Hardship in the slums of Bombay

Rating: 7/10 (1 March 2009)

We follow a young boy - Jamal - during a jeopardy competition. During this we see different highlights (or lowlights) of his life in either some scary flashbacks or through the interrogation that he undergoes in a police station. It must be considered common knowledge that children in development countries often suffer from hunger and abuse and the movie is a testament to that. It is a quality that the movie never becomes sentimental or tries to impose any feelings unto the viewer. What we see from the slum isn't meant to bring tears into our eyes - it is more a matter of telling us the story of the three musketeers Latika, Salim and Jamal.
A basic premise in the movie is that Jamal has a destiny and that he believes that. This means that he never looses his faith during the competition and that he has a firm belief that he will eventually "win" Latika.
Personally I found that the depiction of survival in the slums of Bombay played to big a part in the movie. It was stressful to watch Salim and Jamal fighting to stay alive and it could have been minized to add more progression in the story.
A minor, unsatisfying detail was the host in the Jeopardy program. He was so sarcastic towards Jamal that he became unbelievable.
I will most certainly recommend this movie; it deals with an important subject without becoming political or trying to impose feelings unto the audience.
Regards Simon
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