A Decent Though Unremarkable Film Worthy of Recommendation

Rating: 7/10 (9 February 2009)

After hearing so many positive remarks about how this was one of the best, if not THE best film of the year my curiosity for it raised. Going into the film, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I half-heartedly felt that I'd be either horribly disappointed or completely blown away (since I tend to be in the love it/hate it crowd for critically praised films such as this one). After leaving my theater (which was filled with people at least three times my age) I was saying to myself "eh, it was a good film, but not Oscar-worthy".
While this might sound like I have an overall negative opinion of the film this is far from the case. Slumdog is a perfectly good film that's worth a watch by anyone really interested in seeing it. That said, I can't call it anything more than "good" or "solid" since it was certainly likable but far from awe-spiring.
The story revolves around Jamal Malik who, upon coming one question from winning an Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? is confronted and accused of cheating. Up until the last ten minutes the film is told in flashbacks as Jamal explains how he knew the answers to certain questions, with a considerable chunk revolving around him and his brother Salim and the troubled connection he has with Lakita, a girl they meet as kids early in the film. I liked the approach they went with giving the answers to certain questions a backstory from Jamal; I was actually hoping they did a flashback for each question but given the film's overall approach, it's easily understandable why they didn't go with this approach.
One of the film's strengths is that it manages to feel authentic with the story revolving around the characters and the struggles they face. While I will say the dialogue felt rather clunky and slightly ridiculous at times the film manages to feel mostly believable thanks to its mostly down-to-earth approach with Jamal and Salim. As for the acting, everyone did a mostly solid job. Dev Patel manages to create a likable character (despite some on again, off again acting), Madhur Mittal creates a very believable adult Salim though Freida Pinto would have to be my favorite performer in the movie as the adult Lakita; she manages to make a great character who's very easy to like and sympathize with.
There are a few strong moments in the film that will catch the audiences' attention (almost all of them unpleasant), most of which occur in the first half of the film. Comedic bits are few and far between, which does work in the film's favor since it maintains a core mood throughout the runtime. All told, it's a well-rounded package, with a sufficient ending that feels like it flows well and naturally as with the rest of the film.
But why isn't this film anything truly amazing (for me at least)? Mostly because there really isn't anything in the film that's truly impressive or spectacular save for a few select scenes. The acting as I mentioned is solid though some performances are better than others (particularly with the supporting cast), dialogue is hit-or-miss and the film does drag out a bit leading up to the end. These aren't major issues and don't keep the film from being enjoyable, but as the film stands it only holds up as being a good, mildly entertaining watch (and I use "entertaining" lightly here).
This is a good, solid film that I would suggest watching if you're curious to see what it's like and know enough about the film going in. That said, I can't say this film is Oscar-worthy in my books and is far from being the best film I've seen this year. You may and possibly will like the film a lot more than me for all I know, which is perfectly fine by me; I'd rather at least half enjoy a film everyone else loves than not like it at all.