Street Smarts.

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 2009)

A strange combination of "Rocky" and "City of God" which ends up being the most unexpected and amazing crowd-pleaser of recent memory. Young Dev Patel is being tortured by Mumbai police officers as it seems he has somehow cheated on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". Immediately, the flashbacks begin and we see the character throughout his rough and turbulent life in the slums of one of the largest and most unforgiving cities in the world. Comedy, tragedy, crime, and intense drama blend together to prove Patel has the street smarts necessary to actually go the distance. Older brother Madhur Mittal, who has become a cutthroat thug, and one true love Freida Pinto (who just illuminates an already visually bright production), prove to be the most endearing people in Patel's life. Scene-stealer Anil Kapoor (as India's answer to Regis Philbin) nearly steals the production as the demented and acid-mouthed game show host who is tough to completely figure out. The movie also appropriately serves as a tribute to the former city of modern-day Bombay. Brilliant direction by Danny Boyle and an amazingly smart screenplay by Simon Beaufoy highlight a film which dominates in every major aspect of the cinema---from its mind-blowing editing to its revolutionary cinematography and finally to its addictive soundtrack and score. One of those films to embrace and experience again and again. A flat-out modern-day masterpiece which almost got a direct-to-video release (!?). 5 stars out of 5.