Let's kick these reviews off with a couple of films I have seen recently, firstly we'll look at something which is pretty much universally being accepted as great, then I'll move on to something that I can't find anyone saying a good word about.
Slumdog Millionaire is a film which I first heard chatter about ages ago when Danny Boyle was interviewed on the Radio 5 Live film show. At the time it seemed like something I might go and see at some point. Since then though the hype over this has snowballed to the point that when I went to see it on Saturday evening at the Reading Vue it felt like something of an event movie. Like when there's a new Harry Potter film out or something like that. Such was the general excitement that the showing me and chums had intended to go to was sold out - one of the many reasons not to go to the cinema on a Saturday evening.
When we eventually got in to the screen and were able to watch this hugely hyped film, it became clear to me that the hype was well-placed. The film follows the story of a day in the life of Jamal Malik, a guy who becomes a contestant on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", gets to the final question and is then arrested - suspected of cheating. The story of his life then unfolds as he tells the police of his upbringing, of his life in the slums, mistreatment by local criminals, falling in love and most recently his job as a teaboy. Through this story we get an insight into who Jamal is and - most importantly - how he came to know what he knows and come so close to beating "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"?
Not only is this a charming tale of growing up and coming of age in the face of the sheer terror of India's slums, it is also a story about class warfare which is surprisingly funny. One favourite moment of mine was when the policeman reacts in surprise at Jamal being unable to tell him which famous Indian is on a bank note - Jamal merely asks the policeman who stole a bicycle in the local neighbourhood the other day, because Jamal does. When the policeman reacts unknowingly, Jamal's point is proven - knowledge which is common in one walk of life is a deep mystery in another. The fact that the slumdog can't answer questions which everyone else finds easy does not make him stupid.
As if this wasn't enough the film builds up to a resounding finale - when it opens we don't get to see if he actually wins "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", just that he makes it to the final question. Can you see where the climax of the film is heading...
I left the cinema with a huge grim on my face, not least due to the fantastically vibrant Bolywood style dance sequence that plays out during the first few minutes of the credits. There's quite a bit of influence of Danny Boyle in there too, plenty of frenetic camera work reminiscent of "28 Days Later" or the final few minutes of "Sunshine". It's simply a great film.
Go and see it!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI've just seen Slumdog Millionaires with 'free Guest tickets' which came my way when the shutter failed to go up at a screening of Revolutionary Road ( which I wholeheartedly recommend).
Anyway, your review is spot on I feel, I left the cinema feeling good, in spite of some of the gruesome scenes in the film. The end sequence, I consider, was an attempt to build bridges of a sort between Bollywood and western cinema, and it worked. Plenty of Indians brought up in this country that I know loved the film, and I'm sure it will be remembered as a genuine 'ground breaker' as the years roll on.
With regards to class issues, the caste system and indeed religious matters, I thought that Slumdog Millionaires avoided going too deep, it merely scratched the surface, wetting the appetite for anyone who wishes to look closer at these serious points. Thus Danny Boyle got it right.
I was most impressed with the way in which humour was interlaced with tragedy throughout the film> This alone will ensure that it will be revered as a classic.