For love's sake, life is worth it

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2008)

Even as we watch the bleak, matter-of-fact portrayal of the existence of people who live among garbage heaps, there is a delightful humor and hopeful strength throughout Danny Boyle's new film, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. It's an inspiring, brilliant, funny and epic underdog story set against the slums of Mumbai, India, (the city formerly known as Bombay), and a reminder that true love is worth life's trials, and indeed, worth the wait.
The movie begins with an intense, interrogation scene where a young man, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is being viciously questioned by local police because of his recent appearance on India's hugely popular TV show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" The law enforcement isn't convinced that this lowly 'slumdog' could know so much and be on the verge of winning 20 million rupees.
So when the police review the game show tape with Jamal, each game show question brings up a specific memory in Jamal's life, and the seemingly predestined circumstance in which he learned the answer to each question. He simply tells his stories of the a poverty-stricken life in the slums, where he and his older brother, Salim, grew up, including their years on the road, train-hopping and hustling locals and tourists for survival after a tragic raid on their hometown. and the encounter with their "third musketeer", Latika (Freida Pinto)  Jamal's long-lost girl he'd never stopped loving.
As his almost whimsical story unfolds, it becomes clear that the driving force in Jamal has always been the love for this lost girl. While Salim, the more entrepreneurial brother, had become hardened and driven mainly by money, it becomes clear as Jamal's almost-whimsical story unfolds, that the driving force in Jamal has always been his love for Latika.
Even through the years of odd jobs and hobo-like travels, Jamal never stops thinking of this beautiful orphan girl. Until one day along the way, while working as a "chai walla" (the Indian equivalent to a "coffee boy"), Jamal comes across Latika, now one of the girls belonging to an infamous gangster.
I don't want to give away anymore details, but the movie is awesome. And as this tale unfolds, we see how Jamal ends up on the television show, so close to winning the biggest prize ever in its history. He inadvertently becomes the symbol of hope for over sixty million viewers, the inspiration for so many who are like him  from the slums with nothing but faith, hope and love to keep them going.
He ends up being a hero in the eyes of millions of poverty-stricken people who watch the show because it's a reminder of the possible chance to escape the sadness around them. Which is partly why SLUMDOG is so wonderful  it is both escapist fantasy, reminding us the importance of dreaming while while never denying the reality around us.
So yes, in a sense, Jamal is another Messiah figure  a hero willing to go through anything for love. And by doing so, he inspires millions of people who didn't have a voice  the lost and broken swallowed up in life's toils and snares; the forgotten ones and those who've given up hope.
The subtle theme or running commentary of SLUMDOG also happens to be "It is written", referring to the predestination of life. The film gives us a 'big picture' view of life and the interconnectedness of all things. We realize that despite the ups and downs of Salim's and Jamal's lives, it all happens and comes together for a reason.
Even the smallest incident involving sacrificial love from one of the most crooked characters in the movie shows us that their existence too is a part of the Big Picture  and even in death, they can provide life. Because of this hell and death that the characters experience, life can begin once again, and in many ways, start over. There is a beautiful scene where Jamal has a chance to kiss Latika, and figuratively kisses away her scars, a symbol of restoration and the beginning of a new life.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE will definitely inspire audiences and put a smile on your face, possibly through tears of joy. The film's message is one of hope and triumph in the face of life's most difficult circumstances. It's my favorite movie of this year so far, and I hope that many others will enjoy it as much as I did. Hopefully SLUMDOG is a reminder that when we 'cross that river' and look back over all the hardships and trials, we'll be able to smile in the face of the Creator and say, "because of Your Love, it was all worth it."