A Film With Lots to Offer.

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2009)

I saw this film last night with a few friends after hearing some sparkling reviews. While I was expecting a positive experience, it wouldn't be fair to say that my expectations were as high as they were for a movie like "The Dark Knight" or last year's "There Will Be Blood." That said, my expectations were met, and I experienced what is probably one of the better films I've seen all year, but certainly not one of the best I've seen in recent years, let alone of all time.
What I must get out immediately is that the performances by the younger cast, the art direction, the cinematography, and the editing are all top notch. The characters are fully formed for the most part, and are given the necessary time to develop. The film also has a great soundtrack, which should be worth noting. Also positive is the emergence of Freida Pinto, an actress we should all probably be looking out for in the next few years.
Having sung all the praises, a few things need to be said about the film's flaws. The male lead, Dev Patel (as Jamal), seems only capable of one expression: intensity. And as the story progresses, and Jamal grows into adulthood, I felt that the character had stopped developing. What would have been a charmingly optimistic childhood fantasy carries over into adult life, something that seems an unlikely occurrence given the film's theme that the children are forced into growing up quickly.
Added to this are a few directorial decisions by the film's director, Danny Boyle, which I felt didn't belong in the decidedly more realistic tone of the movie (I'm not talking about the Bollywood dance, which I thought was a fantastic choice). Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but I felt that the more intense scenes were not as intense or suspenseful as I would have liked, nor was there as much humor as there was in a similar film, "Angela's Ashes" (I know the subject matter is serious, but there were more laughs in "No Country for Old Men"). Add to that a few on-screen metaphors, and one over-the-top "what could have been" moment, and I felt taken out of the experience just momentarily.
As for how the film stacks up to winning an Oscar this 2009, I can tell you now that I haven't seen "Frost/Nixon", "The Reader" (along with everyone else on the planet), or "Milk", but what I can also tell you is that "Slumdog" is a better film than "Benjamin Button." Of the films that came out this year, I can tell you that I felt "The Dark Knight" and "WALL-E" were both better movies that I feel should have filled some of these Oscar spots. If "Slumdog" had come out in the year of "Babel" (a similar film which is FAR more affecting and leaves a much greater impact, and had they both been released in the same year would have left "Slumdog" out of Oscar contention), "The Departed", "No Country for Old Men", or "There Will Be Blood" it would not stand a chance at the Oscars whatsoever. Judging by other award ceremonies and its current competition, however, it will most likely win, and probably deserves to.