Stop reading reviews, just go and see it

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2009)

It's finally NZ's turn to see this film and now I totally understand the hype surrounding it at recent award ceremonies.
I really enjoyed this film - Danny Boyle and his cinematographers have outdone themselves by managing to capture the 'bigness' of India- the sounds, the sights, the vastness of the landscapes and the sheer amount of people. However the individuals within this place are not forgotten with the nine actors who play Jamal, Salim and Katika doing an outstanding job of making their characters' 'ordinariness' extraordinary.
A lot has been made about the way Jamal's story unfolds (in flashback we are shown how this 'cheat' really did know the answers to Who Wants to be a Millionaire). I haven't read the book Q&A on which the movie is based so I don't know whether this is a feature introduced during the screenplay or not. Either way I think it works and stylistically it is very appropriate as it reminded me of Bollywood movies that I've seen.
That said it isn't all glitz and glamour and Boyle, as his fans no doubt expect, has not shied away from the darker aspects of slum life. However he does this respectfully and without exploiting his characters. What is perhaps most amazing to me about this film is that, even after showing us the sheer desperation of these characters, Boyle still manages to pull it together for a truly exciting finish.
Right now there are vast numbers of positive reviews around about this movie so you will just have to go and see it.