India wink

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2010)

The Best Picture winner of 2008 depicts young Jamal (Dev Patel) from Mumbai's slums winning on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" but getting suspected of cheating. During the interrogation, Jamal tells the police inspector how he learned the answers through his childhood experiences.
First of all, this is a fascinating look at the subcontinent. I got a feeling of how it is to come of age in these cramped, gritty ghettos that dot South Asia (although that's probably nothing compared to living the experience). By gritty, I mean squat toilets, raids by Hindu mobs on the Muslims, and forced labor. And in the end, the ghettos get cleared to make way for modern high-rises. But Jamal does whatever he has to in order to pull through, and never abandons his love for Latika (Freida Pinto).
"Slumdog Millionaire" is one impressive scene after another. Whether showing dance sequences, chases, or an entire focus on the Taj Mahal, director Danny Boyle (of "Trainspotting" fame) does everything right. I should say that I probably wouldn't have given this movie Best Picture over "Milk", but this is still a good one. Given India's rising international clout, I wonder if we'll be seeing more Oscar winners, and hopefully ones that focus on the social status in the world's second most populous country. Definitely worth seeing.