as a hooker
being beat up by pimps and cops( And all this has to be shown
repeatedly in the most gory fashion) She then goes on to the TV show to
find her long lost boyfriend. This may very well have worked but It
wont be as exotic or have won as many Oscar nominations as seeing it
happen to an Indian, Chineese or Thai.Like i said earlier i would have overlooked the Gross "exploitation of
poverty" if it scored well on other aspect. Now, the plot is very
interesting and i was really looking forward to seeing it. But the
scenes and the stories behind each of the answers(which should have
been the charm of the movie) are exceedingly unrealistic. I cant
suspend disbelief and imagine that a blind beggar child in Bombay would
know Benjamin Franklin is on a $100 bill, or Salim would know that he
was holding a colt revolver, or Jamal would be able to pick up good
enough English to pass as a tour guide.Overall i found this movie to be a disappointment except for the music.

ambush_xx from India - 26 January 2009

Shades of "City of God", But Still Very Good

Jamal Malik is poor young man from the slums of Mumbai joins the TV
game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" From that simple yet
ingenious plot and setting, this most memorable film unfolds, detailing
the events in this boy's miserable life which (very) coincidentally
enables him to answer the trivia questions in the quiz show.I like that the movie delved on the relationship of two brothers, Jamal
and his elder brother Salim. While Salim goes the gangster/hit-man
route, Jamal strove to make a more decent life for himself as a call
center gofer. While there is violence in their relationship, brotherly
love still comes through in repeated occasions.In addition, there is also a love story here. A slum girl named Latika
had her life intertwined with the brothers during an ethnic massacre
when they were kids. Jamal and Latika naturally become fond of other,
but are separated two traumatic times, but can they find each other
again at the end? The story was told as flashbacks from their
childhood, teenage years and their young adulthood. The child actors
were most affecting in their portrayal, especially the boys. The child
Jamal had that wide-eyed innocence, while the child Salim had that
worldly-wise jadedness. Very effective! I do not know why the adult
Jamal (Dev Patel) was acting in such a flat manner in several parts,
but he is most effective in his scenes with Latika (Frieda Pinto).Honestly, I really felt that 'Slumdog" had a big similarity with the
Brazilian classic "City of God" when it came to the brutal and
unforgiving depiction of the squalor and violence in the slums. The
unmitigated violence in the treatment of the poor slum kids is most
disturbing. The big difference of course is that "Slumdog" is more
neatly tied up and positive in its final message when compared to
"City".This movie already won the Best Picture Drama in the Golden Globes.
Yesterday, it won the Best Picture in the Producers Guild of America.
And just this morning, it won Best Cast in the Screen Actors Guild
Awards. It certainly bodes very well that this movie is the film to
beat come Oscar time for Best Picture.The treatment of Director Danny Boyle (of "Trainspotting") is very
exciting and dramatic. Though story elements can be quite contrived
(like that final 20M rupee question could not have been that easy,
could it?), it will still hold you at the edge of your seats until the
last scene.

3xHCCH from Quezon City, Philippines - 26 January 2009

Simply Brilliant !

Rarely does a film come out to enthrall you in every scene and frame.
Slumdog Millionaire is a massive accomplishment that cannot be
contained in words. The first time I saw it, I realized the efforts
that had gone into the production of this film were prodigious. Every
moment captures the hopes and dreams and the will to fight in order to
survive, embodying a raw human spirit. Being an Indian, I can affirm
that very few movies have been made where the wicked side of my nation
was expressed so masterfully on celluloid. Be it sexual exploitation,
political corruption or communal riots, every incident keeps you
involved, which is the film's greatest achievement. The narration,
direction and acting is bound seamlessly that you almost feel you're
present in the film. Special mention on others behind the film
especially Rehman who has captured the perfect mood on sound. As I
swayed to Jai ho at the end, I couldn't help but feel like a
millionaire and I'm certain that other viewers will agree. Slumdog is a
winner. All the way !!

gebyjacob from India - 26 January 2009

This movie stands among good company: Los olvidados & Cidade de Deus

Slumdog Millionaire is a good movie, but not unique. However, it stands
among very good company: Luis Buñuel's classic "Los olvidados", and
Cidade de Deus. Having said that, Slumdog Millionaire introduces some
original elements, specially the way the story is told. The main
character is Jamal, a young Muslim boy from the slums. He enters a very
popular game show: "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". Jamal is an
unlikely contestant, coming from the slums and without proper
schooling. He does not fit the typical demographic profile of the
show's contestants. However, as he is asked the questions, Jamal
remembers his various growing up experiences, having flashbacks of his
past, putting together a challenging and tragic life story. The Show
Host, thinks he is cheating and calls the police on him. He is tortured
and while explaining how he came to the answers, he recounts his brutal
life. The story is about two brothers (Jamal and Prem) and a female
friend (Latika). They share cruel tragedies that mark them from a very
early age, becoming orphans and having to survive in the ruthless urban
slums. Jamal and his brother take different routes in life. While Jamal
works, Prem becomes an enforcer for a mobster. But before the brothers
separation, in typical Cain treachery, Prem takes away Jamal's female
friend and only love, Latika. Throughout the movie, Jamal is obsessed
with her and his attempts of trying to find Latika become an
fundamental part of the story. There is some fine acting, specially by
the kids. I am sure movie lovers will want to buy the DVD as soon as it
comes out.

legutsa from Acapulco, Mexico - 26 January 2009

A Modern Classic… A Fable for Our Times

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the true rarities in cinema (and
especially in recent times)… a film that transcends the boundaries of
genre, language and emotion to create a superlative modern fable. Its
messages of hope and undying love will touch the hardest of hearts,
while the visual and audio style will have every movie fan leaping for
joy.For me personally, this is as close to a "perfect" film that you could
have. Every element in the production process is note-perfect, from the
outstanding cast in front of the cameras, to the incredible talent
behind them. the film contains every emotion imaginable, from loss,
sadness and despair, through to comedy, romance and elation.This film will shock you, break your heart, make you laugh, make you
cry… but most of all, it will provide you with one of the most unique
and sensational cinematic experiences you could ever wish for.

jimmy_iago from United Kingdom - 26 January 2009

an extremely shoddy movie..

This movie is extremely shoddy..i have seen better movies with the same
slum backdrop which are much more realistic and this one. The sole
purpose of this movie was to create a negative image of India and there
was nothing else. The story was not believable. It seemed as if the
only purpose was to show dirt, grime and human waste and the story was
just thrown in. There are many bollywood movie flicks which have the
same elements as this movie had, only they are directed much better,
with tighter scripting, editing and cinematography. Its a surprise that
this movie was even nominated let alone get awards. Incredible. Just
wondering if world tastes are coming down or it is something else.

manishabnrj from United States - 26 January 2009

A Honest Attempt Though Flawed!!!

To begin with, I watched the movie without an iota of prior knowledge.
Not about the story, not about the cast, not about the director. It
didn't do anything for me. Nothing. Then came all the kerfuffle and
hoo-haa after the Golden Globe Awards. But how did anyone in their
right senses rate this movie so high? It is honest in its attempt to
portray the various pains and hassles a kid from the foetid alleyways
of the notorious Mumbai slums may have to overcome in life. It also
fairly well showcases the methodology the begging-syndicates employ by
using kids (eyes gouged too) and babies to make money for them. And so
too the various ways a tourist to India could be fleeced by. Thats
about it really. Thats it!!!The script is so festooned with potholes, you could drive through them
in a wagon train. On second viewing I tried to like the movie but was
only successful in finding even more pitfalls. To even start listing
them all would take up the best part this evening.As far as acting goes, the youngest versions of Jamal, Salim and Latika
were good. Anil Kapoor did himself no favours playing the host of the
show. He makes fun of Jamal at every given opportunity. Makes you
wonder why he was so prejudiced. Mahesh Manjrekar was wasted
considering the kind of talent he has. Taking nothing away from the
renowned A. R. Rahman, the music in the movie was good but surely we
have loads of better songs in Bollywood every year. Mostly from Rahman,
the man himself, among others. The script should've been better
written.The movie is good in a few aspects but its definitely not a masterpiece
and most certainly it doesn't deserve all the rave reviews and most of
the Oscar nominations. Critics being so enthusiastic to praise it
leaves me with a big question mark as to what their perception of the
movie was.I can only give it a humble 4/10 for its direction and screenplay.
Camera work was good too though it could've been better. Rest of it
just falls flat. Good movie worth a watch is what i want to say but
sorry Boyle. I just cant.

kalyan006 from India - 26 January 2009

Great all around and no contrived pap of a plot line…

While my wife was pregnant, someone told us not to watch this movie
because there was all of this "child abuse" going on. Say what? There's
no child abuse in this movie. At all. Poor street and slum kids doing
what street and slum kids do. It's amazing that Americans' perceive
this as abuse. Sorry to shatter your tiny world but the rest of the
world lives differently than the US. OK, my rant is over. From what I
gather this is based on the book Q&A. Never did read the book but this
story plays out great and reminds me a Lot of City of God (which was
stellar as well). In a nutshell the movie starts out introducing you to
our main hero and his brother who are slum kids that go about grifting
for basic survival and kicks. A mysterious and creepy guy named Maman
takes in orphans and has sinister intentions. He takes the boys in as
well as their new friend Latika but they escape. However, Latika is
left behind. Without getting into the plot too much or spoiling the
movie, we see our hero and his brother grow older and change all the
while we see Jamal hoping to find Latika. Overlaid on this back story
we find Jamal in the present and on an episode of Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire.Danny Boyle directer a winner and all the accolades and awards this
movie will get are well deserved. There are great comedy moments,
tension, high drama, and action in this movie. The acting is not forced
and comes off very natural and the cinematography is five stars. I find
it impossible to believe that someone would not like this movie if only
out of spite.

akkoziol from United States - 26 January 2009

Best film in a very long time.

You can tell that a film was really good. The time passes really
quickly and you don't want it to end.The film is told in real time and in flashbacks. It is basically an
episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in India. The top prize is 20
million Rupees, or just short of £300,000. In a country where the
average wage is around £1500 per year this is a fortune. It centers on the life of Jamal and his brother Salim. The fact that
both made it to adulthood given their start in life is a miracle.
Growing up in the slums of Mumbai the boys face obstacles and life
threatening situations from birth. Orphaned and left to fend for
themselves these street kids live from day to day. Eventually they link
up with Latika, herself an orphan.We switch between present day and the past as Jamal recounts how he
came to appear on WWTBAM and how he knew the answers to the questions.
He's recounting them to a senior policeman after being tortured because
the show's presenter thinks he is cheating. No one has ever got as far
as Jamal on the program.This is a truly brilliant film. It really has earned the accolades and
awards it has won or has been nominated for.This is not a bollywood film where every one breaks into song every
five minutes. If your wife or gf wants you to see it then do so.

mjlevine from London, England - 26 January 2009

Simply an inspiring movie

After watching Bakwaas movies such as Ghajini, Welcome, Sing is King
(absolutely Bakwaas), Golmaal Returns and Chandni Chowk To China this
is truly an outstanding and inspiring movie to watch. Beautifully
directed and well written. To those people who are saying this move does not represent real India
I suggest they should visit India and one of those slum areas. This
movie portrays real life and not Disneyland, but doses it in way which
makes us understand the social divide we have in India. Where minority
controls the wealth & power and majority live below poverty line, and
let's not forget about child labour.Is this movie depressing? NO. It show's us a part of India which I am
certain no body is proud of, and tries to explain it by bringing this
controversial issue to public which we all like to ignore/oversee.At list this movie is trying to portray less privileged humans who
don't have daddy's express account or mummy's chicken biryani to eat
everyday. Name me one good Bollywood movie which tried to bring the
class/wealth division to the screen without implanting the concept of
Romeo and Juliet.I am sorry to disappoint people but this movie doesn't have random song
every five minutes nor does it have sexed up vulgar women's with tits
out. What it does have it tells the story of two brothers struggling to
survive through any means possible. How society exploits them and in
the end what it makes each of them. This movie is essentially about how people try to survive through
hardship and struggle and still have hope in the end, and how you
should never give up. You will not be disappointed when the movie ends.Regardless of what it portrays I have found this movie to be extremely
well made inspiring and one of the best I have seen. It has defiantly
moved me and also has inspired me enough to believe in hope again. It
is ultimately for us (Indian) to change our country for its betterment.
It is easy to criticise something from the warmth of your bedroom, but
it is another to actually help someone in need. P.S. And when was the time you actually helped one of those slum kids
with descent food or clothes? Ask yourself that question before making
any kind of criticism.Caution/Warning: This movie requires some USE of something between YOUR
two ears called BRAIN. "The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may
deride it, but in the end; there it is." - Winston Churchill

Isab from United Kingdom - 25 January 2009

Cultures Clash and Bond

Furiously alive, very brutal at times and unabashedly romantic,
"Slumdog Millionaire" proves that a fairy tale can be very close to
reality without losing all the elements that make it enchanting.How real the India in this movie truly is lies in the eye of the
beholder, but it certainly looks and feels like very few other movies
about it and shows a country and a people on the move. The most amazing thing about "Slumdog Millionaire" though seems to be,
that a group of British filmmakers have penetrated the country with a
Dickensian story and thus show that India and the former colonial
superpower share one very crucial thing in common: The class and cast
systems. Two civilizations who are so far apart have an age old social
structure that still influences their lives today and even if East is
East and West is West, "Slumdog Millionaire" unveils the connective
tissue beneath.

Parry-3 - 25 January 2009

Wow, I hated it.

I don't say that this is a bad movie.. it's a good movie, but just
that.. just a good movie, so I agree with the bad comments, it's
overrated.City of God is one of the best movies I ever saw, and this movie
resembles to it, but that doesn't mean it's a good thing. I don't know, but seeing this movie just got me the feeling I was
watching a soap-opera…and come on.. the questions/answers to the show
were coming in the exact chronologically way that happened in Jamal's
life - I hated this thing.It's a good movie for this year, but definitely not a great movie. It
needs a lower rating!

maxliv2003 from home - 25 January 2009

no words - superb!!!

I have to be true! After Trainspotting, I thought that Danny Boyle
would never surprise me again. I heard the title… Slumdog
Millionaire… Never thought I would felt this way after such
disappointments like the awful THE BEACH. But it happened! With the
most beautiful and powerful story of the last years! You just can't
take your eyes off the screen! You need to know Jamal's story because
you are shocked, impressed and delighted with everything that he went
and is going trough!!! And the way Boyle directed the movie! The
magnificent camera and the beautiful photography!I truly believe he
really reinvented himself and movie History! Please everybody! Go watch
this movie! Fantastic! I don't believe that you could watch a more
superb film in the last years!

taniaalexandra from Portugal - 25 January 2009

The Best Movie of the Year and Beyond

I think that Slumdog Millionaire knocks The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button out of the ballpark for the title of "Best Movie of the Year." I
was slightly disappointed by TCCOBB and saw this one in the hopes that
it would be less of a letdown.Wow was I blown away. I felt sad every time that the boys progressed in
age, thinking nothing could top the chapter of their lives that we had
just witnessed. Every time we saw them, it got better and better. The
entire film is just a belter that everybody needs to witness.The only minor flaw that's holding me back from giving this an absolute
perfect rating is the way the two main characters Jamal and Salim
behave as children growing up in Mumbai. As they run from police,
nearly starve, and fall into large pits of human excrement, they seem
happy and cheery, like it's a kind of game. But this is only a small
part, and definitely not a reason to avoid this complete masterpiece of
cinema.

Steven Long from United States - 25 January 2009

Deserves all the praise it's receiving!!!

I was hesitant to watch this movie but I am really glad I did! Being
Indian, I have watched several Hindi movies and figured all the praise
this movie was receiving was because it was different from any
Hollywood movie. I thought the experience would not be as memorable for
me and that it would be similar to some Bollywood movie I have watched
in the past. I was dead wrong. This movie is in a league of its own…
a truth people want to ignore. There are moments you want cry and
moments you want to laugh. You really feel for the main protagonist,
Jamal. His story is unbelievable.What makes your heart stir is the fact that his story of pain is not so
fictional to several in Mumbai. This is not merely a story about Jamal
on India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire… it's a story about a child
who survived the worst obstacles of poverty. On a lighter note, the
credits had a refreshing Indian dance typical to many Bollywood movies.
It was moving how no one in the theater left. Everyone watched the
dance while the credits were displayed.Overall, to say this movie is a must see is an understatement!!!

snehum143 from United States - 25 January 2009

Good, but not great

I was immediately biased when viewing "Slumdog Millionaire" because I
totally fell in love with Vikas Swarup's novel "Q & A" on which it is
(relatively loosely) based. Where "Q & A" was insightful and clever,
"Slumdog Millionaire" is far less so. I can partially understand why
switching the focus of the novel was necessary - and in the process
creating a film that wants to have a faux-Bollywood narrative, but
ultimately it left me feeling a little bit cheated.It's a good film on its own merits, the performances from the junior
cast are outstanding, and the cinematography is up there with the best.
But reading quotes like "the ultimate feel-good movie" don't really gel
with what's presented if I'm honest. Yes, it has an uplifting feel, but
it's hardly punch-the-air euphoria after what you've seen leading up to
the finale.Good, but not great by any means.

Mr_Brady from United Kingdom - 25 January 2009

Good but not Danny Boyle's best

If the title "Slumdog Millionaire" was mentioned six months ago when
discussing Oscar Nomination most people would not have heard of it. Yet
Danny Boyle seems to have come from nowhere and won the hearts and
minds of many movie goers with this visually stunning movie but do i
think it is worthy of it's ten nominations or of winning the best
picture Oscar?……….. Today is the biggest day in Jamal Malik's life.A penniless, eighteen year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, he's
one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on
India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for
the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. After
all, how could an uneducated street kid possibly know so much?
Determined to get to the bottom of Jamal's story, the jaded Police
Inspector spends the night probing Jamal's incredible past, from his
riveting tales of the slums where he and his brother Salim survived by
their wits to his hair-raising encounters with local gangs to his
heartbreak over Latika, the unforgettable girl he loved and lost.Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he
learned the answers to the shows seemingly impossible quizzes. But one
question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent
desire for riches really doing on the game show?When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question,
the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out…I am a bid fan of Danny Boyle . He is an unassuming , humble man that
makes great movies with the minimal of fuss and sometimes with very
little publicity.Slumdog Millionaire didn't need much publicity because critics loved it
and word of mouth has made this film the success it has become.I have to admit , although i really enjoyed this movie i was ever so
slightly disappointed with it too.I felt an hour in that it was dragging slightly and that the film lost
it's focus and direction a little. I also felt the "Who wants to be a
millionaire " presenter ,played by Anil Kapoor was way over the top. A
little too bollywoodish ( i just made that word up!) for me. Thankfully it came together in the the last half hour and i must admit
i had a tear in my eye at the end. There are some great scenes in the
film. One where Jamal goes to extremes to get the autograph of his
favourite movie star by jumping through the hole in the outside toilet
into what lay beneath and then running through a crowd of people
covered from head to toe in muck to confront his hero.The other , altogether far more sinister , when Salim watches as the
gang blinds his friend just so he can double his begging income. That
scene really made me wince.Strangely enough , despite ten Oscar nominations none are for the
acting and i think that is because they characters are played by
several different people because of the ageing process.Dev Patel does deserve a mention for his performance as does the
beautiful Freida Pinto and i really enjoyed the scenes at the railway
station in the final credits but they were not quite at the standard to
get a best actor or actress Oscar nomination . So we go back to the question " Is this worthy of winning the best
picture Oscar" ?. In my eyes no. But because of past greats such as
"Trainspotting" , "Shallow Grave" and "Twenty Eight Weeks Later" ,
Danny Boyle might just be due one .8 out of 10

valleyjohn (j.taylor147@gmx.com) from Biggleswade - 25 January 2009

Made for a Western audience

Imagine a movie made in America, by an Indian, that only has gang
violence, teenage pregnancies, rabid racism, gun toting semi literate
youth from the ghettos, young girls in bikinis with multiple partners,
fornicating all the time without protection. But, you would argue,
America isn't just all about the above, there is so much more to
America and Americans than that! Exactly! Welcome to "Slumdog
millionaire" a movie that looks at everything that is worst about
India, and nicely packages it for a gullible American audience.For every slum in India, there is also an educational institution that
offers some of the best education in the world. For every slum lord
that makes money off little children, there is also a sympathetic lower
middle class housewife who despite her daily struggles, finds time to
teach her maid 's son or daughter, some basics of education that the
child may have a better life than the parents.That this movie, has been nominated for all those Oscars comes as no
surprise to me. American society does not want to hear about how high
educational standards are in India, the respect shown to elders,
abstinence and moderation of the Indian middle class. Which is why
movies like "Born into brothels" and "Slumdog millionaire", are the
only ones that make it to mainstream American audience (Perhaps a
secret gratification in seeing the misery of others, and feeling better
about oneself?). You want to see some really good movies made for an
Indian audience? Go watch "Jodha Akbar", or "Rang de basanti" or Water.The real irony is that Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), is a Hindu in real
life, but is portrayed as a Muslim, tortured by a Hindu police
inspector(Irfaan Khan) who is a Muslim in real life. Put that in your
Hookah and smoke it!

anushyam1 from United States - 25 January 2009

Hip teenage story, morally weak

On the upside, the directing and editing for this movie is quite good,
totally deserving of the nominations. The "hip" titled camera angle is
rather gratuitous, but overall the cinematography is a plus point. The
music is interesting, but not outstanding. Now for the downside, this
is meant to be an entertaining, feel good movie. Yet it contains one
particularly violent scene that can be mood-snuffer. (Those who watched
it know which one I'm talking about). None of the "good" characters in
the movie are morally strong enough to the challenge the violence that
they face. (Alert the police or something for Pete's sake!) I can't say
more on this point without making this comment a spoiler. On the other
hand, the children violence portrayed is worse than child-slavery, and
I doubt it can exist in this day and age. Yet the film shows it for the
sake of thrilling the audience. In my humble opinion, I highly
disapprove of this. All in all, this movie is an achievement in the
artistic point of view, but the morally weak story will not make the
hype last long enough to be a classic. If Rocky (one of my favorites)
gets 8.0 rating, I think number 7 is a generous rating for this film.

holamson2000 from United States - 25 January 2009

Excellent but perhaps not for weak hearts

Slumdog is not a movie for all and specially not for those Indians who
love to watch Bollywood romantic movies with all are beautiful and nice
things around. It is a film depicting hard realities of slum side of
India. These genre of movies even made by Indian directors were never
popular amongst general Indian audience as poverty and hard realities
of life don't attract people who live inside or around it. So they like
to hide in their own world and get entertained by with masala bollywood
movies. It is no wonder why it has created so much controversies in
India and Indian audience has been splitted up into two groups, one
group doesn't like to portray India with its poverty to the outside
world, another group is not ambivalent of accepting harder side of poor
India. The difference in opinions will continue to be there and even if
this movie gets Oscars(till this writing it has got 10 Oscar
nominations) many will sniff on this movie saying this is westerners
way of defaming India's prosperity. Well, my opinion is accept this
great movie as one of the masterpieces and take movie in movie's
spirit. There are few of my western friends who also couldn't like the
movie. For all of them, take the spirit out of movie and be wondered
how an ordinary kid can touch the sky with favour of destiny, also I
must add it is nice to be surrounded by wealth and comforts but please
do remember you are one of those very tiny lucky percent of population
in this earth who can dream of be well-off. If you think this movie is
disgusting then thank god that you are lucky and not born like Jamal
Malik of this movie. Living in a glasshouse amongst nice paintings on
the wall may make you happy but perhaps it is wiser to look through the
glass also sometimes to make yourself with a stronger heart. Coming
back to the movie, Danny Boyle's best compilation so far added to the
flavour excellent tight script , good acting and cinematography and
what a Rehman's spell in the musical section. Like I said above if you
have a strong heart to see poverty and reality of developing countries
then go and watch and be part of the league of real movie lovers.

rishi_is_here-1 from Belgium - 25 January 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is based upon the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup. The
film takes place in India and is centered around a young man named
Jamal Malik who has just made it onto the Indian version of the popular
television game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. As the show goes
along we are told in flashback scenes of Jamal growing up in the slums
of India and eventually falling in love with a girl named Latika.
Jamal's past experiences whether they were good, or bad, have helped
shape his life and provide the answers to many of the questions in the
television game show that he is now on. Jamal has had a lot of
difficult times in his life, but through personal growth and
determination he wants to take the top prize and get in touch with
Latika who he has not seen for years. Early last fall I remember
reading on several different movie websites that Slumdog was definitely
going to be nominated for several Oscars and become a huge crowd
pleasing hit. Back at that time I knew very little about the film, but
those early predictions were right as the film is now nominated for ten
Oscars, has won tons of other awards and is on many critics' top ten
lists as one of the best films of last year. I wanted to see the film
quite badly, so I repeatedly e-mailed my local theatre to see if they
would get the film. They replied back with an article from The New York
Times entitled Films Reach Theaters a Drib Here, Drab There by Michael
Cieply. The theatre closest to my home did not get Slumdog, but another
one not so far away did and that is where I saw it. Overall, I quite
liked it. I would not go as far as saying it is one of my favourite
films of the year, or the best of the nominated films, but I did like
it. The script having been based on a novel is very original and I
liked how we saw Jamal grow up in a very harsh and disturbing way, but
to grow out of it and become what could be a huge star. The film shows
the greed, corruption and danger he has to go through along the way and
I found it all quite interesting and it almost played out like a modern
day fable with a good lead character, many villains and untrustworthy
people along the way as well as a big prize at stake. Not too mention
the love story aspect of the script as well. All of this worked for me
and did a fairly good job of keeping my interest and involving me with
the characters and the story. Visually this film was quite spectacular
as well. It had a gritty tone in some scenes and is bright and
illuminated in others. The cinematography, visuals and fast paced
editing gave the film a certain style and I for one really liked it and
found it appropriate to the story and overall movie. A lot of the
actors in the film did quite a good job and I think the location
shooting in India shooting the scenes showing Jamal's upbringing was
quite well done and needs to be acknowledged as well. Sometimes, I felt
Slumdog had a little more style than it did an involving story, but
there were still times where I was quite fascinated by what was going
on in front of me and there was so much to admire here that I found it
hard not to give this film a favourable review. While not my favourite
film of the year I still found lots to like about Slumdog Millionaire
and for the more curious of filmgoers it is definitely worth seeing
once, or perhaps twice to truly appreciate it.

cultfilmfan from Canada - 25 January 2009

Thanks for All the Fuss

Slumdog Millionaire, for all the great cinematography, does not really
capture the essence of Mumbai. Plenty of Indian movies capture the true
stigma of poverty, or the true horror of the underworld, far better.
Let us for a moment give Danny Boyle the artistic license, and run
through the vignettes here. The depiction of poverty is a sham. The
rioting is unconvincing. The beggary racket is trite and equally
unconvincing. The fact that each answer coincidentially relates to each
(painful) vignette in the life of the protagonist is a cruel joke? Is
this even a movie worth making a fuss about? There is great
cinematography, but in the end I feel sorry for the legions of Indian
directors, unwept unhonoured and unsung, whose far better portrayals of
Mumbai go unnoticed simply because they lack the "brand" of a Danny
Boyle. If this movie is worth four Golden Globes, some of India's
movies of 2008 are worth at least as many Oscars

turk_rooster - 25 January 2009

A true Fairy tale

The riveting start, the charming middle and the fairytale ending really
does the trick. You will feel really good leaving the cinema hall.There are not many flaws in this movie. The only major flaw would be
character development and the emotional factor in the love scenes.
Other than that, nothing. Really, nothing !People are saying that this film shows a very negative side of India.
But I say that about 28% of India live in this way and we just ignore
it. Only the middle class and the ultra rich enjoy India's development
fruits and I think the film shows a few hints of it here and there.The plot is not the usual rags to riches story, but if you are an
Indian, you would think I have seen many films like this…but this is
not one of "those" many films. This a fairy tale movie with a realistic touch to it. This is a film
you should not miss. Danny Boyle has succeeded in making a very good
movie.

nithish_victor from India - 25 January 2009

Vibrant and energetic film, well directed by Danny Boyle

This is a vibrant and energetic film directed with great passion by
Danny Boyle. It's the proverbial tale of rise from rags to riches of a
slum kid (Jamal) in Mumbai. The film moves at a breakneck pace
initially with some stylish camera-work and rapid-fire editing. Our
three young protagonists quickly win us over as they go through some
harrowing times. The film slows down later as the pace becomes less
frenetic and (MINOR SPOILERS) a touching love story emerges. The older
Jamal (Dev Patel) has a Brit accent which occasionally draws the
viewers out of the picture. Anil Kapoor is the pick of the adult
actors. Recommended.Overall 8/10

long-ford from India - 25 January 2009

Flawed but great in parts

Well, the critics are getting awfully excited about this film, so I'd
like to join the debate with a strong note of caution.This is a pretty good movie but I think the imperfection that lies at
its heart is what stops it being a great movie. namely, the acting. Of
it's 10 Oscar nominations not a single one is for the performances of
its leading players and that is, in my view, totally appropriate.This movie is too much of a pick n mix affair to truly satisfy. The
central cinematic device at its core, telling a life story (in three
sub-generations; infant, child and teen means that its too stop-start
to really fully engage.) What you find is that the two younger sections
of the film are both more believable and more engaging than the latter
stage which starts to unravel in credibility the more it develops.The performances of the two younger Jamals are light of touch,
frequently hilarious - particularly in the movie's highlight where the
youngest Jamal exits the latrines in true Trainspotting style - and
quite moving. Poor old, rather wooden and not especially engaging, Dev
Patel has to deal with a plot that is becoming more ridiculous by the
moment as his pursuit of the beautiful Latika verges, at times, on the
preposterous. How Salim can continually cross paths with the object of
his affection so often in a city with a population twice that of the
whole of the UK was beyond me.OK, that's all the bad stuff out of the way, now let's turn to the
positives. The cinematography (an Oscar nod for Anthony Dod Mantle) and
sound design in this movie combine to stunning effect at times. It's
like a Discover documentary at its best and you simply cannot get
enough of Mumbai, which is given added oomph by the music of A.R.
Rahman who picks up no less than three Oscar nominations. Nice use of
MIA's music in places too.It's actually all the technical disciplines that this movie excels in
and has been recognised for (sound, sound editing, music,
cinematography and editing). so that neatly brings us to its direction.Danny Boyle.What to make of him? Well, a director's job is to realise all aspects
of a production from performance to technical. I think the script blew
his chances of the former but he has excelled at the latter and to many
it is seen as the highlight of his career. I beg to differ. His track
record is patchy to say the least. Trainspotting is by far the most
overrated film of its generation (not a patch on his brilliant Shallow
Grave), The Beach and A Life Less Ordinary are best glossed over. But
28 Days Later is as good a horror movie as has been made since The
Shining, and Sunshine is as good as it gets in Sci fi. Both are, in my
humble opinion at least, better movies than Slumdog.But you lot don't seem to agree. A quick look at Boyle's IMDb ratings
shows that the public consider Slumdog his masterpiece with a rating of
8.7 (astonishingly, that places it 34th in IMDb's all time list). How
is this possible in a seemingly foolproof ratings mechanism? Early
enthusiasm? Maybe as the ratings mature he will come back to the field.
I'd think that will indeed be the case as old moaners like me get our
way.Here are all his cinematic releases and how IMDb rate them; and my own
views. Please feel free to scoff or agree as you see fit.Slumdog IMDb 8.7 Me 7 Sunshine IMDb 7.3 Me 9 28 Days later IMDb 7.5 Me
9 Shallow Grave IMDb 7.4 Me 9 Trainspotting IMDb 8.2 Me 5 (this is
ranked 182 of all time on IMDb - Holy cow!) The Beach IMDb 6.2 Me 5 For the record, A life Less ordinary picks up 6.4 and Millions gets a
7.2 on IMDb. I haven't seen either, but the bit of ALLO that I saw
looked poor.I like Slumdog a lot I have to say, but its imperfections were too
significant to overlook. Much as I hoped it would indeed be the
feelgood movie of all time (or whatever the marketing blurb claims) it
wasn't, but it was a great visual and aural spectacle that merits a
trip to your local cinema. 7 out of 10.

markgorman from edinburgh, scotland - 25 January 2009

The future is coming

America, I mean the United States of America are changing sides, from
Hollywood to Bollywood. They have to answer that unfair competition
from the deprived Indians and go directly on their turf, since we can't
really speak of a lawn, and bring the biblical truth to those pagans.
That's what I found most fascinating at first: the image of the USA
seen through the filter of Mumbai. First, make some simple questions
fuzzy and difficult to capture. Moslems and Hindus are sure there but
we don't know who is who. They speak the same language. No more
difference really between Urdu and Hindi. Only the names of the main
characters sound Moslem, that's all and the anti-Moslem pogrom or riot
is just an unclear detail, especially since the dregs of this society
are them, the Moslems. First serious blurred issue. The second is of
course the problem of the Untouchables, the Dalits. They cannot be
Moslems since they are a Hindu caste. And sure enough our characters
who are living in the "slums" or shantytown, on the pile of garbage,
are not Hindus, hence are not Untouchables. Then we are surprised
because taking care of toilets is one of the tasks of these
untouchables, or doing the washing for the fortunate who can afford
that kind of service. So where are they? Invisible of course, but not
in a city like Mumbai where there must be several millions of them. The
episode of the little kid jumping into the toilet hole is just
unthinkable for a Moslem child. If we go on with that fuzziness, we
find out that the orphanage must be on the side of evil, since
exploiting the Moslem orphans, hence Hindu. And the gangster who
recuperates one of the boys when they are running away from the
orphanage people after saving the girl and killing the main organizer
of that begging and whoring ring, since he defines himself as the
friend of the enemy of his enemies, must be Moslem. All that is unclear
and that is done on purpose and it keeps some ambiguity about the
Moslems in India without giving the slightest real knowledge about the
real situation in India. But then of course we can speak of India
itself and of its emergence from the mud-pit of the world. The picture
that is given there is this time a reflection of and on what the West
was fifty years ago, and some will say still are. Anything is good for
these super poor people to do something to improve their lot,
essentially by using any kind of opportunity that comes along that is
half honest and half dishonest, like borrowing something that has been
left somewhere like shoes at the entrance of a temple, but with the
firm intention of not bringing them back and of making them circulate
further for a little profit. This great poverty is not at all nurturing
resignation but all the opposite, determination and the will to gamble
everything to get up at least one step if not two. The film is entirely
centered on a TV game, Questions and Answers that can lead the winner
to 20 million Rupees. A game of punctual knowledge for a lot of money
and nothing else. And yet out of that game popular fame is produced,
the conviction that you can never keep people down longer than they
will decide, that the survival instinct is nothing because it leads to
killing, but the instinct to improve one's lot is a lot more stronger
because it is supposed to lead to improving your lot in society itself.
Then the story is of course a comedy because of the love affair that is
intertwined and entangled in that story and the rewriting of Stephen
King's "Running Man" (with Schwarzenegger) has become pleasant and even
funny and not the gruesome drama of the model. The final scene is a
typical Bollywood scene with hundreds of actors and actresses dancing
in Mumbai's Victoria Station and it is some kind of cherry to top off
the ice cream. This film will entertain you deeply if you try to use
your brain to see the social discourse that is hiding behind the flashy
and colorful surface.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1
Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France - 25 January 2009

Boyle for the Oscar!

Before I start, I personally think that Christopher Nolan and the Dark
Knight should win the awards for Best Director and Best Film, but since
its are not nominated my vote for Best Director is for Danny Boyle, the
brilliant director of Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine.Slumdog Millionaire has a bit of everything, it has moments of comedy,
gangsters, religious tensions and violence and the themes and hope.The basic plot of the film is Jamel (Dev Patel/Ayush Mahesh
Khedekar/Tanay Chheda), an 18-year-old call-centre workers from Mumbai
and is one question away from winning 20 Million Rupees on India's
version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. He is arrested and tortured
by the police and the film is told in flash backs about how he knew all
the answers. It tells how Jamel grew up in Dharavi, the slums of Mumbai
where he lives with bullying older brother Salim (Madhur
Mittal/Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail/Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala). Their mother
is killed during a attack by Hindu extremists because she was Muslim.
It tells how they went to an orphanage with Lakita (Freida
Pinto/Rubiana Ali/Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar), an orphan girl, which was run
by a gangster who used the children to make money. It then shows Jamel
and Salim ran away to Dephi and worked at the Taj Mahal in an
unofficial capacity. After living as street children Jamel and Salim go
back to Mumbai to free Lakita who is trapped with the gangsters. Salim
himself ends up as a gangster whilst tries to live a normal life
working in the Call Centre.It is the direction which is best element of the film. You get to feel
the violence, the tension and the streets. They are great moments
within this film, such as during the attack in the slums someone throws
a rock at the camera and breaks the lens. I also personally enjoyed
Jamel's tour of the Taj Mahal. The acting is good and it is a well
written film: Simon Beaufoy has a good shot at best Adapted Screenplay.
However, the marketing for Slumdog Millionaire as 'the feel good film
of the year' is misleading. It is grim, it is bloody, but it makes the
film work. I personally never really like Bollywood film; I find them
too cheery and I don't like the singing and dancing in the films. What
Boyle did was bring in British Social Realism which I think was needed.
I hope more films from India take this approach.Good luck to this film in the BAFTAs and Oscars.

freemantle_uk from United Kingdom - 25 January 2009

A "formula film"

Honestly, I don't understand what the fuss is about. This story about a
boy from a slum who competes in the Indian version of "Who Wants to be
a Millionaire" is a basic rags to riches story with nothing creative or
novel about it. The acting is average, and the story-telling is nothing
you would not find in several Bollywood melodramas. (Thankfully,
however, what it does not have is the story line interrupted by the
random fantasy sequences in a Bollywood film. Otherwise it is a story
that has been told by countless Bollywood directors.) It is striking
some chord in Western audiences that I don't get. Perhaps it is the
realistic portrayal of the slums and Mumbai's underbelly, perhaps it is
the feel good emotion that provided much-needed emotional uplift in
hard times. At the core it is just a formulaic potboiler.

Andy-307 from Los Angeles - 25 January 2009

watch it - unforgettable experience!!

its simply amazing. heart touching. don't miss this one. deserves
Oscars.- The slums and everything else shown are reality, but that's slowly
changing for the better. - The train rides shown are fun. - The kid jumping into dirt for getting an autograph from a movie star
is yuck in a funny way. - There are millions of such kids in India - But none of these slum people ever get entry into shows like 'who
wants to be a millionaire' .. so that is not reality, though it is good
fiction. - Cops beating up people for information/investigation is reality. But
given the lack of infrastructure, that is the only way they can get
information. This happens all over the world, though the beating up
techniques are a bit more sophisticated in richer countries. - Overall, this movie is great fun + an eye opener + cannot stop
thinking about it after leaving the theater. Watch it!!

tigersubu - 25 January 2009

Average Stuff!!

The other day i was to see SM and honestly seeing the critic's reviews,
I thought I will be in for a treat. But trust me, I walked out of the
theater quite disappointed. Considering the fact that the film was
raved so much that it got 5 on 5 stars by one critic, I really coudn't
agree that it was justified. I must say, that some aspects of the film
are quite perplexing. Well, how does a bloke, speaking in Hindi for
most of the time suddenly speak in English. another bad part is that
the script doesn't throw light on things like how Latika reaches the
brothel etc. What irritated me the most about this film is that the
writer plays with the intelligence of the audience. I say this because
most of what you see, simply defies logic. What saddens me is that
Danny Boyle paints a very grim picture of India. I would like to prove
that with the following examples. 1. The director portrays police as
inhuman. But sir, in that case making a film on Guatenamo Bay would
yield you better results. 2. The director focuses on how kids are made
into beggars. I know places in USA where kids are trained to smuggle
drugs. 3. The director shows how little girls are forced into
prostitution. In that case, you should make a film on Holland, where
prostitutes solicit customers from railway stations and airports. On
the whole Danny is quite chauvinistic and doesn't focus on positive
things about India. The silver lining is a tremendous performance by
Dev Patel. This guy is one for the future. He simply blows you away
with his cheeky, yet confident form of acting. The other actors too
perform marvelously. Great screenplay and great cinematography are
highlights of this film. On the whole, i would say SM is okay for
watching once, yet you can't help but feel that this is a glorified
masala movie and not one fit for the Oscars of Golden Globe.

shrinivas_venkatesh from India - 25 January 2009

a class-conscious fairy tale

What looks at first like a joyous allegory is in fact a class-conscious
fairy tale - a kinetic, color-drenched, sublimely symmetrical
rags-to-riches number. Its scope and detail more than justify its
tourist's-eye view of the complexities of Indian shanty life: the
enormity and unspeakable beauty that pervade the thing match our
uninformed preconceptions, while filling in key details helpfully and
gratifyingly. And it's all there in the service of the story, which
aims to literalize the 'education' that one gets trying to survive on
the bottom rungs of the social ladder. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, I
loved it. And thank God for the happy ending, although they better be
getting the hell out of Dodge given the vendettas left dangling.

jonathan-577 from Canada - 25 January 2009

A crowd-pleaser for the less discriminating.

A young man from an Indian slum wins millions from a trivia game show
but is tortured and detained by police on suspicion of fraud. In order
to prove his innocence, he recounts his life story and how its
incidental details informed each correct answer.Director Danny Boyle complements this fresh narrative structure with an
effusive energy, creating mystery and exciting melodrama. But as the
mystery dissolves with exposition, the structure turns predictable and
soon collapses in its redundancy. What remains is a long yarn of
melodramatic tales—some exciting, some heavy-handed but when tallied
up, it's fatiguing. Still, the film manages a sweet, uplifting
resolution; it's a crowd-pleaser for the less discriminating.

Anth-M from Toronto - 24 January 2009

City of God: 2009 edition

After finishing Slumdog Millionaire the first idea that went through my
head about the movie was that it should have been based on City Of God,
Brazilian movie from 2002. No, it isn't City of God but it has many
similarities. The slums, the poverty, the crime in the streets, the
multiple kids telling the story in its beginning, the chicken
running… many aspects contribute to my thesis that Slumdog is barely
based on City of God.And that's not a bad thing. A story that unites two different cultures:
finally a different movie reaches the academy awards. Finally a movie
without a formula surprise the judges: 10 Oscar nominations speak for
themselves. Danny Boyle, British director, creator of Sunshine and
Trainspotting, producer of 28 Weeks Later– he starts a different path
in his career. He pursues the drama and how powerful a film can be, if
done properly; with a amazing background story, with trustworthy
wannabe actors and cheesy yet emotional dialog.Slumdog Millionaire doesn't have a formula. It may be barely based on
City of God but it was taken from a novel. An Indian novel, adapted for
the screen by an English scriptwriter. Danny Boyle and co. did the
rest.Like Apocalypto, these actors didn't have any experience. Recurring to
three young boys to tell the story from the beginning to the climax;
using others without any experience either… It's a challenge. What if
it would wrong?! Apparently it didn't. The amateurish actors appealed
to a more realistic portrayal of their characters. You can't act? Act
yourself! Of course they had some experience, and if they hadn't then
the casting department did teach them something.In technical details, the movie isn't comparable to Benjamin Button.
The other is done with proper ways of doing a picture. And judges like
classic stuff. Me too. But there are times when we need a change, don't
you think? There are times where we just need a break from cheesy and
classic formula type of films! I like that kind of films. I like them
as much as I like Slumdog Millionaire. I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire.
Will you?Time for a change.

João Pedro Tomás (joaoped@msn.com) from Faro, Portugal - 24 January 2009

Beware - torture and child abuse.

An opposite perspective. The graphic scenes of torture and beating' of
young people are exploitation and should not fuel a story which
receives acclaim. Repeated and repeated and repeated scenes of India's
widespread and grinding poverty may be appropriate for a documentary of
social ills and class warfare but not for entertainment.It is dishonest story telling to use torture, child abuse and the
innocent despair of young children as the basis for an ending that
exploits "Western Liberal Guilt" and is lauded in the process. If
scenes of torture and child abuse are not your fare then beware of this
movie.The direction and editing were first-rate: crisp, dynamic and
emotional.

composition from United States - 24 January 2009

There just isn't enough to invest in.

For films such as Slumdog Millionaire, it can oft be hard to
distinguish just what the director behind the project was intending to
provoke from their audience. On the one hand, Slumdog tells a
compelling and mostly interesting rags-to-riches story topped off with
a sugar coated ending with extra sprinkles that- while notably hammy-
doesn't cross over into absurdity. Yet it also tries to tell another
tale alongside it, this time revolving around a romance that never
quite takes off in the way that director Danny Boyle wishes it to.
Boyle, who up to this point is known for his sensually driven works,
surprisingly hasn't touched upon romance at least in the quantity and
focus as to which Slumdog Millionaire implies; unfortunately, this lack
of experience on his part shows throughout. So although the majority of
the feature remains as a somewhat uplifting and compelling drama on
base level, a distinct lack of focus in characterisation and chemistry
stops the movie from ever going beyond its ostensible ideas and generic
façade. In the end I found myself moved more by what Slumdog wanted to
say rather than what it did say.Taking place largely in flashback mode, Slumdog Millionaire tells the
story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanay Chheda),
a- well- "slumdog". Born in the slums and raised for the most part as
an orphan, Jamal is a quiet, well-intentioned boy with a big heart and
even bigger eyes for opportunity and beauty. It isn't long before he
spots Latika (Freida Pinto, Rubiana Ali, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar) and from
here on in it would seem the story writes itself. From here the script
moves in and out of telling a mystery thriller seeped in slow paced
drama, and diverging upon a romance which feels forced and laboured.A much more compelling element within Slumdog's narrative however lies
in the way in which the story is framed within a retelling of the
protagonist's chance of lifetime on game show Who Wants to be a
Millionaire?. This otherwise gauche framing device serves as a
surprisingly effective way in which to chop up Jamal's childhood and
teenage life into its most digestible pieces without seeming too
contrived, whilst also paving way for the movie's big finale which
makes the most out of the slow building momentum of the first two acts.
The result of this clashing between engaging drama and forgettable
romance is jarring however; there are times when Slumdog soars and
times when it gets downright irksome.One thing that usually remains as something to look forward to within a
Danny Boyle feature however lies within its aesthetics. Taking place
entirely within the impoverished areas of India, the movie establishes
strong images and motifs throughout which in turn further the film's
emotional and psychological connections with the viewer. From the
patched, duct-taped, second-hand nature of everything, the world of
Slumdog Millionaire entices ideas of existentialism not just through
its protagonist's story but through the environment in which he exists.
This, coupled with a magnificent score and soundtrack which more often
than not gives the movie its biggest and most memorable sequences,
provide a sensual experience that one now comes to expect when greeted
by the name Danny Boyle.I couldn't help but wish that such ideas and care were taken with the
remainder of the feature however; especially concerning the romance
played out by the lead performers. Boyle, who is inexperienced to some
degree in handling such dynamics, doesn't do much to provide any
interest in the protagonist's love interest- it's clear that youthful,
whimsical love is certainly implied within the constructs of this
average romance and yet it is never truly shown. This generic approach
to storytelling inevitably hurts Slumdog to the point that many of its
sequences which draw heavily upon this much needed chemistry fall on
their face. The actors themselves are fine and able- and provide
excellent performances in all other respects- but as a pair, there just
isn't enough to invest in.This in turn brings me to my final conclusion on what is essentially a
mixed bag of engaging drama and tepid fairytale; Slumdog Millionaire is
a fine picture- it provides a heart-warming story with all its
intentions in the right places, and yet it doesn't ever convince in its
ability to connect with the viewer. What results is a lukewarm,
temporal pleaser, but certainly not one to be cherished for years to
come.- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)

SusurrusKarma from United Kingdom - 24 January 2009

A sheer delight from beginning to end!

I just want to say very briefly that Slumdog Millionaire is a very
beautiful film, I absolutely loved it. If you have not yet seen this
film in the cinema and you are thinking about it then I urge you to
stop thinking and go see it! You will not be disappointed. This film
has everything - epic romance at its heart, emotion in bucket-loads,
action, drama, tension and tragedy. Having been bitterly disappointed
by my last two film outings at the cinema..i won't mention their names
as they are not worthy of it..i'll just say that one of them was about
a guy in a silly bat suit with a silly voice and the other was about a
guy who works for the British Secret Service. Both of these films were
total rubbish, boring and a total waste of my time and money and
sitting through them had dulled my enthusiasm big-time for seeing
anything else on the big screen. Seeing Slumdog Millionaire though has
totally blown these 'dulled' feeling away and so at last I am back,
revelling in the after glow of seeing such a brilliant, beautifully
made film. Slumdogs director - Danny Boyle and his team of film makers
deserve every award they receive.It was so refreshing to watch a film where it was all up there on the
big screen, a film where you absolutely get your money's worth, a film
after which when you walk from the theatre you have this wonderful,
satisfying feeling flowing through you. All credit to the excellent
cast, they are all truly great actors some of which were only as young
as seven years old. The photography, the direction, the acting, the
storyline..all of it was simply fantastic. I have read that Slumdog
Millionaire is the feel good film of the decade and, having just seen
it, I totally agree. Please take my advice and go see it!

ewansp-2 from Hereford, UK - 24 January 2009

Celebration Of Bollywood at its Best!

Jus saw it, got released here today! After the long wait and pushing
the temptations of downloading the screener for weeks i saw the movie
today.This movie has to be seen as it is because Danny Boyle isn't a complete
retard to make this movie in this style if he had wanted to make it
look serious, but all he wanted to show was the way "Bollywood" is at
the moment and this movie is a celebration of Indian Commercial Cinema
which was made just for the sake of entertainment and i dint see a
single frame where he wanted appreciation for art.All those people who
are saying that the film is no where to be real or interesting are
refusing to enjoy something that is new to them and for those who are
familiar with Bollywood, it may be to show off that they like only
artistic and realistic movies or may be they are embarrassed that DB
has exposed their guilty pleasure genre to rest of the world.Please understand this,Indian commercial cinema is similar to this
movie but nowhere close to its style and elegance(Yes i did say that
and it is much more worse) and our lives are filled with cinema music
i.e OSTs.We don't have artists who just make albums,we don't get music
from them,our music is through cinema and those who make albums don't
even make 2% of what a movie soundtrack would make.If you are an Indian
you will understand what i am saying and i double dare the others to
come to an Indian Multiplex and show me 2 movies that get released
without a Dance number in a whole freaking month.And this is the reason
for the last masala filled "Jai Ho!".I was born and brought up in a city very similar to that of Mumbai(the
one where the movie is filmed) but not as bad,so i know what really
happens in these slums and we do have people working for us who face
and experience those things that are showcased in the movie and believe
it or not things much worse happen everyday in these slums.I don't give a rat's ass about a movie's plot so it dint bother me at
all and i totally got entertained and about the dialogs, in the very
few scenes where slummies talked in English then itself i knew i
shouldn't concentrate on the dialogs if i wanted to enjoy the movie.And
the performances of leads was the biggest disaster,the kids who come in
the beginning are simply superb actually bloody brilliant but the leads
kill the play in the last one hour or so.Actors such as Irfan Khan,
Anil Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla who are well known in "Bollywood" have
done their jobs well but the leads have completely spoiled
it.A.R.rahman's Background score is simply superb and as i have been
listening to the album since its release i could recognize and name
each and every soundtrack in the cinema which made heads turn and i
read lips saying "Show Off" wink but its all worth it as i got to
praise the legendary A.R.Rahman(i am not exaggerating but he has been a
real trend-setter since 1992).So now i have told you that the plot isn't that good,performances are
bad,dialogs are dull,but at the end of the day i watched a completely
entertaining movie and you know what, this is how a true Bollywood
Blockbuster is made of and now if only this movie had been a bit more
lamer it could have broken all box office records here.This movie is not for those movie goers who want to watch intense
emotions and mind tweaking scripts but for those who accept a movie as
it is and enjoy anything which has something in it,this movie is surely
not a dumb movie but just lacks a soul and depth and these two could be
kept aside for 120mins for you to enjoy some Spicy Desi Cuisine for a
change.Recommended.8 upon 10

nayak1989 from India - 24 January 2009

It's a roller coaster ride! Best film of the year. Watch it now!

Slumdog Millionaire deftly portrays stark poverty and the stark
contrast conspicuous in the Indian society wherein the millionaires
live within a stone's throw of a million slum-dwellers. The movie never
fails to highlight the spirit of these people who embrace the extremes
and are relentlessly desperate in fulfilling their dreams.Those who criticize the film calling it a westerner's portrayal of
Indian society had better realize that our own Bollywood directors have
still not got off the 'India Shining' bandwagon. Their NRI cinema is
far from the bigger reality. Movies are meant to hold a mirror to the
society and Slumdog Millionaire does exactly that(of course in a
dramatic way). It's realistic, contemporary, lucid and has a deep
message. The movie revolves around three characters-Jamal Malik, Salim
Malik(Jamal's brother) and Latika(Jamal's love interest) who live in
abject poverty in Dharavi(world's largest slum) in Mumbai. Despite his
horrific, unimaginable experiences like riots and even a
near-mutilation, the protagonist Jamal is essentially scrupulous. He
manages to get on the show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'- India's version of
'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' only to establish contact with his lady
love, an ardent fan of the show, who is a gangster's keep. The host and
the entire nation is spellbound as to how a 'chaiwalla', who has no
formal education, answers every question thrown at him. But his real
motive is not big bucks but love. Herein lies the beauty of the movie
which manifests that true love transcends everything else. Danny Boyle takes out the best from his actors(esp. the child actors).
Simon Beaufoy's screenplay is breathtaking. Rahman's music elevates the
film. At the end of the day, Slumdog Millionaire lives up to the hype
surrounding it. It deserves all the accolades its getting worldwide. It
certainly is one of the best India-centric movies ever made. Watch it!
Such a movie come once in a decade. Here's hoping the Oscar night turns out to be Slumdog's night…India's
night. Jai Ho!

manxkp from New Delhi, India - 24 January 2009

the most overrated movie of the year

Slumdog Millionaire's premise is so cliché that I cannot believe the
hype; it's the story of a poor boy in love with a girl and some bad
guys in between them. I don't know how many movies I have seen with
this exact same premise. There must be literally thousands of Asian,
Mid-Eastern movies with exact same story. Many people here complain
about insult to India as a country. How about insult to all the other
great movies that have not been recognized by the Academy? How about
the great Afghan, Iranian movies that are actually much smarter and
original than Slumdog Millionaire but somehow never get to be seen by
the American Audience? What about the insult to them? Slumdog
Millionaire's commercial success solely depends upon the producers, and
nothing more (and maybe due to the fact that most Americans are not
familiar with this kind of story or maybe hungry for unrealistic,
almost fairy-tale like love story, innocence kept through hard-times).
There is not one original idea in the entire movie. I easily predicted
everything before it happened, including the ending. No surprises, no
clever screenplay, no great acting…. I guess the only cinematic
achievement in the movie was the excellent photography. The sceneries
from India's ghettos were just amazing in the sense of photographic
quality. Lastly, Academy should be ashamed of nominating this movie as
the best picture not to mention in many other categories. The Kite
Runner, a far superior picture didn't get single nomination. What an
insult to the artists who worked in that movie.

Serkan Okar (the_divine_spirit@yahoo.com) from Wilmington, Delaware - 24 January 2009

Too much hype, not enough matter.

The only reason I can think of due to which Slumdog Millionaire has won
various awards is that the competition is seriously lacking. I enjoyed
the movie, but not all of it.I must give full credit to the children who have performed in the
movie, they are the ones who deserve a nomination/award. Bombay is shot
beautifully, exposing the harsh reality of slum life. It is realistic
and gripping. Then the children grow up, this for me was the turning
point in the film. Patel, in the lead role was expressionless and
irritating. I still cannot understand the Hindi (with subtitles) to
English transition in the dialogue, and where for the love of god did
the accents come from? (particularly those of Anil Kapoor & Freida
Pinto, who hail from the Indian subcontinent).The entire story after the first half was unimpressive. There was no
chemistry between the lead characters, probably due to lack of acting
experience.I do not understand the ideology of the casting director for
casting an NRI as the 'slumdog millionaire'. He does not suit the role
at all. Irrfan Khan/Mahesh Manjrekar have not been used well. A R
Rahman probably deserves every bit of the acclaim that he is receiving,
but this movie is definitely not his best. For anyone planning to watch
'Slumdog', my advice is not to go with high expectations.

lamaanhamid from India - 24 January 2009

Wouldn't this movie be better with Seth Rogen and James Franco?

Think about it: How much cooler would Slumdog Millionaire be if James
Franco was in the millionaire hot seat while high as a kite? And
wouldn't the train scenes be ten times funnier with the two 30-year-old
potheads? This movie pretty much is Pineapple Express in India. Just
look at the similarities: big-time mob bosses, two young boys on the
run, a hot chick, and there's a scene when they're smoking hookah! The
movie could definitely use Seth Rogen's comic relief. Slumdog
Millionaire seems to take itself a little too seriously; maybe it
should smoke some weed and just chill! And it would help the film
develop a broader fan base too. Look at me! Do I care about poverty in
India? Of course not. But I love smoking weed!

Hoffmanpmj from United States - 24 January 2009

Beautiful Made but a script a teenager could make.

This movie is beautifully made with an amazing look at the slums of
India and I'll be going out tomorrow to see if I can't find the
soundtrack somewhere. That said i found the script had the feeling that
it was written by a love sick teenager with some absolutely cheesy
lines and a cast of characters that feels so clichéd it's just
annoying. Every Indian is either rich/powerful and a complete asshole
or poor and trying to screw everyone over, including the host of Who
Wants to Be A Millionaire who is played with the evil malice of a man
looking to crush Jamal beneath his heel. That is except, of course for
our two lovers, who it seems are the only honest, kind and decent
people people left around.I can understand that the movie is trying to show the dark side of
growing up poor but adding a couple of different styles of characters
would make the whole thing more realistic I would think. I am quite
disappointed as I had only recently heard of the movie (I live in China
so I don't get to see many trailers) and everything I heard had been
good. I would have enjoyed the movie more if they had just left out the
talking as as I said, visually it's stunning and the music was absolute
wonderful.

smallbob from China - 24 January 2009

get schooled!!

Times have changed, love stories are not what they used to be and
princes are not either. Once upon a time we would talk about Men with
money and a tender heart, nowadays in this globalist world money is
more than ever out there (even in this time of crisis). So power and
wealth stopped being a Noble feature.Intelligence was once considered the new Nobility, possessing knowledge
was considered a virtue, knowledge which can be acquired by anyone at
any time. Now things are different, values, pure heart, self respect
are virtues that not everyone has access to, and Jamal the star of this
tale has them. As Jamal said… it was written, things had to work out
at the end, he deserved nothing less.This marvelous movie was made to touch your deepest emotions, to show
us how love should be. Sit down and get ready to get schooled in life
by a youngster. Lets just hope you paid attention.

martin-ortiz from Mexico - 24 January 2009

Brilliant

Took wifey last night to "La Premiere" (the Hoyts version of Gold
Class) to see "Slumdog Millionaire". It's pretty similar to "Gold
Class" except you get complimentary soft drink and popcorn, which is a
pretty sweet deal, but you don't get a reclining chair (which sucks)
and you sit with others along a balcony which is overseeing where the
poor people sit. One of the highlights of the night was watching the
poor people work out how they got upto our seats. I wanted to shout
something insulting to them, but I'm pretty humble.The movie was excellent. It's about a boy named Jamal who gets to the
last question of India's version of "Who wants to be a millionaire".
The movie starts with him being interrogated the day before he gets to
the last question as the host of the show is suspicious he's cheating,
especially because of the fact he's a "slumdog". We then retrace Jamal
watching the video of the show with the police and him telling stories
about how he knew the answers.It's a brilliant idea for a movie (based upon the book "Q&A") and
played out well as the story was so good. The cast is really solid,
especially when it follows Jamal, his brother Salim and friend Latika
as little children. The cast is really good, the cinematography
excellent and the story is a masterpiece. Don't just take my word for
it though- it won the Golden Globe for best picture and is No. 34 on
the IMDb.com Top 250, 3 spots ahead of "Wall-E".2 amusing side notes.1/ About half way through mum rang me (she was babysitting) asking how
to get the sound back on as Isaac had fiddled with the TV set-up. Isaac
then turned the power off 3 more times, meaning it took me 10mins to
explain o mum how to put the TV on, the stereo on, foxtel on and the
dvr set-up.2/ During the week, Andy Maher was on SEN saying how brilliant it was
and even the more remarkable was that it was a true story. One caller
phoned in and told him it wasn't and that he thought it was based on a
book but Andy countered that the book must have been based on a true
story. Then another guy phoned in and reviewed the book as he'd
recently read it, then Andy started to back down from his stance and
seemed rather crestfallen.

tastyhotdogs from Australia - 24 January 2009

Decent enough flick!!

When I found this movie to be overwhelming in Indian media…day in and
day out every news channel was talking about it.I decided to watch it
and it was just another fiction movie to me. I live in India and this
movie doesn't hit me on my face.Im not gonna whine around saying that
it depicted India's poverty and all.Well it didn't.Its far more worse
than this, everyday when I go to play football or Cricket in the beach
I find lots of little boys begging for money who live in the slums.This
movie is far from reality.A guy winning a millionaire show on pure luck
was completely a fairy tale ending.There was no sense of realism.If you
are not an Indian, this movie would certainly appeal to you, as you
would have never seen little kids in slums from India but if you are an
Indian then you would just like to hype it, the same thing Indian media
is trying to do.This movie is based on a book and was written by an
Indian who spent most of his life in Turkey, Ethiopia, U.K and U.S.The
book titled 'Q and A' won the best fiction prize.So its not freakin
real, for reals.As most of the people(Non-Indians) here claim this
movie to be a complete package of realism are some dumbheads who
certainly lack severe general knowledge and If movies are your way to
reality in the third world then, you are a 'noob o legends' from the
western part of the world.If you want reality watch Mira Nair's 'Salaam
Bombay' thats some true shite.If I had to pick a movie from this year as the best one,as I haven't
yet watched MILK, I will certainly go for "The wrestler" - cos that
movie was so hard hitting on my face, pure sense of realism, the true
survival of an epic legend. I never liked WWF or wwe but the wrestler
made me feel bad for the character.Mickey Rourkey deserves an Oscar, he
definitely did everything more than anyone else who has been nominated
for Oscars this year.

Man Fiztek from India - 24 January 2009

A feelgood film about the wealth of life and the riches of love

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is a wonderful feelgood film about
the wealth of life experience and the riches of love. At times it feels
very unrealistic but we happily suspend disbelief for the pleasure and
joy of this fast paced ride.What struck me most is that, though bursting with all the colour and
vitality that Mumbai has to offer, the film has a very British feel to
it with a cool modern soundtrack, a mischievous outlook and a winning
energetic spirit. (And of course plenty cups of chah!) Everything about
the film exudes cheeky fun, the music, the title sequence, the
colourful offset subtitles and finally the Zatoichi style Bollywood
closing number.The cinematography is stunning. It's rich dense colours and the unique
vantage points of the shots give an energetic upbeat feel to the
footage. Expert cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle used a mixture of
35mm and hand-held digital (shot on the P+S Technik 2K). The digital
was introduced as a way to include the fast paced movement through the
narrow, densely populated slum streets without getting stuck in them
with bulky Indian film cameras or attracting too much unwanted
attention from bystanders. About 60% of the film ended up being shot on
digital and a small amount was shot on a CanonCam stills camera on
continuous burst.The beauty, energy and uplifting qualities of Slumdog enable the film
to deal with more sinister elements of the story in an engaging way.
Far from being harrowing the films violent points are given to us with
hope for overcoming life's dangers, and these punches of the dark side
of India are what keeps the film from being dismissed as pure
fairytale. Beautifully acted by an endearing cast it is instead a
fantastic triumph of meaning and relevance in a growing city that is
set to become the largest in the world within the next decade or so.

Leilani Holmes from United Kingdom - 24 January 2009

Very disappointing

I was SO excited to finally see this Oscar-nominated movie, and
actually enjoyed it until about 30 before its ending. Then it shot
downhill so badly my heart sunk with disappointment. I like Danny Boyle
movies and have never been disappointed in his work until "Slumdog."
The movie started out deliciously compelling and dark. The movie ended
like silly, fluffy,contrived Hollywood (Bollywood?) schlock with the
"perfect" ending, completely ruining the rough edginess of its
beginning. Could the ending when Lativa met Jamal at the train station
have been any more corny or clichéd? And how realistic that they were
the ONLY two people on the platform. What was the deal with the stupid
dancing scene during the ending credits? Was I watching a suspenseful
drama or a Judd Apatow comedy? What happened to the Danny Boyle that
did the masterful Trainspotting? I'd like him back, please.

benibarks-1 from United States - 24 January 2009

this film may be the single gravest insult to the intelligence of the audience ever suffered at the movies

moronic, predictable, disgusting, with every moment drawn out teased
out ad naseum, with possibly the all time worst performance by a lead
actor in a feature film, utter drivel, crap, I just sat through a
packed house screening of this film in LA after which the audience
applauded and could only ask myself "how stupid can people be?!" I have
to admit there have been a dozen or so movies that have left me feeling
"this might be the worst film I have ever seen" but I honestly think
this one absolutely takes the cake… TOTAL GARBAGE!!My review doesn't contain enough lines… but I can't think of anything
to add. . . of course it's doing great at the awards ceremonies. . .
it's like… such is the state of the world. . . Obama help us!

marymorrissey from United States - 24 January 2009

Excellent and engaging Movie

Words cannot describe the beauty of this movie. It starts with a curse
and ends with a dance/song. The journey that a boy makes from being a
Slumdog to a millionaire is the plot as the title suggests. But it is
not only that. It shows the conditions of the slums in Bombay, what
children have to suffer being a part of that and how they are exploited
by people. There are moments in the movie which just stick in your
mind. Like the scene when young Jamal falls into a pit full of poop and
arises to see Amitabh Bachan. The scene when a young boy is made to
learn and sing 'Oh Lord Ghanashyama' written by the famous poet Surdas
and then getting his eyes amputated was one of the most gripping scenes
of the movie. Salim pulling a revolver to kill a mob king was another
excellent scene.Several factors of the Mumbai slums, like the Hindu- Muslim riots,
child labor and prostitution were shown in the movie with great art. I
also thought that Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan did great justice to the
roles given to them. The ending was some what that of a typical Indian
movie. A R Rehman was at his best with the background scores and he
clearly deserves an Oscar.A movie I feel has to show exactness and must be entertaining when
showing it. It must have a moral/study and must teach the audience a
thing or two. This movie has it. It shows that destiny is something
that is made by an individual and not the society that he lives in. His
fate is chosen by him, by the way he chooses to live his life. This
movie is a must see.

dinesh vasudevan from India - 24 January 2009

A film that proves no matter how harsh one's life has been thru those experiences can help one master knowledge and win big in the end!

Director Danny Boyle's film "Slumdog Millionaire" clearly has hit the
jackpot with this picture an uplifting tale for anyone that sees it
especially those that are poor and unlucky. Because those viewers can
relate to the central character of Jamal so well. And Boyle's direction
is life and storybook like as his direction of the film tells most of
this troubled young man's life as the whole film is told from a
flashback point of view. It's just so touching to see how each life
experience of Jamal's past relates to his present as it was able to
provide him with unlimited knowledge of the world that he gained from
life experiences.Set in the slums of Mumbai, India we as viewers see a journey of harsh
living that is experienced by one young man named Jamal Malik(Dev
Patel)who along with his older brother from a young age have to deal
with many problems from losing their mother, and being abandoned during
war time. Along the way the streets are a way of life and survival for
them as they drift from location to location only Jamal gradually
learns the culture of how to break from the thug world. As without much
money Jamal had to survive on his wits to make money this knowledge
would benefit him greatly later. Aside from a journey of dealing with
the harsh world of cynical thugs and learning the streets Jamal is in
part involved up in a love story. When meeting the beautiful
Latika(Freida Pinto). Her beauty and love provides some escape for
Jamal.It is then when upon Jamal working after leaving his brother and the
beauty behind decides to go for the gold so to speak. Jamal becomes a
contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire" as
he feels this is the only way to the path of a good life and a way to
escape poverty. Ironically as we see from question to question as the
film is done in flashback Jamal reflects on his harsh upbringing and
dangerous street days of dealing with thugs as it's many of these
experiences that helped him obtain powerful culture knowledge. And
oddly enough many of these questions can be answered by his knowledge
he picked up from the past.As in life the film proves many simply have a destiny often expected or
unexpected as in the end Jamal knows his destiny and the only way that
he will establish love with Latika is thru this game show! This may
seem like a fairy tale ending to some still it shows destiny is often
meant even though it takes many strange paths for some it's those like
Jamal that struggle thru a harsh upbringing and that living in slum
conditions makes a man stronger especially mentally. And in the end
this makes him a master because he's found his destiny. Super work from
Danny Boyle proving no matter how tough and harsh life can be for some
it can end striking the jackpot.

Danny Blankenship from Petersburg, Virginia - 23 January 2009

No matter the costs:Ultimate love story

Even though the movie itself isn't as serious as the final pieces of
the puzzle,it is incontestably the best movie of the year,the best
depicted story and the best acted movie in a decade.Slumdoge
Millionaire hits every corner of a viewer's heart.It really makes you
tick.It is the national anthem of all movies :Jai Ho ! Whether you are
at home,at cinema,at a friend's DVD-home-cinema party…you will enjoy
this half-musical drama.The characters development into the story are
so deep that you can't possibly mistake one with the other…the
director made from the audience…a part of the story.Probably it is
and will remain for a long time one of the greatest achievements in
cinematography and directing. "What a night"

westreal (rbarbulescu@yahoo.com) from Romania - 23 January 2009

The Three Musketeers

In Mumbai, the eighteen year-old orphan from the slums Jamal Malik (Dev
Patel) is tortured by the policemen in a precinct accused of cheating a
game show. Jamal, who has no education and works in a call center
serving tea, is close to win twenty million rupees in the show "Who
Wants to Be a Millionaire?" hosted by Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), giving
precise answers to the questions and raising suspicion of fraud. The
police inspector shows the videotape and after each question, Jamal
tells parts of his childhood with his brother Salim, his crush for
Latika and their fight to survive on the streets to justify each
correct answer, guided by his common sense and past experience, and
prove his innocence.The awesome" Slumdog Millionaire" is one of the best movies I have
recently seen. The story is an original and simple tale of love,
serendipity and fortune, in the environment of poverty and criminality
in the slums and streets of India; but the screenplay is fantastic,
using flashbacks to disclose the life of the lead character, his
brother and his passionate and pure love for another orphan in a
perfect development of the characters and the plot. The acting is
top-notch, and the boys and girls that perform the lead roles (young
Jamal, Salim and Latika) have also amazing performances. In the
credits, there is a great surprise with the cast singing and dancing
like in most Bollywood productions. My vote is ten.Title (Brazil): Not AvailableNote: On 22 February 2009, this movie was awarded with eight Oscar,
including Best Picture and Best Director.

Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 23 January 2009

Awesome!

Slumdog Millionaire opens the rotten face of India, does it? Does it
show the so called "dirty underbelly" of India? Slumdog word is racist
as alleged by a chap from Bihar. But really?? If I had one word to
describe these comments it would have been a *beep*!!By no means this movie is aimed at showing the chronic poverty of our
nation. Many reviewers have criticized this movie for showing only the
dirty reality of the country instead of displaying all those swanky
buildings, glittering malls etc.Slumdog Millionaire narrates a story of 2 siblings & a girl, who rise
from the dirty slum life and move into different directions of life.
The older brother ("Salim"-played by Madhur Mittal) ends up working for
a gangster, the girl ("Latika"-played by Frieda Pinto) ends up as a
show girl with the same gangsters and the hero of the movie the younger
brother ("Jamal"-played by Dev Patel) ends up living a rather straight
life as a tea server in a call center. Jamal reaches the "hot seat" of
Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by an arrogant quiz master Prem Kumar
(Anil Kapoor) who don't want him to win the game. He calls the police
to get Jamal Malik arrested on the charges of fraud at the end of day 1
of the show. At the police station Jamal is tortured first by the sound
thrashing from Constable Srinivas (Saurabh Shukla) and then he is
subjected to electric shock, all to make him speak about how a tea
serving slum dweller can give the correct answers.The movie revolves around the dingy slums of Dharavi. The heaps and
heaps of garbage, dogs with flees, young Jamal jumping in a pit full of
*beep* (*sic*), Hindu-Muslim riots, pimps, gangsters, rough language is
some of the few characteristics of the film which together with the
superb cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle makes it an ultra realistic
movie. Kudos to the director Danny Boyle and co-director Loveleen
Tandon for the impressive direction and superb camera takes which shows
the minutest of the details of the dirty slum life. The screenplay was
outstanding.Acting:If I had to rate the performance of the characters I would
surely give a high five to the children artists of the movie. Almost
half of the movie shows them and their acting was very natural and
realistic. Dev Patel was fine too. Frieda Pinto didn't had too much of
the screen time but delivered good performance. Anil Kapoor was cool.
Irrfan Khan as the deadly cop together with Saurabh Shukla gave the top
performances together with the child artists. Mahesh Manjrekar was
looking a real gangster. He was rough, bad and whatever you may call a
gangster. Madhur Mittal as the older brother Salim was quite good.Sound/Music: Well the music has so many nominations for the Oscars what
more can I write!!??!! The sound effects were superb. The background
score was creepy good. "Jai Ho" track comes at the end of the movie.
The song is classic but I doubt whether it would take away the Oscar.
Let's hope for the best. A.R Rahman proves that he is the best in this
field!The movie has been given an "A" certificate and rightly so. It has some
good amount of strong language, violence in the form of riots, torture,
a child being blinded with hot syrup (something), murder and other such
things happening in the slums. These violent scenes are quite chilling
and tense.Overall I would recommend this movie to every person who has a tag
"Indian" attached to him/her. A detailed insight into the murky life of
slum dwellers. Slumdog Millionaire is one of those movies which has a
happy ending. And out of the 10 Oscar nominations it would bag at least
three i.e in "cinematography", "editing" & for the song "Jai Ho". It is
a perfect edge of the seat thriller wrapped in the ghostly realities of
slums. Hightly recommended.

Mudit Sood from India - 23 January 2009

Sure to be an Oscar winner

This is the movie which is made with heart. Beautiful performances by
the actors especially by the kids playing the role of Jamal and Salim.
The movie showed the real life of the slum dwellers, through a kid. A must watch movie especially for the acting from young Jamal and Salim
to the elder ones. The direction is undoubtedly a master piece, showing
the real slum and the people living in.The story show the life of a boy
who faces difficult challenges thorough out; and a desire to get his
love back. The performance is good, the direction is great, language is real, the
story is nice and the greatest part music by A.R.Rahman is the
greatest.All and all the movie is worth to be a Oscar winner especially
for "Best Picture,Director,Adapted Screenplay,Music………………."……………….MUST WATCH………………….."

imspellbound7 from India - 23 January 2009

Best. Film. of. 2008. Period.

Without a doubt, no other film of 2008 will be able to title itself as
the very best of the calendar year. Certainly, this is a subjective
question, but after experiencing this wondrous achievement, I can't
imagine anyone picking another film but this as best picture of 2008.
British director Danny Boyle perfectly crafted this picture and it is
more than just a great story but also a great movie. It is entirely
entertaining and will certainly lift your spirits as well. All the
actors, whether Dev Patel as Jamal, Freida Pinto as Latika, or any of
the rest of the cast, young and old, are perfectly cast and completely
bring us into this world of poverty, dirtiness, sadness, and hope.So, I say you must see Slumdog Millionaire before the Oscars are
announced. I can say with confidence it will win Best Picture, but you
owe it to yourself to experience the expert storytelling, acting,
directing, visual style, and music that wraps you up and transports you
to a feeling of exhilaration and joy. For all that it is worth, this is
the best film of 2008 and one of the best I have ever seen. It is
written.

bobsgrock from United States - 23 January 2009

Poor Very Poor (NOTHING LIKE CITY OF GOD)

The problem i had with the film Slumdog Millionaire was i figured out
the plot within 5 minutes of entering the cinema , also i am not a fan
of who wants to be millionaire matter of fact i hate it and the acting
was good but i felt this film has been over hyped.The film was no gem , Latika acting was shocking and some scenes were
not necessary . Also this film is nothing like city of god that was a
masterpiece and this was a waste of time. The real thing which annoyed
me was the credits where everyone began dancing which just made me feel
as i had watched a comedy which was not funny.Overall i felt Dev Pantel was the star of the show but the film well
just was my sort of film more of an action person then feel good films
as this one made me feel bad .

Daniel Robins from United Kingdom - 23 January 2009

Journey of a Slumdog

This movie is one of the best movies I have seen. It's a story about
the slumlife in Mumbai. The important thing is that Jamal (Dev Patel)
dint loose hope in spite that his mother died and he was deceived by
his own brother. I felt Salim had a good nature when he was small.Jamal earned a living as a 'chai wala' where as Salim got money doing
bad things. Latika was a descent and noble girl, but because of Salim
she got into the wrong company. This story is an eye-opener. All the
actors acted very well especially Dev Patel (Jamal Mullik) and Frieda
Pinto (Latika) Dev Patel should get the award for the best actor.I was really shocked at the treatment meted to the slums. Jamal used
his own mind instead of following the answer which Anil Kapoor gave
him. Even though Anil Kapoor kept teasing him he dint mind.Even when he
phoned Latika, he was more bothered about her than the money.This story tells us that if one is focused in life one can achieve
one's goal no matter how many obstacales one faces.It's a beautiful movie

tambe from India - 23 January 2009

Simply Brilliant Film-Making!

Who would have thought that Danny Boyle would create one of the finest
films this year already, and probably one of the best I have watched.
Over the years we have seen the different types of brilliant genre
picture's that Boyle has directed, e.g. Shallow Grave (Thriller),
Trainspotting (Drug-Taking Drama), 28 Days Later (Horror), and Sunshine
(Sci-Fi). But then Boyle went out and decided to look for something
completely different, and found (bizzarely) a British/Indian Romantic
Gameshow picture. As always, it is another 'rags to riches' story of a young boy named
Jamal who lives and survives on the streets of Mumbai, and somehow
manages to become a contestant on the Indian's 'Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire' game-show. Jamal (played brilliantly by Skins-Dev Patel),
a young child who grows into his teens along with his elder brother
Samil, and which depicts the main part of the story towards the love of
his life, as Jamal says in the film, "The most beautiful girl in the
world." Freida Pinto, stars as Letika, and all three (Jamal, Samil,
Letika) encounter difficult stages of their life's, and some that
change drastically.The film whilst showing the love story unfold between Jamal and Letika,
the other part is obviously focused on the game show that Jamal is one
question away from becoming a multi-millionaire, until being arrested
and accused by the game-show host Prem Kumar (played sneeringly by Anil
Kapoor) of cheating. Therefore, Jamal is then put through torture to
explain his actions (beware, this film although shares discomfort as
well as joy) and admit his wrong-doing, but instead confesses to the
Police, how he simply knew the answers to the questions with vivid
flashbacks from his childhood past, which is a brilliant piece of film
making by Boyle.The films last's just under 2 hours, but it was so riveting and
exhilarating, I could never take my eyes of it, as I thoroughly enjoyed
every second of it. The score as well by A. R. Rahman is also one of
the best I've heard and was perfectly set in tone for the film
throughout, which also gives you a great insight into India's culture
and lifestyle, with some of the most gorgeous camera scenes you'll see
this year.All of the characters in the film are brilliant, and with a bit more
depth (e.g. where was Letika's family before meeting Jamal and Samil?),
but that shouldn't bother you as the film goes through humour, despair,
and to simply the feel good factor, because at the end of the film I
can guarantee you will have the biggest smile on your face you wont be
able to get rid of.Credit to Boyle though, he has chosen a difficult and different
challenge in film-making but has pulled out his finest film to date,
and since the film has already won Golden Globe's for Best Film and
Best Director, it is a firm favourite (in my and everyone's else
opinion) for the Oscar's as it has already been Oscar nominated in 10
categories.A thrillingly upbeat film which you can never get bored off and watch
in admiration again and again, simply brilliant.

villanwilson87 from United Kingdom - 23 January 2009

An Excellent Movie…A Sure Fire Oscar Nominee

{This review contains no plot spoilers but there is a structural
technique spoiler of sorts (which is revealed in the first minutes of
the film and does not really give that much away as I have seen similar
references in mainstream reviews) and perhaps some theme spoilers due
to the mature content of the movie that I reference.}———————————————————-This movie was unlike any of my expectations and I like that everything
about it was unexpected. It had great characters, dialog, story and
structure.The story is cleverly revealed through a series of flashback sequences
prompted through the game questions on the Indian version of the "Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire?" TV show. The movie shows a very raw and
gritty version of the real India (good and bad) and is not for the
faint of heart (I spent 3 weeks in India living on $15 a day so I know
what is real and what most $100 a day tourists never see). The film
deals with heavy, mature themes such as torture, child prostitution,
poor sanitation, squalor living conditions, crime, begging, child
exploitation and homelessness though these are mainly supporting
elements to the very interesting journey of the main character leading
up to the present and his appearance on the show. This film was successful in bringing up a range of emotions for the
viewers that hit home and left a lasting impression; I found the story
both shocking and moving and was left very satisfied in the end and
happy I took a viewing risk on a film I had so little understanding
about. The three main characters were very deep and interesting because
the story led each through their own character arc of development.
There were also some elements of the film that were humorous but
nothing so outrageously funny as in Gran Torino (where I found the mix
of comedy, drama and characters to be even more appealing and
unexpected). All in all an excellent movie that I expect to have multiple Oscar
nominations if not actual wins (Oscars are always harder for
independent movies like this to achieve).

mlzzz from United States - 23 January 2009

Not as great as it is being made out to be

All the folks that I talk to rave about this movie. Criticizing this
movie has become like criticizing Obama. No one wants to hear it. I
feel that the movie tries to package the more than well trodden Hindi
movie masala themes into a more western friendly style. The good part
about the movie is that it does this well. Also it does the story
telling in a somewhat novel way. I also feel that it tries to provide
realism in a very superficial way. Exhibit 1: The protagonist speaks
Hindi all through the childhood (this part was realistic) but starts to
speak middle class/upper middle class stylish English when he grows up
(stylish in the Indian context). How did he learn the language so well?
I think the casting could have been better. Also Rehman's music is
highly overrated in this movie. This certainly is not the best music
Rehman has given (I know the GG award was comparing this music with
nominees in this category). I have loved many of Rehmans compositions
and follow his work carefully. Glad that someone has given more
technical thought and insightful comments than the usual "shows in
India in bad light" argument. If this movie wins an Oscar apart from
the GG, I certainly would see merit in the disappointment of a whole
group of Bollywood directors whose movies were much better than this
one. Sorry just a mediocre movie.

minukumar from United States - 22 January 2009

review

Danny Boyle returns to fine form in one of the most inspiring films of
the year. Fantastic cinematography combined with excellent acting from
Dev Patel playing Jamal Malick a young man facing challenges which lead
him to one place in the hot seat on ''who wants to be a millionaire' .Supported by an excellent supporting class [ the children playing the
younger Jamal are truly exceptional] Slumdog Millionaire is a film
which subverts the Hollywood narrative and looks at another side of
life which is not seen by many it shows how courage above adversity
triumphs and how it is destiny which leads you to a place which will
change your life.

shukarb from United Kingdom - 22 January 2009

wonderful

i saw this film before it went into limited release at a special
screening with director Danny Boyle. my initial reaction to the film
was that it was good, but not that great.then, over the next couple of weeks, the memory of the film stayed with
me and it continued to grow on me until i felt strongly compelled to go
see it again (something i don't do often). i found myself catching so
many beautiful moments the 2nd time around, and was moved to tears in
several different scenes.this is a powerful film, and don't let the more fable-like qualities of
it distract you from the amazing sounds and visuals. Mr. Boyle
describes this as a "love song for Mumbai," and that is exactly what it
is: a love song. this film, from Mr. Boyle's delightful direction, the
amazing cinematography & editing, the incredible score by R.A. Rahman,
and some compelling performances by delightful unknowns Dev Patel and
Frieda Pinto, is one of the best films i have ever had the pleasure of
viewing.this is, in my opinion, the best film of 2008. with drama, romance,
humor, action, and lots of heart, it has something for everyone.
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. don't miss it on the big screen.

malachifour from United States - 22 January 2009

Lightweight and corny

I'm truly bewildered by the lavish praise that this movie is
attracting. I just thought it corny and mildly irritating.My first problem was the half-movie/half-TV show format. A question is
asked on the TV show. Cue flashback to the slums that shows how the
lead character knows the answer. Each flashback involves frenetic
running through narrow alleyways pursued by various evildoers. Back to
the TV show. Another question followed by another flashback involving
more running through the slums. By the 16,000 rupee question this was
already wearing thin on me.I also didn't like the gross overuse of jerky slow motion and tilted
camera angles. It just added to the repetitiveness of the
question—>run through the slums—->question—- >run through the
slums narrative. I'm baffled that so may critics have praised the movie because of its
depiction of reality. In what universe do two brothers witness the
murder of their mother at the hand of religious bigots, yet still grow
up seemingly unaffected to become a couple of happy-go-lucky scamps in
search of adventure? How real is the depiction of Lakita who gets sent
to a brothel but the audience are assured that she was never violated
and is rescued as a virgin? How many child prostitutes do you think
there are in the slums of Mumbai and how many of those do you reckon
are virgins? Please ponder that for a moment.This is pure Disneyfication of poverty - a world filled with
mischievous and lovable little rascals who live on garbage dumps, where
the baddies always get their comeuppance, where the good guys always
win and where the child prostitutes are always virgins who will
ultimately be whisked away by newly minted millionaires. The story is a pure fantasy, like Lady and the Tramp. A cheesy love
story and a piece of cinematic bubble gum. Take it at face value and
you might find the fast pace entertaining enough to pass a few hours. This is not a movie to learn about India or to gain any great insight
about what life is like in the slums. It is far too lightweight for
that.

Robert_Sole from United States - 22 January 2009

India…..we love u

India,incredible India………yes this tourism commercial can
summarize this little gem,well not little anymore…….its huge!
Awards ,accolades it deserves all, one of the FINEST FILMS OF ALL
TIMES.The film is about Jamal, the lead protagonist portrayed by the gifted
Dev Patel, a slum kid from India's dream city Mumbai, its about his
journey from being a ''slumdog'' from slums to a ''millionaire'' in the
hit television show, the Indian version of ''Who wants to be a
millionaire''.A true rags to riches story-one of the best of its kinds, the movie
captures the audiences in a pulsating drama filled with love,action and
various emotions,anger,fear,nervousness,songs and dance too!…….in a
true blue Bollywood fashion.True depiction of modern India, the film set in India's maximum city
Mumbai, the dream city, It shows the optimism Indians feel in todays
hard times.Danny Boyle is more Indian than Indians! He captures modern India like
never before,at least in recent times. The film excels in all fields
camera,acting,background,music……all blend to makes this beautiful
film.Don't MISS IT!

proroge115 from India - 22 January 2009

Danny Boyle has insulted the noble art of film making by making a piece of non sense

My vote for this piece of junk is 0 out of 10.It is a politically
incorrect film as its title is an insult to poor people who live in
slums.Simon Beaufoy has done a bad job by mocking poor people.It is my
guess that he did all this to influence audiences as the title of the
original book written by Vikas Swarup is Q & A There is nothing worth
seeing as Danny Boyle has copied Bollywood style of making films.His
film is also a stupid flick as he has put famous Indian monument to win
praises from White people who go to India only to see that monument.The
entire flick is fit only to be a television soap opera.This film will
not benefit Hindi cinema of India as Hollywood will always typecast
Indian actors as they have been doing with actors from Hong Kong.This
is a film whose success in the west will surely assure that not many
tourists go to India as no one would want to go there to see
poverty,crime and discrimination.This film is a kind of artistic
terrorism.Stay away from it as you have been warned about its dangers.

Phu Dong from Viet Nam - 22 January 2009

Slumdog is wildly overrated

Slumdog Millionaire presents a refreshingly original concept, but it
fails when it plays like a typical action romance. The main problem is
that the screenplay follows the same formula that so many other
big-budget action romances follow with two major exceptions. One, we
have Indian characters, not American (it gives the film a special
allure). Secondly, the story is told in non-linear fashion. But the
formula is the same. One of the biggest problems in the writing is that everybody except for
the two main characters is a villain. Key characters are
one-dimensional and that's far too easy to write. For example,
everybody with the exception of three key characters are pure evil and
even then, one is mostly evil. It's lazy and a way to spoon-feed the
audience. It's easier for audiences to identify some one as wholly good
and another as wholly evil. Writing complex characters causes more
ambiguity and it might make audiences think!Secondly, Slumdog suffers from what I'll call "Inverse Deus Ex
Machina." Instead of characters always being saved by the bell, these
characters are always being harmed by the bell. Just when you think
something good will happen, something bad happens to increase drama.
This is a problem when it happens at every single opportunity it gets
except one. Another problem is a philosophical one. Jamal searches for his true
love, a girl that he barely spent any time with making it hard to
legitimize this destined love. Now, this can work by giving the main
character a reason to love a girl he barely knew. Maybe she reminds him
of innocence or maybe she was the only purely good person he ever knew.
But the movie does not justify this distant and unknown love, they
simply expect us to believe that the overly passionate Jamal would be
so unbelievably attached to a stranger and vice versa. Boyle also applies some annoying gimmicks to this film. Almost every
other shot is canted dutch (camera tilted at an angle). Critics seem to
confuse this as art but it's simply aggravating. The Third Man is the
only film that can use canted dutch shots nearly as much as Slumdog
did, although it still does it less. Also, every time it happens in 3rd
Man, there's an obvious reason for it. Here, there's no reason other
than to create never-ending chaos, even during the calm scenes. Also, Boyle doesn't something extremely elementary. He changes the
positions and colors of the subtitles, especially throughout the
earlier scenes. This is a way of telling the audience, WE KNOW YOUR
ATTENTION SPAN IS TOO SHORT TO READ BLACK AND WHITE SUBTITLES AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, SO WE'LL APPLY COLORS AND MAKE THEM MORE VISIBLE
BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THE American AUDIENCE WILL WATCH THIS. Man
on Fire and El Cantante also did this, I believe for the same reasons,
and it's unnecessary. Trust the audience. They're only dumb if you
treat them as such. And I won't even get into the end credits. I'll
just say this isn't 40 year old virgin, this movie can't pull that off. Also, Boyle has a nasty habit of playing popular, modern songs
non-diagetically against scenes that take place well before the song
was made. I may be nit-picky here, but this too is unnecessary, sloppy
film-making. More importantly, Boyle exhibits a petty reliance on
music, making most of the movie feel like a really expensive music
video. Slumdog fails to capitalize on the most interesting character in the
film. THE SLUMS. There's a brief moment in the film where the camera is
sitting on a tri-pod, there isn't any wacky editing, and a serene song
plays. We watch Jamal re-enter the slums. Here, the slums are treated
with tenderness and a little nostalgia. The film needs more of this. Ultimately, the great reviews stem from the appreciation of an unusual
concept made in a fast-paced, City of God-like environment using
incredibly epic scenery of Mumbai slums. Unfortunately, the content,
editing and cinematography is treated like a Michael Bay film and the
theme (and ending) is one to satisfy an audience of teeny-boppers.
Slumdog may very well win best picture this year while a simpler, more
thought-provoking and more mature film in The Wrestler isn't even
nominated for the award.

omarramonmuniz from United States - 22 January 2009

mixed emotions

This is a curious example of outsider gaze into a part of India
bollywood would rather close its eye.However the outsider gaze is not a
neutral or objective gaze.It gets drawn into absurdities and
perversities of Indian life with an exaggerated interest.The best bits
of the movie reminded me of 'City of God', the bad bits of the movie
reminded me of countless bollywood films. The characters are all
caricatures, the lead character ( Dev Patel) emotes like a British
Asian, not like a real Indian.The actress playing Latika despite being
an Indian, is unindian in presence.Actors speaking in English reminds
us constantly that this is not India and these guys are not real
Indians.The hero's brother is the only character who rise above
caricature status.But despite my negative impression, I enjoyed the
film, just like I enjoy a well made masala bollywood film. This is not
an art film, it is a clever film that sells some exotic wares.It should
sell well in the west.I hope Rahman gets an Oscar for the musical
score.

sajupj from england - 22 January 2009

Good but not surprising

This story is certainly nothing new and exciting. By using the game
show, we were being told an East Indian boy life story. The tragic
experience he had is quite familiar. If you don't, you just have no
idea what had happened and is still happening in China and India.
Perhaps the materials are so familiar to me that I don't find the movie
surprising or consider it the best. No doubt, it is a good movie that
you should not miss. The director keep the movie in good pace. I did
not find it boring, even though the story is similar to some Chinese TV
series with a shorten version. I also consider some scene is too
disturbing for young audience. Watch it without your kids.

drbeanlee from Canada - 22 January 2009

Certainly not the best movie of the year

Well to put it as simple as possible the only positives about this
movie are the score and direction.This movie has created a lot of buzz
for the past couple of months and hey it has even managed to win some
prestigious awards thus far but I cannot understand why the critics and
fans have praised this movie so much.Going as far as to rate it above
Danny Boyle's masterpieces like Trainspotting,Shallow Grave and 28 Days
Later.There are some good points of this movie like the Score and
certainly Danny Boyle's direction saves it from being a senseless
flick. Danny surely knows that he is quite lucky with the awards this
time around as Trainspotting which is a masterpiece in every aspect got
no such acclaim.The acting is cheesy but you cant expect anything more from a bunch of
real amateurs.I have seen many low profile movies with better
acting.For instance: "Boy A" which also has many child and relatively
young actors was way better than this one in terms of acting,it is
really a shame that movies like that get less acclaim and no wonder why
we do not see movies like that often.Many fans across the world would
love to watch a Danny Boyle flick as he tries to offer something
different every time.This movie has created so much hype and even
though it has a high profile director,it fails miserably in terms of
acting.The other point I wanted to highlight was I found some comparing this
to City Of God.I am quite unfamiliar with most of the actors in that
movie too and it had a similar setting i.e kids growing up in a violent
and unsafe environment of a slum.The actors in City Of God were not
great and will most likely be remembered only for their performances in
that movie but at least they were watchable and some of them were even
good at playing their roles.Slumdog ain't as violent as COG nor it is
as interesting.I should not even be comparing it to COG because COG is
better in every aspect.I cannot understand why the casting director
could not hire a bunch of kids who knew a thing or two about movies and
acting.Acting is an important part of story telling as powerful or the
right actors can make the characters memorable.Without a shadow of a doubt this is one of those "feel good"
movies.Such movies do not last the test of time and in the future many
of us would wonder "How on Earth did this manage to gain so many awards
and honors ?".The plot itself was cheesy,unrealistic and nothing more
than a "crowd pleaser"…I know many would watch movies solely for the
sake of entertainment and this movie might give you just that for the
first time but this does not offer rewatch value which is an important
factor in terms of movies made to entertain fans.I feel many movies made this year were much better than this overrated
flick.Milk,Doubt,Frost/Nixon,Curious Case of Benjamin Button,In
Bruges,The Dark Knight,The Wrestler and many more are clearly way
better.As time goes by this movie would look more ordinary and less
appealing.Rating:6.5/10

deniropacino89 from Boston,USA - 22 January 2009

A love story that will be remembered, forever.

When i first heard of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, i didn't know what was
about. Then when i saw the trailer, I thought that it might be
interesting. Then I went to see it, and the movie was incredible. The
story was well written and directed very good by DANNY BOYLE. The love
that this movie has was truly told well. And an ending that you will
never forget. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a love story unlike anything you
will ever see. It's definite Oscar worthy movie. I have to say, that
THE DARK KNIGHT, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and SLUMDOG
MILLIONAIRE are 2008s best movies of the year. Go see it, you will be
amazed.

guardianJB from United States - 22 January 2009

Boyle reinventing the Bollywood industry

Boyle is one of the few directors that manage to work within the solid
confines of commercial film but still manage to keep a very modern and
unique look. He also knows how to make genre films his own and with
Slumdog Millionaire he goes one step further, taking on the whole
Bollywood industry. And again, he miraculously succeeds.It's always refreshing to see a new Boyle film. He does things with
existing genres. Adds to them, mixes them with others, updates them. It
makes his films a little harder to a sell to a hardened genre-loving
audience, but for those looking for new things to enjoy Boyle is a most
welcome certainty. With Slumdog Millionaire he simple reaffirms that
status. While his newest film emits a definite Bollywood vibe it is
equal amounts not Bollywood, making sure those who have little
affection with that side of the movie industry are not immediately put
off by the film.Most notable about Boyle's style is his ever sprawling cinematography.
Boyle's use of color is impeccable and what's even better, he is able
to keep this up for a whole film. He combines it with strong and vivid
camera work and some awesome editing tricks. It gives his films an
extra flair mostly nonexistent in commercial film (Tony Scott is the
only name that comes to mind, though Boyle is better at restraining
himself). Slumdog Millionaire looks lush from start to finish and
succeeds in being more than a visual one-trick pony.Equally strong is the soundtrack and more importantly, the way it is
applied throughout the film. Though a little too poppy for my liking it
flows perfectly together with the visuals and the both of them create a
very solid and tight atmosphere. The inclusion of M.I.A. in particular
was a pretty welcome surprise and added a lot to the fresh and hip feel
of the film, somehow still a very rare thing in the world of film.The film itself is neatly constructed around Who Wants To Be A
Multimillionaire, one of the most popular game shows to date. Our local
hero is able to participate by chance and through some miraculous leaps
of faith sees himself in the final round of the show in no time. Him
being from the slums arouses suspicion among the program makers but
also gives him a local hero status among the people from his hometown.
Our hero is taken to the police station in order to clear his name and
through a series of flashbacks we see how he was able to solve every
question up until that moment, which are all somehow related to a
particular period in his life.A pretty interesting concept which gives the film that little extra and
allows Boyle to lean a little more on the drama and feel-good than
other movies could've. While the outcome of the film is easy to predict
and the whole ending is quite sentimental, no other ending would've
done justice to the film. As for the game show part, its function is
clear and its screen time limited, so chances are scarce that the film
will feel outdated soon simply because the game show goes out of
fashion. Boyle really did a good job with that.It's been a long time since I've seen an audience in theaters been this
involved with a film. The climax reminded me of young kids watching a
puppet theater. Especially when they jump up and shout at the puppets
to give them directions (often to point them where the bad guys are). I
think more than a few people at the theater were relying on adult
conditioning to restrain themselves from doing exactly that during the
build-up of the final question.Slumdog Millionaire works on all levels. While it starts off as a light
drama it ends as a pure feel-good film and has no trouble making it
work. It's a pleasure to behold, the soundtrack is right on the spot
and the film never dips. It's good to see Boyle is still developing as
a director and even though he might look like a worn out rocker on
image, he is one of the hippest and coolest directors working in
commercial film today. Slumdog Millionaire is not his masterpiece, but
more than an excellent film altogether. 4.5*/5.0*

Onderhond from http://www.onderhond.com/archive/onderhond/category/movies - 21 January 2009

Excellent

Excellent, excellent, and excellent. I can't explain how realistic this
film looked like. The Indian film makers should learn a lesson here who
are producing hundreds of movies each year but all mindless and bad
taste for entertainment. Danny Boyle has done excellent work. Thanks
Danny for giving us this level of cinema. The story is whatever but the
final product which comes in front of the audience does matters only.
The whole movie was like a joy ride and so indulging that it was
looking like such a reality that we are experiencing it really. However
one should know that India is not full of slums but they exist in our
society and these children of slums will never get out of their plight
until and unless a major step can be taken for their betterment.

shariq_forever from India - 21 January 2009

excellent!

Uniquely original fable with charm to spare. The tale of a young Muslim
man from the slums of Mumbai who wins 20m rupees on the Indian version
of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - and the story of how and why he knew
the answers. Told mostly in flashback we are shown the young Jamal and
his elder brother Salim, and how they seek to escape their
poverty-stricken existence after the brutal killing of their mother at
the hands of religious extremists. At the beginning of the film as
Jamal is being tortured by the police ,who believe he cheated on the
show, we are asked how does a "slumdog" from Mumbai know all the
answers? Slowly we are shown. For all those people who believe that
India is a charming, mystical place full of awe and wonder, need to
watch a film like this. Mumbai is shown to be the polluted, disgusting,
corrupt-ridden sinkhole it is and the treatment of the street children
is heartbreaking, even to a cynical sod like me. Many of the films best
scenes are in the flashback sequences as Jamal, Salim and their young
female companion, Latika, struggle to survive on the streets. The
performances from the young actors who portray the main characters
younger selves is astonishing and one forgets that we are watching
actors (as its supposed to be in movies but often isn't). If Charles
Dickens were alive today he would probably be writing something like
this as many of the issues that were close to Dickens' heart (poverty,
street crime, family, honour) are to be found here - there is even a
Fagin character as well as the gang from Oliver Twist. It also has a
Bollywood-style mass dance number as the icing on the cake. A must-see
film. Note to Hollywood - please don't remake this.

brian-teles from United Kingdom - 21 January 2009

Rubbish and Clichéd

Danny Boyle does it again. Wows the critics with stylised nonsense then
goes home to gel his hair like Morrissey's.Went to see Slumdog Billionaire after reading rave reviews. Big
mistake, what I got was "cool camera angles", hip bhangra soundtrack to
tiresome montages, characters that live in dire poverty but somehow
manage to "dig deep" so as to act playfully out of character when the
next collection of critic-duping-cool-shots requires it (see 28 Days
Later/Trainspotting for further examples of this, who's the director of
those again?).I give this film 2 stars, one star because I bought into the overly
manipulated positive end, basically the kid wins big and the nation is
uplifted, and the other star for the authentic location, Bombay. I also
liked the cheesy game show host but he's not worth a star.The contrivances in this film belong in an Eastenders Christmas
Special, they were so bad. Do they not pre-record Millionaire in India?
The fact that he used his "phone a friend" lifeline to call his
"gansta" brother, only for his brother to have donated his phone to his
long lost childhood sweetheart (who happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous
super-babe brought up in the slums) who just so happens to be caught in
gridlock traffic on her way to the studio to see Jamal. So when the
game-show calls the brother to ask a question about the 3 Musketeers,
her phone rings, she answers, he recognises her voice, there is a
silence, like two yearning soul-mates reconnecting after years of
painful separation. (even though you only have 30 seconds to ask the
question and give the four possible answers).And the very end, sprint for the sick bag please, and what was with
that stupid end credits dance sequence? I know you're meant to give
dramatic licence to a film and suspend some semblance of reality but
come on! Danny Boyle should stand trial for this disgrace.Jamal is the chief protagonist by the way.

cogleone from London, England - 21 January 2009

Excellent

Slumdog Millionaire uses the deceptively simple device of telling young
Jamal's life story from being a small child in the slums of Bombay in
order to explain how come he knows the answers to the questions on Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire, leaving him one question short of the top
prize. The answers/his story involve (among other things) the death of
his mother, a short career as a beggar, the interaction with his less
scrupulous brother over the years and, beyond everything, his ongoing
search for Latika, the girl he befriended when they were small
children.It is not a pretty story, but it is always gripping, always visually
fascinating (and sometimes appalling) to these western eyes at any
rate, sometimes very humorous, and very often sufficient to make you
despair at the sheer unfairness at how life - and some very unpleasant
people - treat Jamal and Latika.I've heard it described as a feelgood movie, and it's certainly not
that but, if I can liken it to anything, I would liken it to The
Shawshank Redemption in that it is a story about the ability of the
individual to strive for something positive in the face of every
obstacle life can throw in your path, and the soaring joy to the spirit
when that elusive goal is finally achieved.The cast, most of whom are unknown to western viewers (Dev Patel, who
plays Jamal, has had some TV exposure in the UK) are uniformly
excellent, and the youngsters who play the 3 principals at two
different stages of childhood deserve special mention.And India plays a huge part - the film is so immersive that, much of
the time, it is like being there. The only things missing are the smell
and the heat.This is an entertaining, enjoyable movie which has real substance to
it. Highly recommended.

neil-476 from United Kingdom - 21 January 2009

Poverty-porn sells good

Its not surprising to win awards by selling poverty from developing
nations, rather it is a cheap trick. This has been done from various
others such as Satyajit Roy, Mrinal Sen from India and now Danny from
Britain. I am not saying they were/are not good directors, but only
when they make films on poverty their piece of art gets an award.An award is much dependent upon the jury members and their background.
If the jury members were from developing nations it may not have been
even noticed.It is perhaps not incorrect to say that some countries are poor because
some others are rich. Giving awards for depicting so called reality
would not serve any good to the real cause. It will only make someone
richer by selling the poverty of someone else."The whole build-up of hype around the movie reminds one of the
new-found appreciation of Miss World and Miss Universe organisers
towards Indian beauty after India's economy was liberalized to allow
international cosmetic giants to sell their wares in India,"

Paul-spooky from Germany - 20 January 2009

An amazing film you won't easily forget

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is an uneducated young adult, one question away
from winning India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But not
many people believe an orphan from the slums of Mumbai could ever get
that far without cheating. He is arrested, tortured and interrogated
under these increasing suspicions. To prove his innocence, Malik tells
the police the story of his life, and how he managed to know every
answer.Slumdog Millionaire is quite simply, one of the best films of 2008. It
tells a timeless and endearing story, and is one of the most unique
films of the decade. Danny Boyle, a unique and enigmatic director in
his own right, has crafted one hell of an adventure piece that deserves
every ounce of praise it has gotten. It starts up, and it is almost a
crime to look away.Rather effectively, the film covers Jamal's life with his brother Salim
as orphan children of the slums, before moving onto their lives as
teenagers scraping together cash and their eventual very different
adult selves. The editing is fast-paced for the most part, and the
transitions between life cycles are just fabulous. It also manages to
capture the relationship between Jamal and Salim quite magnificently
through the use of various actors. Whether it is Ayush Mahesh Khedekar
and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, or Tanay Hemant Chheda and Ashutosh
Lobo Gajiwala, or Patel and Madhur Mittal, each actor makes their
relationship have a deep seated amount of genuine emotion injected into
them. And for a group mainly consisting of actors with little to no
experience, they do better than anyone could have expected. It is
particularly amazing seeing Khedekar and Ismail working together, being
so young on the screen but ensuring no one would question the
believability of their plight or their relationship as brothers.While fantastical, the film depicts a very dystopic and gritty life of
a kid in the slums. But while the film does not all take place in the
slums, it still manages to be very vivid in its colour scheme.
Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle and Editor Chris Dickens at once
command the screen with beautiful colours in one instance, and then
drab, darkened colours in another. Even the jumpy timelines work like I
could never have imagined. Anyone who thinks they may end up confusing
one time for another will be pleasantly surprised. You would have never
expected this was a film primarily made by a group of British
filmmakers.But the success of the film mainly hinges on Patel. Without question,
he is the absolute best thing about the film. He may not have much
experience, but he makes it look like he has acting for years. The
emotion he conveys with his face is enough to make any American actor
jealous. It is not quite method acting, but he says a lot without even
uttering a word. Just watching his expression inside the train station
late in the film is enough to make anyone want to weep. He gives just
enough emphasis in the areas needed, and stands back and watches
everyone else do the same in other instances. This is someone who has a
lot of promise, and I would be surprised if he does not walk off with a
nomination later this week. He has a lot of promise, and I can only
hope he continues after such an amazing performance.The rest of the supporting cast, experienced or not, do a great job
with their characters. I would have liked to see a bit more from
Mittal, but sadly, his character is already beyond developed by the
time he gets to him. Irrfan Khan gives the right amount of menace as
the Police Inspector questioning Jamal, and Anil Kapoor does a great
job as the skeptical and shady game show host.While the acclaim comes easy, the film does have a few faults. The
character of Latika is way too underwritten. We understand early on the
bond Jamal has with his fellow orphan, but we never understand any of
her motivations or development. She is simply the girl who was there,
and who he continued to pine after years later. The themes of fantasy
and love are inherent at the very core of Slumdog Millionaire, but with
how much we learn about Jamal and Salim, it seems like a bit of a cheat
to not really learn much outside of the one-dimensional traits of
Latika. Hell, there was more description and volume to the bad guys
they encounter than there was for her. I will admit however, that
Freida Pinto does an excellent job as the adult Latika, portraying her
with plenty of finesse.It is also easy to come down on how much seems to be left to the
imagination, or is merely explained in a sentence (how he even managed
to get on the show stays a mystery), but the film compacts down so much
that it becomes easy to forget what is not mentioned, and even easier
to forget what was. Its two hour running time is by no means breezy
(nor is it as agonizingly boring as The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button), but it lacks the ability to feel cohesive at the end. Not
everything gels together. Fantasy or not, it leaves a little too much
out. As much as I enjoyed it, it feels incomplete in certain areas,
like it wanted to accomplish even more if it had the money or the
resources.Slumdog Millionaire is an excellently well done film, worthy of all the
recognition it is getting. It may not be perfect, but this
fantasy-adventure will draw you in like no other. The film excels where
very few did in 2008, and is truly one of the best films of the year.
This is not a film that will easily be forgotten.9/10.

DonFishies from Canada - 20 January 2009

Is there a level higher than perfection?

Lets see, first let me start off by saying that this movie will bring
tears to your eyes when you see it and I am not saying this that it
will only apply to Indians. This movie has been made to perfection. The
acting is first class the directing is first class. The cast could not
have been better and whereas a movie like Fight Club is holding this
movie back? This movie will win every Oscar for being one of the most
perfectly made movies since Pulp Fiction. Anyone who says that this
movie is bad is probably saying that Disaster Movie deserves an Oscar
or deserved a GG. Don't listen to anyone who says this movie is good or
not. Just go watch and then decide what your heart tells you.

samit_d from Canada - 20 January 2009

Beautiful.

This is a is stunning film. Forget everything you have heard about its
critical acclaim and awards chances… and just go see it for what it
is… Absolutely beautiful, and easily one of the most romantic movies
of the decade.The screenplay is good and the idea driving the story is even better.
All the acting is top notch (more later) and the soundtrack is
perfection. But the standout of the film though is the cinematography,
which is just breathtaking. The camera takes us deep inside Jamal's
world from the first shot of the film on.I wished Jamal's love interest had been developed a bit more, but I
didn't wish it enough to take a star off. The actor playing Jamal at
18 is really superb, especially considering its his first movie
ever(!).But the standout performances, in my opinion were those given by the
two young actors playing Jamal and Salim in the beginning. When they
are probably about 6 and 8 or 9. I mean, these kids are REALLY GOOD!
You have to believe every word they say, they aren't cutsy or fake for
a second, they are beautiful in that way of of real children.And now having read so many opinions on whether this film deserved an
R-rating or not, I must put in my two cents. I say yes it does. There
are some moments in this film that are very violent, although you could
really just come in 10 minutes after the start of the film an skip the
torture scenes at the beginning. The thing thats haunting me about
those scenes, truth be told, is not the brutality of them. Its Jamal's
eyes; dark baby eyes that neither understand nor truly expect anything
better. In a way, its more disturbing that any amount of simulated
blood-and-guts they could put on the screen. Its that an 18 year old
boy could have seen so much cruelty in such a short time. That a
someone so intrinsically idealistic would already have it so firmly
through his head that there is no justic in the world. Its the idea of
so many children scraping out a life for themselves on the streets of
the slums of Mumbai. Its the real beggars of India and of the world who
can never get their limbs, or their families, or their innocence back.And yet there is an overwhelming Joie de Vivre about the film. Not to
put it in the " touching and uplifting" box, but this film really is.The plot is generally not quite so unbelievable as people say. Living
on the streets all your life the way Jamal did I think you would
probably pick up quite abit of knowledge. Perhaps the last question is
stretching it abit, but Jamal's reaction reminds us that those moments
happen in real life to.Anyway, don't expect it to be a documentary. Its a modern fairy tale
and a story of life and love. Its a celebration of humanity, in all its
strength and fragility.

love_platipus from United States - 20 January 2009

Danny Boyle's Modern Day Fable.

Where to begin when describing something as unique as Slumdog
Millionnaire? Generally, the critics have been lavish in their praise
for Danny Boyle's latest piece of work. Others have not been as
captivated; the main gripe that the cynics both in the professional
field and those making up the membership of various internet
discussions is that of shortcomings plot-wise. Let me begin by first
acknowledging the relevance of the cynics, there are indeed problems of
continuity and realism with the plot. That being said; Slumdog
Millionnaire is hands down one of the most captivating pieces of cinema
released in the last few years - and as of this time of writing, it was
the run away winner at the BAFTA's and looks set to pick up several
other accolades in the not so distant future. It seems to me that the
nay-sayers pointing to the small plot holes are not taking the whole
picture into account - much akin to taking out a DIY home forensics kit
whilst trying to work out the 'who done it' of a murder mystery novel.
I mean, of course we can isolate parts for individual scrutiny, but
this fails to take into account the beauty of the unified whole - and
my is it beautiful. A whimsical musical score, intelligently fast
pacing, great cinematography and endless charm all blend seamlessly to
create something truly delightful to the senses. These all surround a
highly compelling story, which it has to be said at times trades off
the shackles and stiffness of reality for the more malleable and
imaginative artistic vision. A 'compromise' that works to great effect.
The Story which consists of child-hood love entwined with tragic
circumstances reads at times like a fairytale Which explains why this
movie has been described as a modern day fable. This makes for a
refreshing change; but to some, brought up on cinema's tendency for the
melancholic may appear trite. Definitely a case of the whole is greater
that the sum of it's parts; and the whole is by far a magnificent
spectacle to behold.

hellfire_30 from United Kingdom - 20 January 2009

A movie bollywood is INCAPABLE of making

I am disappointed with all the Indian nationalistic thumping that is
going on here and rating this movie low.Danny Boyle is an excellent director and he showed his skills and
sincerity to the job making this movie. I like the way he touches so
many subjects neither glorifying them nor ignoring them."poverty" "communal riots" "hero idolism" "child abuse" "child
exploitation"the only disappointment comes where it is shown that the India is
progressing away from such abject poverty and abuse/exploitation which
is "FALSE".As an Indian, I would say "Hats Off" Danny and Simon. Now all the chest
thumpers, "Get Off" and just go see your doses of hysterical sequences
where self anointed "Kings and Queens of Bollywood" satisfy your
appetites.

srini d from Dallas, United States - 19 January 2009

a thing u never forget

if u don't seen this movie…..so please hurry up…that kind of
millionaire comes one time after very long time ….its awe-full movie
and very nice thought …could you believe what i have seen..g8
cinema..D O N' TM I S SI T…..!!hey dude if u don't seen this movie…..so please hurry up…that kind
of millionaire comes one time after very long time ….its awe-full
movie and very nice thought …could you believe what i have seen..g8
cinema..

vijay shankar singh from India - 19 January 2009

Easy the best Movie of the decade!.

Its hard to find a really good movie, but this is easily one of the
best movies I have see this decade. Laymen critic here, but I like what
I see, and I liked the movie. The actors were really great, the script
was excellent, and most of all, the movie was believable!. There is a
great mixture of emotions in the movie. The movie has a good view of
India, I am not sure how what India thinks of the movie, but as an
outside it seemed believable. The main actor Dev Patel was an excellent
choice and hope to see him in more movies. Anyway, 10/10 for this
movie, it was excellent. I hope this movie gets and Oscar as it really
deserves it!. Also its great to see how a "low budget" movie (15m) can
give such stunning results.

rajnugent from Ireland - 19 January 2009

a powerful idea turned in to a cliché

this is not a 'feel good' movie. or it shouldn't be. Boyle showed us the anti-American dream. The idea that you should
accept your cruel destiny without questioning and that a lower caste
person could not possibly become successful, and I'm not talking only
about the protagonist, but about all the people in the slums and the
others surrounding them. How could it be that they simply don't
conceive the possibility that a low caste guy could become successful.
he has to be prevented of doing so, and punished.Instead of exploring this sad and terrible aspect of Indian culture,
and produce a deeper reflection about it, Boyle turned the movie into a
cliché love history. what a waste.

leonardo-3 from usa - 19 January 2009

English?

"Beautiful" scenery in the beginning of the movie, and as the main
character tells his story, however i can't help but being bothered by
that they speak English, and that Dev Patel still looks no older than
15, and is actually British. I agree with previous comments that the
kids in this movie are doing the best acting. There is no chemistry
between Latika and Jamal either. Patel plays this part no different
from his part in Skins. And i have to say i don't know enough about
India to actually embrace the feeling this movie gives. It's too easy
and a bit disappointing. IMDb user rating 8.7???????? As usual it feels like a bunch of
Americans rated this movie, people who tend to be suckers for money and
happy endings.

aluthil from Netherlands - 19 January 2009

A brilliant piece of film-making by Danny Boyle

An orphaned 18-year old Indian teen named Jamal is within one question
of winning the grand prize on the Hindi version of "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire." When the show breaks for the night, he is arrested and
questioned by local police, who can't believe a "slumdog" would have
such vast knowledge. I really don't want to give too much of the plot
away, but this is a brilliant film. The way the story is told is quite
unique, especially the stories behind how Jamal knows the answers to
some of the questions. Find a theatre that is playing this film and go
see it. Hopefully in over a month, it will be announced as "Best
Picture" at the Academy Awards and it will be well deserving.

Annoying-Customer from United States - 18 January 2009

A breathtaking and visually stunning movie.

I must admit that I was a little skeptical in viewing this movie due to
the mass hype generated throughout the internet of "Slumdog" as a feel
good movie. To my knowledge there are lot of filmmakers who use
emotions as a gimmick to make audiences embrace a movie despite of
major flaws in other aspects of the movie. However it was not the case
with Danny Boyle's brilliantly made film. From the very start to the end, I knew I was witnessing a phenomenon of
a movie. Based on an acclaimed novel, this movie engages with the
audience and keeps them guessing at every moment. Lively and energetic
performances ranging from the much younger actors to Dev Patel and
Freida Pinto keep this movie running without dying down. The
cinematography mixed with great locations and music (composed by A.R
Rahman) makes this an unforgettable screen gem of our time. WATCH this
movie, in fact watch it TWICE, for you won't be disappointed. BEWARE of
naysayers.

rayesh_g from Australia - 18 January 2009

Scumdog Exploitaires

I think the Producer/director should have done the scene that shows a
kid covered with excreta getting an autograph from the likeness of
Amitab Bachchan. Singularly, this must be the most disgusting scene
ever filmed in the history of Motion Picture. Why would an Icon like
Amitab Bachchan (if he has any self respect or dignity left after this
movie,) give permission for his likeness to be used in this scene? I
never seen a human being so libeled or shown in bad-light as in this
movie. The Script should never have been passed(eg."the lazy Indian who
wrote the history of Taj Mahal") Has anyone with any decency or any
shame pass a script with dialog like this? Then there is this scum
Screenwriter (and lazy bum)Screenwriter, whose dialogs are in the same
caliber as the "excreta scene". The kids have acted well (rather been
exploited well-the only money they probably got was the money and coca
cola given them to them in the movie-where were these children at the
Globe awards?) the teenagers are the worst set of actors I have seen.
If you want to see a good Indian movie that truly depicts the slums,
poverty and still brings out the positives in them is Madhur
Bhandarkar's "Traffic Signal" Director of this movie should wash
Bhandarkar's feet-may be, he will get some talent by osmosis. The main
lead is OK actor-he is not Oscar material. The actress (it is apparent
that the second biggest Cinema industry has derth of actresses-so she
had to be imported) has no skills. As far A.R. Rahman this is not his
best work-listen to the music of "Swades" and :Jodha Akbar". This is
what happens when when you let two scums who are given a free ride in a
place where there are no child labor laws.This is not a movie but more
like a collection of clips haphazrdly put together with no sense of
story-telling or continuity.It is obvious that the movie is made for
the sake of making quick bucks by exploiting the children and the
poor.I am in total disbelief this has been passed by the Censors. Since
the Director likes the human excreta so much he and the Screenwriter
should dip themselves in excreta and run to accept the Oscar's (which
seems to be enevitable-judging by the hype.) The Oscar Committee and
the audience will be pinching their nose from the "Stench of
Film-making" these two have generated.The word "Unjust Enrichment" applies to the Producers of this Film. If
they have any remorse, any conscious,instead of rationalising and
finding an excuse to keep the money,they should give the profits back
to the Children of this world who have been victims of exploitation
(Child Prostitution,Child labor,Scams,Denied Opportunities
etc,etc)since it only takes "A Dollar a Day" to feed a child in
India,Africa and the rest of the impoverished World. These children are
dying at the same rate as this movie is raking the money at the Box
office.All the money generated by this movie (it could be easily 200 million
plus, when all said and done, minus the expense of making the movie
(which I reckon is less than a Millon dollars) should be given to feed
the hungry children.This will set an example for other Film Makers.
This could be One Small Step for a Man-a Giant Leap for the Mankind.

Herag Halli from Heraganahalli, India - 18 January 2009

Doesn't live up to the hype

I watched the film and the theater was packed with mostly Caucasians. I
loved the little children and the music is superb. AR Rahman did a very
good job in creating music that just jump starts the movie with "O
Saya" and the children running down the alleys of the slums. But, the
major problem in the movie is the list of negative events happening to
the main characters. Their is NOTHING positive that comes across these
children and no helping hand witch I feel shows Indian people to be
non-charitable and not helping. I feel that yes it shows the dark sides
of India but what about the positive things in India. The movie is very
cliché and you know what is going to happen next. The grown actors
don't have much dialogue compared to the children. Freida had barely 10
minutes in the film and her character was not well developed. I just
feel that it did not show the helping side or heart of India.

harpisteva from United States - 18 January 2009

Darshan do ghanshyam - India at the centre stage

This movie is the best film of 2008 and is destined to sweep many
awards , deservingly a couple of Oscars as well. It was a true
cinematic treat from Danny Boyle (from Trainspotting), who has been
able to bring out wide array of human emotions draped in Indian style
but with a taste for universal audience. Firstly the script is every bit as interesting as a murder mystery and
keeps one on his toes, a true genius from Vikas Swarup (debut novelist
from India- novel "Q&A"). Boyle doesn't go wrong anywhere from start
till the end, be it the choice of the cast, the locations, the music
(A.R. Rahman). The cast with small kids (espically Shyam) is truly
exceptional, and so is the main lead(Dev Patel) and Irfan Khan. The
movies reaches to every nook and corner of Dharavi (biggest slum in
Mumbai) and tells the story of all the thousands orphans, and the
tormenting life they go through.Story of a kid from slum, survives and
fights his way to the top with nothing but hope. Being an Indian, i am rather sad to admit that most of it is not far
from reality but i do hope that movies such as this one can help bring
the wider attention to such problems and help the cause. I would
certainly say that movies such as this one are rare and should be
treasured.

Gajendra Bisht from USA - 18 January 2009

Great Movie

This recently released flick all set in current day India is very good.
I believe the Director/Producer? is British but the entire cast is
Indian and in parts of it there are English Subtitles to accompany the
Indian dialects but it is not really distracting. The enormous poverty
of urban areas is a distraction in the sense of being sad and sadistic
but is a necessary part of the story and the child actors are superb.
The two young, orphaned brothers pick up a young girl along the way and
part and re-group off and on as the story unfolds. It reminds me in a
way of that Montana fly-fishing movie several years ago of good brother
- bad brother as they matured. The flashbacks deal with the well-know
TV quiz show "How To Be A Millionaire" whose questions are shown
intermittently with the plot dealing with how the young man born in the
lowest Caste answers them and whether or not he will go for or win the
twenty million rubles which I suppose exchanges to one million U.S. The
question also comes up with police interrogation thinking the show is
rigged. "Millionnaire," by the way, originated in England just like
Idol did and is shown in local versions in many places including what
we once called Bombay. The story is very well done even with a few
grim, but realistic child beggar scenes. After the movie during the
Credits there is a lively group dance scene with all the cast which is
really great. /Enjoy./Jack.

Jack Knee (kneejack@bellsouth.net) from St. Augustine - 18 January 2009

A Colourful, Visceral Triumph

Very occasionally a film comes along which has the potential to change
the face of Commercial Cinema, Slumdog Millionaire is one of them.
Hollywood represents the bulk of cinematic history and is still the
driving force behind it. But we live in a changing world. Politically
we are seeing a resurgent Russia, and the emergence of China and India
as economic super powers. Cinema is only now starting to pick up those
shifts.The American Film Industry, like its Motor Car Industry, has grown fat
and lazy. Tired plots, formulaic scripts, predictable locations and a
wearisome reliance on big budgets, CGI and big explosions to "deliver"
have made it increasingly less interesting, and relevant, to World
audiences, and I suspect to home ones too.So here we have a film shot totally in India, mainly in Mumbai, with no
Western actors, no "names", and a substantial amount of dialogue in
Hindi, sub titled into English. (You can almost hear the LA Exec
writing the reject slip for the pitch, can't you?). At first glance
English Director, Danny Boyle, is not the obvious choice. But on closer
inspection you consider the visual big budget feasts which were
"Sunshine" and "The Beach", the pacey drama of "A Life Less Ordinary",
the visceral grittiness of "28 Days Later" and "Trainspotting", and the
low budget/ gallows humour of "Shallow Grave" and you have the
ingredients which make "Slumdog's " success.Cinematically it is a joy, rich colours, beautifully shot, blaze across
the screen. The locations enthral. OK the Taj Mahal is predictable, but
nonetheless breathtaking, the slums a vibrant cesspit. The acting is
convincing and compelling, wonderfully led by Dev Patel as Jamal Malik
the eponymous hero. Heaving with brilliant cameos, watch out for the
Police Inspector, his fat side kick, and the evil Orphanage "Fagin".It is true that Hollywood cliché may have been swapped for Bollywood
cliché . But as a "cross-over trailblazer for a largely unsuspecting
audience, that is forgivable ,it works. Beware that although the story
does have the advertised feel-good ending, the content has the
trademark Danny Boyle rawness which is frequently uncomfortable, and in
one case unwatchable. But that rawness also delivers the funniest, "
shittyest" scene of the picture!A classic "rages to riches" premise, told with style and innovation, a
landmark film.

gary-444 from United Kingdom - 18 January 2009

We Have a Winner!

Director Danny Boyle's Trainspotting is one of my all time favourite
movies, and Mr Wroe's Virgins was a stunning piece of television, so
I'm possibly a little biased, but this is one of the better films I've
seen in the last twelve months.I've seen this movie criticized by American reviewers as being a
sanitized version of Indian poverty, then seen it criticized online as
portraying India as a 'third world dirty underbelly', it's been
criticized for being patronizing and insulting to an entire nation
(India) and for showing too much dire poverty - and too little. In fact
on one page of comments on IMDb I've seen it described as horrifying
for the poverty and abuse it portrays and horrifying for its pandering
to stereotypes, as simplistic, clichéd, racist, graphically violent,
cynically exploitative and naive! In other words it appears to have
upset both ends of the spectrum of opinion - so it has to be doing
something right.Personally, I really enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire. There is absolutely
nothing wrong with an occasional feel good, happy ending to a movie,
especially a movie which is fairly well written, has a good story arc
with a beginning, a middle and an end, and satisfying performances.
This one just happens to be a feel good movie set in India, and it's
not directed by an Indian film maker (although the book it's based on
was written by an Indian national). But since when has it been such a
big deal for people to make films outside their own countries? It
happens all the time. Having said that, as with any feel good, happy
ending, it pays to bear in mind that life is rarely like that. Still -
nothing wrong with a bit of dreaming every once in a while. This is one of the few movies I've seen recently where I didn't slump
into my seat with a disappointed sigh and the feeling that I've seen it
all before. Slumdog Millionaire offered this particular jaundiced movie
fan a new story and a fresh set of actors, far removed from th