Movie Review- "Slumdog Millionaire"

So, I finally saw this film. I had several people highly recommend it to me. Plus, I had to see it as another part of my quest to see all of this year's Best Picture nominees.

It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, it was pretty rewarding. The film, more than anything, is a love story. It's also a little far-fetched. But outside of that, it was a decent film. At the bare minimum, it was deserving of the Best Picture nod. Much more so than "Frost/Nixon". But, you already read that post.

The film is the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay) who gets a chance to compete on the Indian television version "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" He scores better than anyone in the history of the show. Thus, he is accused cheating. The host of the show, as well as the police, want to know how it is that a kid from the slums could know so much. The answers to the questions are provided by his retelling his life story to the police. In other words, every experience he has had in his life has led him to the answer to one of the show's questions.

Like I said, a bit far-fetched, but what love story isn't (except Annie Hall)?

That said, I do have to praise the directing. This was a big story, and it took a great vision to bring it all together, to make sure all the details fit.

The discussion factor is pretty high here. The biggest conversation piece of the film is its view of life. Does everything fit together? Are we the sum total of our experiences? Can love be that strong? It also address issues of family, class, child exploitation, and a host of others.

I am not familiar enough with the actors in the film to even make an attempt at a "that guy" factor.

This film is certainly worth seeing. It also would be my pick for Best Picture, if The Reader were not also nominated.

Acting: B
Directing: A
That Guy: NA
Overall: A-