The set up drags a little but the pay off in the final act makes it all worthwhile

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2009)

A late comer to Slumdog ,i realised from the start i was watching a film that people loved and that i ought to love too.I was surprised to find myself tempted to stop the whole thing about 40mins in,as i found the set-up to the the inevitable conclusion to be a little tedious.That said, i stuck with the film and ended up coming away impressed. The last third of the film is the most engaging as we step into uncharted territory. The first two acts are basic set and explanation as to how we got to where we are,which i found more than a little tiring. The cast are all excellent though. The young actors in the film are a delight but be warned,the film features some surprisingly unpleasant moments. It had been billed as the 'feel good movie of the year' and it is 'feel good' although it seems that tag doesn't quite sit right. It is feel good in the same way that Shawshank is,our characters have to climb through the mud to get to the good stuff. We join them on that journey and the central love story of the film, which is in essence, what the film is, drives home the last third with an undeniably satisfying and quite joyful conclusion. Just stick with it if you find yourself wavering because the pay off is worth it.