Slumdog Millionaire – Review
To what lengths would you go to get an autograph from a superstar actor? What all would you be willing to jump to get close, very close – in you face close – to a star that has sold you dream after dream after dream all your life? Jump from a chopper! Fly your family from Bay Area to Chicago and pay tons of money? Swim through a sewer??? Nah… the mentioned tasks are too easy if the superstar in question is Amitabh Bachchan. And Ladies and gentleman, of all the directors who have in some form or the other paid tribute to the Greatest Star of the Millennium – let me declare – Danny Boyle topped all of them and beat them with none even close! And that’s just one shot in Slumdog Millionaire.
Danny Boyle’s (Train spotting) latest is a story around how a boy born in the slums of Bombay win’s his love riding on the back on his experiences from his growing-up days to answer 15 questions and convince an overworked cop that he is not cheating on the show. Nothing more to it! If you let go of the initial adrenaline of being the fortunate few to watch the film in one of the most liberal places in the world where for large diasporas, India signifies freedom and a place to find solace and happiness, then you will walk out feeling very full at the treat dished out to you.
The movie is cinematic, right from the word go, and that in itself is an achievement worth bowing to for a director born in a different land. Mumbai does not exist in the film – it’s all Bombay. And a Bombay that you would have probably never seen before. The amazing interweave of colorful and lively people and the corresponding contrast of the slums makes you believe that that characters and as a natural extension, the people, are oblivious to the inhuman conditions that surround them. A mix and match of rugged goons, docile orphans, street smart kids and IndYEAH eyed foreign tourists makes Slumdog a movie full of surprises at every turn of the plot, a plot that covers every aspect of what this great city offers – religious wars, cosmetic ill-treatments, power-struggles, showmanship’s, dream-sellers, rag’s to riches poster boys, mafia don’s, super-model prostitutes, trigger-happy teens and fearless humanists. And to point out very strongly here – Boyle does not fall into the trap of Indian Sentimentality even though he does get into the mind of an avg Indian Raju very well.
There is just too much of good work in the movie to talk about film – AR Rahman’s back-ground score, just the way he makes you tap your feet to the unfolding visuals and not be conscious about it at all, Irrfan Khan with his characteristic non-acting acting expressions, Saurabh Shukla as the overweight short-circuited hawaldar, Mahesh Manjrekar as the Mumbai ka Don, Dev Patel as the Lover-boy and Anil Kapoor as the evil & condescending host of “Who want’s to be a Millionaire” – that they gel so well with the characters that the viewer is just mesmerized all through to notice flaws if any. And for an Indian watching a film based on India and be very comfortable is the highest grade you can give to any alien director. Especially the guts and the ease to show the bitter truths of real India without making a mockery. And especially to show how horrible Taj-Mahal actually looks in broad daylight and how horrendously dirty its surroundings are.
To review a movie like this, you need lofty words, words that justify the effort and the pains labored into making a film like this – touted as the costliest film made in India - a one man’s vision. The setting and the breaking-news type of screenplay make it a riveting watch with no moments to pause. Yes the lead pair looks a little dull in spots and the English dialogues don’t sound too plausible at some special weighted scenes but considering that the movie was primarily packaged to cater to the west’s sensibilities of how to view India – Danny Boyle has set a bar that will be very difficult to beat.
But if there is one winner to drive this movie to the very brink of Oscar’s – that’s BOMBAY! Slumdog is a movie where you will see the city like you have NEVER EVER seen before. It’s like prose from Lin Baba’s eyes from Shantaram turning to Poetry and Rangoli all at the same time. The sadness, the apathy of the residents, the acrimonious nature of the harsh truth’s of life, the relentless mockery of life towards the under-privileged and the gifted alike, just blown to insignificant particles before the power that the city is – and the way it was all captured by Anthony Dod through his camerawork or more rightly cameras work - is nothing short of pure chilling genius. Bombay never looked so right before… all the reams of paper eulogizing it have found the right visuals now, hence allowed to settle in comfort of obscurity. Slumdog Millionaire will carry the baton for a significant time from now.
Filed Under
Event, Movies, Review, Thoughts, World Cinema , Anurag, AR Rahman, Bombay, Danny Boyle, Irrfan Khan, Ravptor, Slumdog Millionaire
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25 Responses to “Slumdog Millionaire – Review”
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the teaser was 2 good too…nice review..got the feel of the movie…only slightly didn’t understand your “Bombay” and not “Mumbai” thing…but is it releasing in India?…i had read dat it isn’t…
Great!! When is it releasing in India?
After watching the teaser on youtube,i’m dying to watch this movie. With the kind of talented and rightly cast actors on display, i’m sure it’ll be a cinematic experience in itself. Hoping it’ll release soon in India
I can’t wait to watch the film here in NYC at the MIAAC Film Festival. It’s their “centerpiece”, which does say a lot about it already! Your review is candid and inviting. The only one thus far that has given me a true idea of the tone of the film, without giving any of the plot away. Thanks! And Dev Patel is actually quite excellent on the British TV show “Skins” as well, shown here on BBC America. I believe that’s how Danny Boyle found him…
Danny Boyle’s reputation as a cinematic maverick precedes him….I absolutely loved “Trainspotting”… this time with Irrfan and co. with him… it’s a moth-watering prospect..
any dope on when it might release in India..
I hope it doesnt get banned by the ‘you know who gang’ .I hope that it gets the ’showing india in the right light certificate’ from all constitutional and extra constitutional powers and powers aspiring to be.
The trailer is awesome and the havaldar chasing boys scenes reminded me of Black Friday chase scenes.
You forgot to give the lowdown on the Bombay shoot given to you by you know who
special cameras were constructed the size of tumblers to shoot in Bombay. 6 Cameras were used almost for any given shot and the millions Boyle spent on the Bombay shoot from his own private funding, since no studio wanted to make a movie with zero stars (international) in it!
Oh and you forgot to mention you saw this film for free
I couldn’t even read through the complete review. I envy you ravptor. I seriously do. And you saw it for free…No words..
I am really looking forward to the screening in Washington DC, its at the AMC in Georgetown on the 6th and 11th of Nov, if anyone wants to catch it. Its free for now but they have paid shows later (fox searchlight is distributing it i beleive).
trimoneo, just came back from the screening in DC.. it was at E st. theater. i’m gonna catch the show on the 6th as well. lemme know if you wanna meet up.
oh my..no words..ravptor..you lucky punk!
i can’t wait to see the movie! just few days back , i got to stay in mumbai for 10 days and for the first time i relaized what mindboggling and fascinating variety that metropolis provides. i mean the canvas is so huge, the variety of stimulli ….you just can’t help responding…the review tells me this movie has captured a lot of that variety….when is it arriving in India ?
I saw slumdog millioniare today at my coll film festival in georgia, USA. It was so awesome….the movie keeps you hooked from start to end.
It has excellent perfomances, outstanding cinematography & AR rehman background score takes the action on screen to a new level. It seems like Danny Boyle style is very bollywood inspired and some discerning western audiences may hav found parts of it cheesy but in a nice positive way….the film has a cracker of an ending and is a tottally entertaining expereience…not to be missed
lesson to Indian directors……..who want to make only commercial movie!!!why?why?why?….if they make simple movies..even that touch hearts….
hey chex….i dont think its about commercial or non commercial. Slumdog millionaire is a very good film in its genre.
Actually i dont know if you have seen it or not but if i have to classify it then it is in fact a very very commercial film. It plays out to the audience & hits all the right notes and thats why its such a crowd pleaser. There are no real subtle emotions or nuances…its very out there and in your face entertainment & that style is very similar to our commercial bollywood movies. This one just happens to be made by a British director and so i feel its the other way around where western cinema is actually taking a lesson from us as this film really gives out a very positive nod to our style of cinema.
Really enjoyed your review, after finally watching the film. It is an epic about life in the Maximum City. Truly a fantastic journey. Loved the way you opened the piece. How fantastic is that scene?!?!
among the best films i watched this year
truly an amazing movie. Danny Boyle has hit the nail on its head. I cant imagine any indian director - with the exception of a very select few - who have portrayed mumbai - especially the slum life - the way this guy has. Amazingly uplifting movie, great visuals and amazing background score.
Apart from superb screenplay, dialogues and performances. Best Movie of the year - without any doubt.
This is a huge, huge lesson for Bollywood Directors. I’m a Mumbaikar myself but learnt about the lives of slumdwellers only through this movie.
Excellent cinematography, crisp editing, rocking music and good acting. Except Mahesh Manjrekar everyone else gave a good performance.
What a godawful movie. If this had been made by a Bollywood director or anyone with fewer credentials than Danny Boyle, we would have been baying for his blood. No plot line at all - just each chamber of horrors opening one after the other. That’s the film. Trainspotting was spot on, but this fell off the train somewhere.
I just watched this movie,The movie is good,but as every frame swept past me,I kept getting this feeling that something is missing….Gr8 performances,cinematography and score though
@bishakha. absolutely agree with you. the ‘child’ portions were fantastic but after that it was downhill all the way. But then, he’s danny boyle and a hindi film director is but a mere mortal. the movie left me feeling empty.