Shining majesty in film form.

Rating: 9/10 (26 August 2009)

Winning Oscars is apparently easy for heartwarming romance/slice-of-life stories. But that's not to say Slumdog Millionaire doesn't deserve it, even if I think Benjamin Button should have gotten it instead. This movie is a very eloquent, artistic and cinematic venture that honestly left a smile on my face. Sure, it's a bit hammy and heavy-handed, but it works, and the story is told masterfully. There are some really tense dramatic moments here, and the movie being two hours long only feels like about ninety minutes - it flows wonderfully. The acting is great, even from the children, pulling you right in and keeping you there. And Freida Pinto is hot - even though she doesn't look a damn thing like the child version of her character.
The only thing I did find a bit unbelievable was how every question Jamal was asked tied into his past and childhood somehow. I guess it's kind of realistic, because that's just how we learn things, but it's still a bit odd that every single question would tie in so snugly. Oh well.
So Slumdog is a really good movie that I feel deserved the Oscar at the end of the day. It isn't really perfect, and I liked a few films from 2008 better, but am I going to complain when a film this good is getting such widespread praise? Hell no.