Oscar's Best Picture 2008
Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common slumdog could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins reflecting back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor, and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai. Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show? Of course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the final question. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Yearning
Dev Patel stars as Jamal, whose search for Latika (Freida Pinto) is told through flashbacks of Jamal's early life, their meeting and separation as children, and his reentry into her life in their teens. At each point the tragedy of their lives among India's underclass makes true happiness seemingly impossible. Credit: Fox Searchlight
The Underdogs
As children, Jamal and his older brother Salim (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) witness the death of their mother during a religious purge of their Mumbai slum. Orphaned, they must use their resourcefulness, their wits and sometimes thievery to survive their Dickensian travails. The traumas of Jamal's early life (as in the vision on right) scar the boy -- and play important plot points later on. Credit: Fox Searchlight
Brothers
As Jamal and Salim grow older, they also grow apart, with Salim (Madhur Mittal) running with the criminal underworld as well as becoming Jamal's rival for Latika. While persistence, technology and luck all play into Jamal's quest to be reunited with Latika, Salim will ultimately play the biggest role. Credit: Fox Searchlight
Mumbai, The Phoenix
When Jamal returns to Mumbai, he finds a city transformed -- a garden of high rises growing from where his slum once stood. Credit: Fox Searchlight
The Hot Seat
Jamal makes it to the contestant's chair on a TV game show, fielding questions that his superiors believe the uneducated tea boy could not possibly answer. His appearance makes him a national sensation -- and a target of suspicion. Credit: Fox Searchlight
Is That Your Final Answer?
Taken for interrogation, Jamal must convince a police inspector (Irrfan Khan) that he does legitimately know the answers he has given. Credit: Fox Searchlight
Destiny
The film's happy ending -- soulmates reunited, foes vanquished, all questions answered, and (in a nod to Bollywood) a dance number. Credit: Fox Searchlight
Storyline
The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Kaun Banega Crorepati?(Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?) But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But...Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Taglines
Love and money... You have mixed them both.
What does it take to find a lost love? A. Money B. Luck C. Smarts D. Destiny
Review
Must-See
1 September 2008 | by slseel (United States)
This is an extraordinary film. From the original concept of the novel on which it is based (Q A by Vikas Swarup), the screenplay by Simon Beaufoy (Full Monty) but especially the masterful creation and direction of the film by Danny Boyle. From the opening moments until the final scene, the audience was fully engaged. I was completely lost in the world that Danny Boyle created. This is not a story that has been told and retold, hashed and rehashed. It is fresh and engaging - all at once quickly moving, romantic, violent, culturally insightful, desperate and slightly fantastic. There are some comic elements to the film but to describe it as a comedy seems inappropriate. The film was shot on location in India, mostly in Mumbai. Slumdog Millionaire is yet another testament to depth and range of Boyle's artistic talent who has directed such diverse films as Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine.
I saw the film on at the 2008 Telluride Film Festival as a sneak preview. The film was introduced by Boyle who said that the official opening of the film would be the next weekend at the Toronto Film Festival. He also said that there may be some final tweaking of the film prior to Toronto.
In the discussion after the film Boyle strongly recommended three Indian made films: Satya, Company and Black Friday. He described each as superb. Boyle also stated that a portion of the Slumdog Millionaire was shot with a Canon EOS still camera, especially around the Taj Mahal, rather than a proper movie camera which creates unwanted attention while filming at popular tourist locations in India.
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