Cynematik

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE began collecting awards on January 11 at the Golden Globes. On February 1, the Director’s Guild of America honored Danny Boyle for the film. Seems like the trend will continue at the Academy Awards this February 22nd. With all of the award attention, I figured I should watch it and see what was going on.

I really loved the film. It was extremely well-written. The editing was extraordinary. The music was incredibly fun. The acting was amazing. The kids were remarkable. I was moved to tears several times. The ending was powerful (even though a tad predictable). It’s light years ahead of many of the films I’ve seen lately.

Accused of cheating on his quest to win WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, Jamal must reveal to his torturers how he, a slum dweller, was able to answer all of the questions posed to him. In the telling of that story, we come to understand more of his life and his reason for being on the program. The writer cleverly withholds the result until the last possible moment. Yesterday, I read that a slum dweller from Mumbai was suing SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE for insulting the poor. I think the film makes people aware of the frightening choices children face in the slums. Lawsuits seem to be the “norm” in filmmaking these days. It is the current measure of success.