Slumdog Millionaire starring Dev
Patel, Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla,
Rajendranath Zutshi
One Of My Favorite Movies
Danny Boyle (Sunshine) directed this wildly energetic, Dickensian drama
about the desultory life and times of an Indian boy whose bleak, formative
experiences lead to an appearance on his countrys version of Who Wants
to Be a Millionaire? Jamal (played as a young man by Dev Patel) and his
brother are orphaned as children, raising themselves in various slums and
crime-ridden neighorhoods and falling in, for a while, with a monstrous
gang exploiting children as beggars and prostitutes. Driven by his love for
Latika (Freida Pinto), Jamal, while a teen, later goes on a journey to
rescue her from the gangs clutches, only to lose her again to another
oppressive fate as the lover of a notorious gangster. Running parallel with
this dark yet irresistible adventure, told in flashback vignettes, is the almost
inexplicable sight of Jamal winning every challenge on Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?, a strong showing that leads to a vicious police interrogation.
As Jamal explains how he knows the answer to every question on the
show as the result of harsh events in his knockabout life, the chaos of his
existence gains shape, perspective and soulfulness. The films violence is
offset by a mesmerizing exotica shot and edited with a great whoosh of
vitality. Boyle successfully sells the storys most unlikely elements with
nods to literary and cinematic conventions that touch an audiences heart
more than its head. --Tom Keogh
Stills from Slumdog Millionaire (Click for larger image)
Slumdog Millionaire is, in a sense, a modern day fairy tale of rags to
riches. The story takes place throughout the city of Mumbai, from the
bustling metropolises to the lowly ghettos, the scenery is quite astounding.
In Dharavi, the hometown of the main character Jamal and his brother
Salim, the brothers fight for survival amongst feral dogs and the rotting
smell of trash. The hometown of these boys, Dharavi, is so fetid you can
almost smell the putridity.
Jamal, who earns a living as a chai-wallah serving tea to call-center
workers and students in Mumbai, finds himself in the hot seat on the
popular television show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Jamal, who is a
lowly worker, is expected to have a brief stay on the show, as doctors and
lawyers even cannot obtain much more than 60,000 rupees before being
ousted. Jamal has one unique advantage over former contestants
however, Jamal has lived a very interesting life, one that has, in one way
or another, presented him with the answer to all of the question s at
different times throughout his life.
The opening scene is an energetic one, as Jamal is on the verge of
snatching the ultimate prize, but this is just a brief glimpse of the future,
first, Jamals story, how he arrived at this position, must be told. Our first
glimpse of Jamal as a young child is rather comical, but serves to
demonstrate the putrid conditions of life in Dharavi. Jamal and Salim are
working a community toilet for money when a local celebrity appears in
their neighborhood. Salim locks Jamal into the toilet and Jamal, out of
desperation, jumps into the filth below and swims out, lest he miss his
opportunity to meet his childhood hero. This scene shows us Jamals
determination to achieve his goals despite any obstacle, a reoccurring
theme throughout the entire movie.
Soon after this comical opening scene, the movie takes a rather dark
turn. A sanguinous assault upon Dharavi is launched by fanatical Hindus
armed with anti-Muslim banners and clubs. It is in this scene that Jamal
and Salim lose their mother, she is brutally executed before the boys eyes
by a fanatic with a cudgel. With their mother dead and no mention of a
father, the boys are cast into the larger, uncaring world with nowhere to go
for shelter. Along with the boys is a shy young girl named Latika, who is
cursed by Salim and beloved of Jamal. The three children are found one
day in a trash heap by a representative from a local orphanage in the hills.
The boys and Latika at first praise this apparent saint, oblivious to his true
intentions. The exploits of this man push the story to the brinks of the
execrable, and serve to add yet another element of hell to the young boys
lives. The boys eventually escape the orphanage, but are forced to leave
Latika behind, as she is far from a world class sprinter. Later it is learned
that Latika is one of the preferati in a prostitution ring in the heart of
Mumbais downtown. The boys exact their revenge upon the evil man later
in the movie, when Salim shoots him in the face, giving him his first taste of
killing, but certainly not his last. The movie is full of stimulating eye-candy
throughout, with brief interludes of the boys marauding around the Taj
Mahal to the night scene of downtown Mumbai. The movie appeals to the
human heart, with casual scenes of life in the wealthier sections of
Mumbai, to the caustic and fatal streets of Dharavi it shows many different
levels of human suffering. The less than likely hero of the film, Jamal,
serves as an example of the indomitable will, the refusal to give up what
one believes in regardless of the consequences.
In the end, I found this bright, cheery film to be an honest
representation of the human spirit. Jamals indomitable will is inspirational,
and the movie ends on a rather upbeat note, where lovers reunite, and
Jamal becomes the slumdog millionaire.
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Slumdog Millionaire starring Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Rajendranath
Zutshi - 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!