Haven't been there, done that

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2009)

The story behind Slumdog Millionaire is as enchanting as the film itself. Danny Boyle's and Loveleen Tandan's flick was originally going to be released straight to DVD. It has since been nominated for eleven BAFTAs and ten academy awards. If it wins Best Picture, it will become the most adored small production since The Last Emperor. There's a lot to love about this movie. You've seen the poor person who becomes wealthy plotting device before, but you probably haven't seen it like this. Slumdog Millionaire is a richly formulaic recreation of Hollywood's mid-twentieth century epics.
Danny Boyle is an adventurous filmmaker. No genre or cultural difficulty escapes him. This must have been a difficult project to direct. Hindi is spoken in several scenes and numerous shots were captured in actual slums. The film, if nothing else, will provide Western audiences with an opportunity to experience a realistic portrayal of India. This idea is even used as a comedic device multiple times as the film progresses. I find it odd that the movie has received as much praise as it has. Some Indian film critics have argued that the movie is an opportunity for Westerners to see their own conventions in a new paint. The critic Gautaman Bhaskaran stated "there is nothing Indian about this film" in his review for Seoul Times. Bhaskaran has a point in his statement. Take this movie back to storyboard, insert any area of poverty and adjust the leads to create a new film on the same premise. I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire for the same reason any other Westerner would like it. The film only stylistically invokes the viewer and only for certain audiences. After watching movies like The Wrestler, The Reader, and Milk I think Slumdog Millionaire is a pleasant diversion but a forgettable motion picture.
Jamal Malik is interrogated by police officers following his astonishing success in the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. Everyone asks how a telephone operator with no formal education could know enough to advance to the final round. Jamal insists that he isn't well-read and was fortunate to have received the right questions. He reveals his life's story to the officers. Malik and his older brother Salim go through hell until they reach adulthood. Their mother is killed during a village raid and they meet a young girl named Latika. All three are whisked away to an orphanage where children are trained to be street performers. Salim and Jamal escape and become vagabonds, picking pockets when able. They encounter Latika again when Jamal insists they travel to Mumbai, where they meet their old orphanage leader. Salim dispatches him, uses his new street cred to join a gang, and claims Latika as his prize. He loses that prize to his boss who makes her his wife. Jamal is left alone, so he applies for Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in hopes that Latika will see him. The narrative switches to present time once the police accept Jamal's story. His success becomes a national phenomenon, and Salim sacrifices himself so Latika can finally be with Jamal.
Jamal and the other central characters are played by three different people throughout the film. The child actors have the most screen time and deliver the most impressive performances. All of them cope with homelessness through dry wit. When Jamal and Salim meet Latika, the former is hesitant to allow her entry into their shelter because she is a girl. Jamal responds by suggesting that she could be the final musketeer, whose name they never learned. I found moments like that one, of which there are many, to be the best part of the film. When the young adults appear, humor ends and the tone is more serious. Dev Patel is seemingly expressionless as older Jamal. He looks worried, hustled, or whatever but his body doesn't respond, like a statue speaking for the first time. Freida Pinto does much better as older Latika, even though any other actress could have played her role. She hasn't acted in a movie before and delivers the quick, emotional punch from her earlier work as a model. I liked her performance because it filled in the gap created by Patel's rigidness.
Boyle has made the same mistake he did in Sunshine. He doesn't pace the movie well. Sunshine begins as a noir science fiction film and becomes a slasher. Slumdog Millionaire changes from a loose childhood bonding movie to a romantic thriller as it ends. A Bollywood dance sequence follows to remind you of why you enjoyed the first two thirds. The discrepancy is less obvious in this movie, but it still bothered me. For purposes of plot, such alterations were necessary, unlike Sunshine. Forest Gump is a film very similar to this one and presents the same story favorably. Both movies feature characters in impossible events, but that is irrelevant. The main difference is Slumdog Millionaire is unable to create unique characters. Take Forest out of Forest Gump and the movie would be a failure.
The world is experiencing a gigantic financial crisis now. What better way to separate oneself from it than watching a film about an impoverished person who legitimately earns his wealth? Add to that a love story, and the result is Slumdog Millionaire. Its resonance with filmgoers was guaranteed at any time of release but especially now. *** out of *****