Astonishing Film

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2008)

Astonishing is the only word for this film. I have been raving about this film to all my friends. I tell married men to take their wives to this film and win major bonus points. I totally disagree with the review that called this one of the five best of the year. To me it is one of the five best films of ALL TIME! The dramatic mechanism in this film is almost perfect. By that I mean the way the we are drawn into the plot of the total underdog winning all (classic theme) when he came from the Mumbai slums. The essence of good storytelling is the 'believable coincidence" and this film has us believing. But more than that, to make a truly great, classic film you need dramatic scope and this is where this film exells. The emotions that are invoked are huge. Finally the visions and lessons of a civilization in transition (India) are very real. I was waiting for everyone to clap at the end of this film. They didn't, but I think it was simply because everyone has overwhelmed by this effect of the experience of this film. Slumdog Millionaire defines why film is a transformational medium.