An Indian fairytale

Rating: 7/10 (13 April 2010)

Danny Boyle's successful film 'Slumgod Millionaire' is a vibrant tale of life at the sharp end of modern India; but it's also essentially a fairytale, with a happy ending and details that don't quite ring true. Most notably, it's based around the quiz show, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?', but it makes the assumption that the programme's makers don't actually want anyone to win, whereas I suspect that in reality, the occasional big winner is exactly what generates most publicity and subsequently revenue for the show. And while I am certain the life of a "slumdog" is not in any senses easy, the truth is that millions of Indians live, sadly in poverty, but without constant threat from people trying to kill them. Indeed, to me this felt like an outsider's view of India, and perhaps the films popularity stems from the fact that a global audience can share Boyle's perspective; the novel 'White Tiger' tackled similar themes (and in a similar semi-comic fashion) with more authenticity. Indeed, the dramatic tension of Boyle's film comes more from the quiz show embedded within it than from the thin surrounding plot. It's vivid and entertaining for sure; but aside from 'Trainspotting', I've never been wholly convinced by those who think Boyle a genius; and I wasn't convinced here either.