A Wonderfully Stylistic Love Story

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2008)

Danny Boyle has proved himself again and again as one of the most powerful men behind a camera. If Danny comes in contact with a fantastic script, the end result is nothing less than a masterpiece. Slumdog Millionaire is just that, a beautiful blend of visual style and fantastic story.
The story is a wonderful puzzle. We follow the troubled life of protagonist Jamal, who is trying to prove that it was fate that he would do so well on a Hindi version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", and not that he cheated.
The film is told in a series of flashbacks and stories from Jamal's life. The questions on the game show relate to event that he has experienced, which executes the theme fate that is present throughout. "It is written". The events are often very tragic, sometimes comical, but always interesting. There is a great deal of tension in this film that keeps you glued to the screen.
Often times, telling a story through flashbacks can be disorienting and even take a viewer out of the action. But with Slumdog Millionaire I found myself in a trance; captivated by the events and life of Jamal. I cannot stress enough how beautifully written the script was.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect, however, is the beautiful style executed by Boyle and the camera crew. The cinematographer didn't hold back at all, and some of the shots in the film will take your breath away. Important and impressive compositions were frequent in Slumdog (not unlike a Spike Lee film, or something shot by Gregg Toland of Citizen Kane) and really marvelously mixed the modern edgy look with classic camera work.
I give this film an 8.5 out of 10. I want to give it a 10, but that might because I'm still sort of 'high' from just recently experiencing it.
Go see this movie.