Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review
Most people of the world are constantly struggling to find food and maintain shelter. Their living conditions are unfathomable to the average American. In comparison to the slums of Brazil, Somalia, and India, the ghettos of the United States are palatial. Yet, despite the myriad differences between those impoverished cultures and the industrialized societies, common threads exist. One of those threads is the international game show sensation of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
Based on the book, “Q and A,” “Slumdog Millionaire” is about an Indian named Jamal. Jamal and his brother, Salim, are orphans from the slum of Mumbai. Salim, the older and stronger of the brothers, is the de facto caretaker for Jamal.
The film starts with the torture of Jamal by the Bombay Police. They believe that he has cheated as a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” The police inflict horrendous punishment on Jamal in order to extract a confession. Instead of confessing, Jamal admits to just knowing the answers for those particular questions. In order to convince his interrogators, Jamal recounts the numerable horrors he and Salim endured during their youths that gave him an education coincidentally suited for the questions asked. These tales of woe expose India’s large population of child beggars, who run rampant through the streets of its cities and tourist attractions.
Ultimately, it becomes evident that Jamal is motivated by his love for and desire to reunite with his childhood sweetheart. This love is a polestar that guides almost every one of Jamal’s actions. It is also the driving force of the film.
Masterfully directed, Danny Boyle smoothly transitions between the moments at the police station, in the game show, and during Jamal’s truly disturbing childhood. Through the seamless transitions, Boyle juxtaposes Jamal’s alien existence outside of the show against the banal nature of the game show contestant. The result is a gut-wrenching and informative experience. And even though the love story has a clichéd aspect that dissipates the originality of the story, the strengths of “Slumdog Millionaire” cause it to greatly succeed.
Moreover, Boyle and co-director: India, Loveleen Tanden, show some of the beauty and most of the ugliness of India in a captivating manner. While this depiction of India is exceedingly interesting, it was also highly disturbing to know that other people suffer such horrible existences. However, in the end, “Slumdog Millionaire” jerked a few tears and left the audience clapping.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
