The feel-good movie of the year (even if it is only January)

Rating: Null/10 (27 January 2009)

I live in a part of north-west London with a large Asian population that was home to Dev Patel, who plays the eponymous Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who demonstrates utterly remarkable knowledge or amazing luck when he appears on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire". So, if the rave reviews, the enthusiastic word of mouth and no less than 10 Academy Award nominations were not enough, the movie was a total sell-out. Nobody was disappointed; on the contrary, everyone left with a smile of their face after viewing this wonderful feel-good movie.
Although containing both humour and romance, this is categorically no standard rom-com. It opens with a torture scene and, along the way way, we see slums, poverty, crime and violence - but ultimately this is a tale of redemption and hope. Who would have thought that British director Danny Boyle - who first came to our attention with hard-hitting films like "Shallow Grave and "Trainspotting" - could give us such a tale of India? But, together with cast and crew, he has produced a triumph. Jamal, his brother Salim and fellow orphan Latika are represented at three stages of their young lives by different actors who bring immense charm to the movie and Freida Pinto as the oldest Latika is simply gorgeous. In a succession of convincing performances, Anil Kapoor is especially good as the show's presenter.
Of course, colourful, chaotic, charming India itself is a star of the film - notably the vibrancy of Mumbai (the former Bombay) with an appearance by the Taj Mahal in Agra - and, if you've never visited (I have), you'll leave the cinema wanting to do so. The shooting of the film used a prototype digital camera which underlines the kinetic energy of the narrative and puts the viewer right in the action, especially in the crowd and chase sequences. Another key ingredient is the atmospheric music. Finally, don't leave as soon as the end credits start to roll or you'll miss an exuberant dance sequence. In short, this is a movie that has all you could want for an uplifting of the human spirit.