A Colourful, Visceral Triumph

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2009)

Very occasionally a film comes along which has the potential to change the face of Commercial Cinema, Slumdog Millionaire is one of them. Hollywood represents the bulk of cinematic history and is still the driving force behind it. But we live in a changing world. Politically we are seeing a resurgent Russia, and the emergence of China and India as economic super powers. Cinema is only now starting to pick up those shifts.
The American Film Industry, like its Motor Car Industry, has grown fat and lazy. Tired plots, formulaic scripts, predictable locations and a wearisome reliance on big budgets, CGI and big explosions to "deliver" have made it increasingly less interesting, and relevant, to World audiences, and I suspect to home ones too.
So here we have a film shot totally in India, mainly in Mumbai, with no Western actors, no "names", and a substantial amount of dialogue in Hindi, sub titled into English. (You can almost hear the LA Exec writing the reject slip for the pitch, can't you?). At first glance English Director, Danny Boyle, is not the obvious choice. But on closer inspection you consider the visual big budget feasts which were "Sunshine" and "The Beach", the pacey drama of "A Life Less Ordinary", the visceral grittiness of "28 Days Later" and "Trainspotting", and the low budget/ gallows humour of "Shallow Grave" and you have the ingredients which make "Slumdog's " success.
Cinematically it is a joy, rich colours, beautifully shot, blaze across the screen. The locations enthral. OK the Taj Mahal is predictable, but nonetheless breathtaking, the slums a vibrant cesspit. The acting is convincing and compelling, wonderfully led by Dev Patel as Jamal Malik the eponymous hero. Heaving with brilliant cameos, watch out for the Police Inspector, his fat side kick, and the evil Orphanage "Fagin".
It is true that Hollywood cliché may have been swapped for Bollywood cliché . But as a "cross-over trailblazer for a largely unsuspecting audience, that is forgivable ,it works. Beware that although the story does have the advertised feel-good ending, the content has the trademark Danny Boyle rawness which is frequently uncomfortable, and in one case unwatchable. But that rawness also delivers the funniest, " shittyest" scene of the picture!
A classic "rages to riches" premise, told with style and innovation, a landmark film.