A film that proves no matter how harsh one's life has been thru those experiences can help one master knowledge and win big in the end!

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2009)

Director Danny Boyle's film "Slumdog Millionaire" clearly has hit the jackpot with this picture an uplifting tale for anyone that sees it especially those that are poor and unlucky. Because those viewers can relate to the central character of Jamal so well. And Boyle's direction is life and storybook like as his direction of the film tells most of this troubled young man's life as the whole film is told from a flashback point of view. It's just so touching to see how each life experience of Jamal's past relates to his present as it was able to provide him with unlimited knowledge of the world that he gained from life experiences.
Set in the slums of Mumbai, India we as viewers see a journey of harsh living that is experienced by one young man named Jamal Malik(Dev Patel)who along with his older brother from a young age have to deal with many problems from losing their mother, and being abandoned during war time. Along the way the streets are a way of life and survival for them as they drift from location to location only Jamal gradually learns the culture of how to break from the thug world. As without much money Jamal had to survive on his wits to make money this knowledge would benefit him greatly later. Aside from a journey of dealing with the harsh world of cynical thugs and learning the streets Jamal is in part involved up in a love story. When meeting the beautiful Latika(Freida Pinto). Her beauty and love provides some escape for Jamal.
It is then when upon Jamal working after leaving his brother and the beauty behind decides to go for the gold so to speak. Jamal becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire" as he feels this is the only way to the path of a good life and a way to escape poverty. Ironically as we see from question to question as the film is done in flashback Jamal reflects on his harsh upbringing and dangerous street days of dealing with thugs as it's many of these experiences that helped him obtain powerful culture knowledge. And oddly enough many of these questions can be answered by his knowledge he picked up from the past.
As in life the film proves many simply have a destiny often expected or unexpected as in the end Jamal knows his destiny and the only way that he will establish love with Latika is thru this game show! This may seem like a fairy tale ending to some still it shows destiny is often meant even though it takes many strange paths for some it's those like Jamal that struggle thru a harsh upbringing and that living in slum conditions makes a man stronger especially mentally. And in the end this makes him a master because he's found his destiny. Super work from Danny Boyle proving no matter how tough and harsh life can be for some it can end striking the jackpot.