Slumdog Millionaire

Sorry I've been awol. It's been a crazy, busy week.

So yesterday the boy and me decided to go check out the highly-anticipated Slumdog Millionaire. We both had heard so much about it, and given the number of nominations and awards it's received (4 Golden Globes and another 31 wins; see imdb for details) we thought it would probably live up to expectations, or far exceed them. Which is never a bad thing.

We'd planned to watch the film under the stars, but being the fabulous planners we are, we rocked up a mere 30 minutes prior and were informed the outdoor session had sold out. Luckily we managed to get seats at one of their indoor cinemas!

The movie was sensational. The premise was simple; an 18 year old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who is on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?', and one question away from 20 million rupees. I won't give away too much, for those of you who haven't seen it (when was/is it released in the States?) but still stop reading now if you want to know absolutely nothing about it.

The movie focuses on Jamal Malik, said orphan from the slums, being suspected of cheating on the show (how could a mere boy from the slums know all that he does?) and having to prove his innocence. The story behind his answers to the questions is overwhelming, and gives a precious insight into his growing up, life in the slums, the happiness, the sadness and the overwhelming sense of struggling just to survive on a day-to-day basis. The love/hate relationship between Jamal and his older brother Salim (the sometimes antagonist) is eye-opening, only because we all deal with it with siblings, but to different extents in each circumstance.

The backgrounds are exquisite, more so in the harsh beauty of their extreme poverty (dire poverty is often startingly exquisite), and Danny Boyle does a brilliant directing job. Stuart and I sat on the edge of our seats for the entire movie, giggling at the funny bits like you can only do when completely involved (and Danny entices you in, drawing you into the characters and the plots so that you care more than you think you could about fictional characters), and despairing at the sorrow. Most of all we revelled in the perfection of the movie, it doesn't disappoint and never falters, not for one second.

[Handy Fact: Danny also directed The Beach and Trainspotting, but I found those movies to be more cult-status movies whereas this is so much more]

So does Jamal win the 20 million? And how can a movie about questions on a quiz show incite so much feeling and passion in people? You'll have to go and find out, wont you ;)

Anika's rating (haha ;): 5/5
Stuart's rating: 5/5

p.s. I also fell in love with the actress, one of the 'three muskateers', Freida Pinto. Gorgeous, gorgeous girl!

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I'll leave you with a long lost photo from a welcome-home party held by a good friend for his brother a while back....It's my "be good kids, I have eyes in the side of my head :)" look, haha

sources: photos from google and imdb