Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

“What does it take to find a lost love? A) Money, B) Luck, C) Smarts, or D) Destiny.”

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is about Jamal Malik, a 18 year old orphan who grew up in the slums of Mumbai. A participant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Jamal is one question away from winning 20 million rupees, the largest amount any contestant on the show has ever won. However, his knowledge of the questions asked of him is suspicious to officials – how can a simple slumdog know the answers to questions that have stumped more educated and wealthier contestants? Is he cheating, is he lucky, or is it fate? Question by question, Jamal’s answers reveal fragments of his past and how every moment in his life has led up to answering the last and final question. Sometimes, things in life and love are just meant to be.

Despite all of the hype surrounding Slumdog Millionaire and its march towards the Oscars, I hadn’t known that much about the plot before I went to see it. I knew it was about a boy from the slums on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and somehow each question on the show was answered by a part of his life story, but that was about it. I expected the movie to be good as well, considering all of the awards it’s been winning/nominated for, but I hadn’t been prepared for just how fantastic Slumdog Millionaire is.

The rest of this post is my opinion about the movie and contains spoilers.

Slumdog Millionaire is complete and utter perfection. From the opening scene to the closing credits, I was spellbound by how spectacular Slumdog Millionaire is. The acting, the script, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the direction – it all comes together to form a superb film. While it isn’t totally flawless (what is totally flawless in life?), it definitely comes very close, and I would go as far to say that this could possibly be my new favorite film of all time. Judging by the fact that my current favorite film, Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) was released in 1999, I don’t pick new favorite films easily!

Each segment shown for each question’s answer is so real. From Jamal and Salim’s befriending of Latika, the blinding of the fellow street children Jamal and Salim were captured with, to living as pickpockets at the Taj Mahal, every detail of Jamal’s life is present, and all of his experiences somehow correspond to every question posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. His experiences with growing up and heartbreak also have relateable themes, even though his specific situation is very particular. His determination to rendezvous with Latika throughout the film is never dampened or discouraged by the amount of times a reunion between the two has been thwarted, and the overarching theme of love in Slumdog Millionaire is always present throughout the film, even if it is usually just under the surface.

The characterization of the main and supporting characters was also fantastic. Jamal, Salim, and Latika were all gracefully aged, each of them coming to terms with the reality of early adulthood as orphans in the slums and accepting the different fates life had in store for them. I loved how Jamal was true and honest to the core throughout the film, while Salim, though ultimately redeemed, allowed himself to be mixed up with Javed’s organization at a high cost. Latika remained as pure as she could be, considering her circumstances, although no matter what happened, Latika would always be pure in Jamal’s eyes.

Slumdog Millionaire is the kind of movie that stays with you even after you have left the movie theater, and you find yourself thinking about the film even days after you have seen it. It’s brilliant, simply brilliant, and Slumdog Millionaire has my highest possible recommendation.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Tags: movies