| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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A Gem of a Film, Compelling to the Last Frame
by Adam (movies profile)
Nov 23, 2008
111
of
121 people found this review helpful
Nothing about "Slumdog Millionaire" seemed all that interesting. The plot is very odd, centering around the true story of a very poor boy who had no education somehow winning a game show through knowledge from his past experiences. It doesn't sound bad, but it sounds cheesy to a certain extent. The trailer made it seem a bit over dramatic and it was not all that intriguing. The only thing that truly got me out to the theater were the reviews and the buzz heading into its release and man am I glad I listened to that. "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of the very finest films to be released this year and I could see it up for many awards come this years oscars.
Danny Boyle has directed so many genres and has done well at all of them that I can confidently say that he just flat out knows how to direct movies. His style doesn't change, but his ability to tell a story doesn't either. It all comes together very well for "Slumdog Millionaire" which is probably one of the toughest positive films in years. It's absolutely incredible the struggles the characters face in the film, and Boyle transfers all of these real life events and cultural factors onto the screen quite poetically and beautifully. It doesn't end up being a cheesy story at all, it's actually rather realistic, and at times it's hard to take. The Indian culture is illustrated beautifully with all the gritty, yet rich colors, and vibrant characters, this film is truly brought to life. I don't think there's another director out there who could've done it better. He also does a great job with pacing. His quick cutting and stylized shooting and editing styles help to speed up the film in some of it's slower moments. Not to mention the fantastic choice of music, mixing mostly Indian music, always with a great beat and some American music as well, when appropriate. It all comes together and tells a great and compelling story in an entertaining way.
The acting in the film is very good from the entire cast. Three separate actors have to play the main character, Jamal, as well as his brother Salim. All three actors who play both characters do a great job. Even the younger actors show a great range, while none of the 6 actors have one particularly weak link of any kind. Much of the supporting cast must've been famous in India because many of the older men in the film just did a magnificent job. The love interest in the film, Latika, was believably gourgeous when the final actress began to play the older version of the girl. There is no specific actor in the film that I can look at and say was miscast.
The writing is all very well done. The movement in time is something that could've easily been screwed up but it's handled quite well. It also would've never ever worked as a narrative and the movement in time seemed very logical and necessary to effectively tell the story. The character arch's throughout the film are done to perfection and I can't say there were many moments were I thought something could've been more fleshed out. I suppose the romance plot line was a little simplistic and could've been delved into more, but it was believable enough that it didn't really effect the overall quality of the movie. Another big strength is the fact that it has a very wide appeal. The story is a very universal struggle that any culture can understand. It also should appeal to all the sexes as it seems to cross into enough genres that it can interest both men and women. I don't know who truly would not enjoy or get something out of this film. As a whole it could be most easily compared to "City of God" but a little more positive, and I mean that in the highest of compliments. I had very few problems with any part of the film and the writing is no exception.
"Slumdog Millionaire" is a totally welcome and very pleasant surprise. Not only is it one of the few films in recent memory that really immersed you in a very rich and colorful culture, but it also is one of the few that tells a story that will keep you in it's grip from start to finish. I'm sure a lot of dramatic license was taken while adapting this true story to the big screen, but that doesn't take much away from it. It's still one of the most positive yet realistic films I've seen in a long time and I highly recommend it to everyone out there.
9.5/10 |
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