Slumdog Millionaire is this year's Juno. By that I mean, it's a perfectly enjoyable film that it's hard to imagine anyone not liking. That explains its 92% Tomatometer rating. However I give it more a B+ than an A but maybe I'm just being harsh.
It's sort of City of God with Who Wants to be a Millionaire as a framing device. Jamal is a Mumbai orphan who grew up on the streets with his brother Salim and at times his first crush Latika. As a young adult he works as a "chai wallah", someone who serves tea to the people working in call centers. The movie begins with him doing well on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Since he's uneducated he's questioned by the police on suspicion of cheating, and by questioned I mean tortured like by Jack Bauer. This sets up a series of flashbacks showing his life and how he knows the answers to the questions.
It's a rags to riches fantasy and a love story that shows the rise of India in the last twenty years. It could be classic Hollywood where it might be described as Oliver Twist becomes Mr. Deeds with the heart of the Little Tramp. But then there's this Jack Bauer-like torture and a Fagin character that would make Fagin wince in terror.
I suppose this dichotomy makes sense for a film directed by Danny Boyle, who's previous films include Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Millions. It's written by Simon Beaufoy who also wrote The Full Monty. The visuals and sound track are often very good. It's an immersive tour of India.
Jamal, Salim and Latika are played at various ages by new or mostly inexperienced actors. The kids are better, the adults mostly stare in confusion or terrified obedience. They're all fine but I wouldn't expect any acting nominations. A Best Picture nomination wouldn't be out of the question, but it's not going to sweep many awards.
I have a few friends I want to recommend this film to but they'll be upset by some of the violence. There's something to be said for not sugar coating the hardships of poverty. Born into Brothels made that clear. but it wasn't trying to be a rags-to-riches fantasy romance. With torture. My friends will need to close their eyes a few times, it's like if Jaws was a romance.
It's a good film, definitely one of the best of the year. But at the end the smile on my face wasn't as big as for Wall-E. It's a bit predictable. I guessed the end within the first 10 minutes, but the middle kept me interested. If the acting was a little stronger and the tone a little less confused I'd easily give it an A but now it's just close.
The closing credits are done over a Bollywood dance number. The friend I saw it with and I both thought it was the most fun part of the film, particularly the segments with the child actors. It's very well done, but I wish some of that joy was in the film itself and not the credits. Maybe that's why they do it that way in Bollywood films.
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