Eye opening but a bit cliché

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2009)

I saw this film in the theater. By now you may know the gist of the story, but if not, here it is in a nutshell: a slum kid in India gets a chance to win on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. We get to see this young man's incredibly difficult childhood and the hardships he had to overcome through flashbacks. We also gain some insight about his brother and a love interest.
The movie is incredibly well made. It's entertaining and I as a viewer was able to emotionally connect with all the lead characters. The acting is fine - neither amazing nor terrible. The child actors are outstanding. Visually it's a great experience.
My biggest complaint about this movie is that it is really cliché. No movie like this could be made by standard Hollywood conventions because such a formulaic film likely could not get an approving audience. Only an Indian themed independent film could get away with this. Also, be prepared to deal with heart wrenching cruelty to children.
So while it's well made and keeps you engaged you, like me, may get annoyed with how cliché it is. I'd recommend seeing it once and perhaps for you, like me, that will be plenty.