Good, not great.

Rating: 7/10 (15 October 2010)

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is a story about two brothers, Jamal and Salim, who grow up in the slums. Their life is very hard and rough. After their mother is killed the two struggle to survive in the streets. They meet a girl named Latika. Jamal falls in love with her. They are exploited as beggars by one of the slum's gang bosses. They escape and get torn apart. While Jamal is lead by hope and love and keeps his mind clear, his brother becomes a product of the violent harsh times they live in and soon enters the crime business. Jamal tries more than once to find Latika and to escape and make a living together. But how, she once asks him? There are no opportunities for the poor people in the slums. You have to subdue to one of the (often) cruel rich guys to lead a passably good life, she thinks.
Not for the money but for the love Jamal joins the famous quiz show "Who wants to be a millionaire".
It's a rich story about friendship, trust, betrayal and love.
The film though an independent is very well made. Great cinematography and editing here.
I think the way the story is told following the questions in the game show to review the life of Jamal was a very good idea.
But there were some points about the plot that bothered me.
I asked myself about the security guys who first torture Jamal cause he is accused to cheat on the show. Therefore they can certainly be considered as cruel people who probably don't care much about Jamals rights. Would they even care about what he has to say, would they make the effort listening to him and if so, would they just believe him?
Jamal's little conflict with the arrogant quiz master, who fears about his fame being the most important guy in the show, was another good point in the movie though not much time was spent on this.
But then (sadly) like in many Danny Boyle movies (28 days later, the beach, sunshine (well sunshine was bad from beginning to end)) for me the last part however falls a little short. When the romance overtakes the story it feels more like a quite ordinary love story ending that is kind of forced like when Latika gets the handy of Jamals brother and is then called by Jamal sitting in the game show I think that was kind of dull.
THEN there are the scenes that wanted me to rate this movie 0/10. It's when the movie is already over and the end credits are running over the screen. When the whole cast started to dance around I cringed! What the hell is going on now!? Have I just seen a good, serious movie or was it some sort of Disney/high school musical!? What a ridiculous, cheesy and bitter note was left in my mind ...
anyway ...
This movie gets a
7.5/10.