Boyle's best for many, many years - 90%

Rating: 9/10 (14 September 2009)

A word of warning for those who like their Oscar winners - having seen it, I have to question whether this film is a deserved winner of eight Oscars. I don't think it's that good but this certainly is one of the best films of last year, fuelled by a fantastic story and frankly superb performances from every level of the cast and a director with a real passion not just for film-making but also the subject and setting. So it's a great film, OK? Just not a absolute time-defying classic.
Newcomer Dev Patel plays the 18-year-old Jamal, a slum-dwelling street kid who gets onto Indian's version of the TV quiz show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?". To everyone's amazement, he is just one question away from winning the jackpot when he is arrested at the request of the host (Bollywood legend Anil Kapoor) for cheating. Interogated by the police, Jamal explains how his life led to the answers through his childhood with brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and his pursuit of the love of his life, Latika (Freida Pinto).
One thing I can confidently say is that "Slumdog Millioanire" does for India what "Lost In Translation" does for Japan - it immerses you so completely in the culture that you feel you're almost on holiday. Not that India is all curries and the Taj Mahal - you get a sense that this is the real India, undiluted and as raw as you'll find on film. Thank director Danny Boyle for maintaining his vision and keeping the film grounded in reality to such a degree that the various dream shots (slow-mo and staccato effects, of which there are plenty) don't interfere too much. The non-linear storyline may confuse those with a short attention span as will the subtitled Hindi but again, because the younger actors are flawless in the roles, it still holds your attention despite the jumps. And to those who say the story is too much of a fairy-tale to be believed, that's never been a problem in movies before. I've never heard anyone criticise "Casablanca" for being too melodramatic or predictable, after all.
It might not be the all-conquering movie-to-end-all-movies some of you may have expected but that doesn't stop "Slumdog Millionaire" being an essential movie to watch. Boyle has fashioned an incredible film out of something that, on paper, really shouldn't work and that IS worthy of an Oscar. I was expecting more of a cheery Bollywood feel to it and aside from the closing number, there isn't any of that - Boyle did do "Trainspotting", remember. But the best film are often the simplest and given the love and affection this picture earns from director to best boy, this is a film of class, colour and quality. It might not float your boat straight away but like a good chicken Madras, it slowly creeps up on you before blowing your head off. Brilliant.