One of the Best Films of the Decade

Rating: 10/10 (2 September 2015)

I can't be the only one who finds it a bit odd that both this and Gandhi, the two best movies about India, were both made by Brits.
Never matter. The best movies about a country don't have to be the ones made in that country. It helps, but the only people who would believe it to be a necessity are hardcore jingoistic patriots, a group with which I've had to many negative experiences to care about their opinions.
Many of the best movies made about the fifties were not made during the fifties, as people were unwilling to show an objective view of what their lives were like during that decade. Likewise, many of the best movies made about country X or Y were made outside the country, both because foreign filmmakers are more skillful and because other countries can more openly dissect another without worrying about too many layers of politics. Personally, I would love to see a no frills British film about my country. Outsiders do have objectivity on their side.
And this is a good portrait on India. It is decidedly not an Indian film, but it has no trouble diving into the issues of religion, poverty, change, and violence which cover the country. Some of my favorite films are the ones which educate without going out of their way to be educational. This movie fits the bill.
It is long but it never feels like a drag. It is a sprawling epic that goes across the decades and entire regions of what is one of the most complex countries in the world. It is a visually striking film, one that unblinkingly shows heaps of trash and filth and even kids being intentionally harmed to make them more effective beggars.
It never lets itself get too dark because people naturally don't let life get too dark. We are balanced creatures, always wanting to find light in dark and dark in light. There are too many people who live in dark cynicism or forced cheer and don't realize that. This movie doesn't let you forget it.
And it is this balance and the feeling of realism that comes from it that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With a helping hand from a tight but unrestrained script, of course. When I'm searching through my memory banks, I often come across an image or clip that makes me question where it came from. Often, I realize, "Oh, yeah, that's from Slumdog Millionaire." It made a distinct impression on me. The unusual frame work of the gameshow is less a gimmick and more a golden road into a kingdom.
The acting is superb. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the lead actor would have become a star if he hadn't ruined his career by starring in the disgusting adaptation of my favorite cartoon. I feel for him.
There is no question in my mind that this film deserves the boatload of Oscars it got. If I were to make a list of the five top films of the 2000s in terms of pure greatness, this would likely be on it.
There is a scene in the late second act of the film that has stuck with me. Two of the main characters are sitting atop a building in construction, watching their old slums be turned into high rises. It is a complex moment, one that feels completely earned. And it is a moment that encapsulates the experience if watching this film.