We expected great, we got wonderful.

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2008)

I cannot possible overstate how moved and amazed I was by this picture. It is easily my pick for the best film of the year and, unless I've lost some of my memory, the greatest I've seen in half a decade.
I've seen so many reviews about the visuals. I don't want to duel on this because there are so many, but they certainly warrant noting. Mumbai's slums radiate in such a way it's beautiful and heart-wrenching. Boyle has shot these locations in such a way that the audience can be mislead into thinking they're seeing a set. But the brutal reality is that they are not. The houses are really that close together, they are that rundown, and life is that hard. Something to think about is the use of digital rather than film. Everyone knows the debate and I'm more partial to digital (I agree that film is far more beautiful but it's become impractical). Boyle finds a way of making digital gorgeous.
The greatest thing about Slumdog Millionaire is that the story and the performances take the focus off of Boyle's distinctive style seamlessly. That is quite a feat.
Dev Patel was magnificent as the grown Jamal and I cannot wait for him to start appearing in more productions. Freida Pinto was just as miraculous as Latika and pulled off the type of beauty anyone can believe falling deeply in love with. You'd wish these actors had more screen time if the rest of the cast did not perform as well. However, there really is not one weak link here.
The story sweeps this film away and shines as the most beautiful element. Jamal Malik is a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (in India). He's gotten up to 10 million rupees and has only one question left for 20 million. However, during a break between episodes he is accused of cheating. Flashbacks then reveal how Jamal knew each question he has been asked but ask one of their own: "Why is he on the show?". The answer is limitlessly touching. Dark and light elements are played throughout, many times in quick succession. You'll want to cry at how hard Jamal, Salim, and Latika's lives are but you'll also want to cry at the amount of hope that is underneath every adventure. That's the message of the film: Hope is always there. As bad as things can get, if you don't quit you have hope. This one is certainly a gem and one that you can actually smile at. That's really saying something with films like Marley and Me, Rachel Getting Married, Dear Zachary, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button all coming out. The reviewers aren't wrong, its a crowd-pleaser (to the surprise of the audience I saw it with, people actually gasped at the ending).
Romantics will swoon. Cynics will grouch until they're broken by the end. Sensitives will cry. But you will enjoy this film as it proves to be supremely magical.