Review of Slumdog Millionaire

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2010)

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, is a gripping film which presents a cliché story with an excellent editing. The Indian co-director of the film helps the director to focus on the realities of India, which provides the audience not to escape from the effect of the film. All the actors and actresses are from India and main characters are the stars of Bollywood who had not been known by the rest of the world before the film. The story of the film tells the life story of a young Indian man struggling the difficulties of going up into a higher class. Furthermore, love, money and fate which are the cliché topics are presented in an original way.
The film starts with a quiz show which changes the life standard of the Indian man who is uneducated person. He is arrested by the police because of the suspicion of cheating. However the flashbacks used during the film show that his bad life experience provides the knowledge of the answers of the questions. The story is supported by side stories which tell the love conflict, conflicts in the family and the conflicts in India. In the first half of the film the story flows faster than it does in the second half. Although the film slows down in the second half it continues to float the audience to the end. Through the end of the film it is inevitable to put yourself into the main characters. At the end of the film the Bollywood dance turns the excitement of the audience into happiness and puts a smile on their faces.
The film, which has already proved itself by winning a lot of prestigious awards last year, is one of the best films of the year. In addition, it provides different varieties of emotions with fascinating music, scenes and natural acting of characters. Although it is a western film which is set in the East, the dance at the end of the film, which is common in Bollywood films, adds diversity to the film.