By Jen Paolino
The critically acclaimed 2008 breakout hit Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Irish film director Danny Boyle, seems to push the idea of coincidence to the very extreme. Is there any other way to explain how an uneducated kid from the slums of Mumbai answers every single question on a game show correct? Oh wait, I know: D) It is written.
Jamal Mailk, (Dev Patel) is an uneducated 18-year-old from the slums of Mumbai searching for his one true love. In an attempt to “reach out” and find her, he tries his luck on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in the hopes that Latika (Freida Pinto) will see him.
The film is told primarily in flashbacks, giving new meaning to the phrase “a lesson lived is a lesson learned.” Each flashback, a little too coincidentally, helps Jamal answer all of the questions posed to him by game show host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor). But, for some viewers the flashbacks may be the downfall of the film.
It isn’t until close to the end of the film that you find out that Jamal is using the game show in the hopes that Latika would be watching. Prior to Jamal actually admitting this, you may find yourself utterly confused as to what Jamal and Salim’s struggle to grow up in a world of hate and despair, with battles raging between the Hindus and the Muslims, which is so prevalent in India at that time, have anything to do with the game show itself.
It took me a minute after the conclusion of the film to blink away the stars I was seeing from the rapid back and forth camera movement, the bright colors, and the slightly out of place dance sequence, to realize exactly what had just happened. I found it totally unbelievable to think that a person could have a life experience that pertained to each question on a game show.
I’ve watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? many times, and let me tell you, if I were a contestant, I’d leave just as broke as I started. Could it be that my life is just not as adventure-filled as Jamal’s? Maybe. But I’d be willing to bet that it might be that the concept is just a little too far-fetched to fly in the real world.
I did, however, feel for Jamal when he watched his mother get beaten to death over her religion, and I did cringe at the thought that my bottled water might not really be all that purified. But aside from a few moments where I felt as if I really connected with the film, I mostly just felt ignorant; ignorant because it seems that I am the only one who feels more perplexed than moved by this film.
For people who might have been left just as confused as I was, I might suggest, first, standing a little closer to the television: it may aid in being able to read those incredibly tiny subtitles that pop up sporadically throughout the film. If that doesn’t work, watching it a second time might.
While I wasn’t a fan of the rapid camera work, or how long it took to actually convey the purpose for Jamal being on the game show, I am a sucker for a good love story, and once I figured out that underneath all of the confusion and strife, that really was what the film was all about, I saw it in a slightly different light. The light was still dim, mind you, but at least by the end it was burning even just a little brighter.
To read what others had to say about the film, I've provided the following links:
Rotten Tomatoes
Rolling Stone
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I love the tone... I laughed a couple of times throughout. I liked how you made disgusting scenes in the film into something humorous... AKA "I did cringe at the thought that my bottled water might not really be all that purified."
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite review so far. I love your lead and your slight sarcasm. You carry a tone through the review that pulls the reader in. You also talk about specifics - camera work, lights, sounds, small subtitles - and you give good examples.
ReplyDeleteMy only complaint is that you give away the reason that Jamal applied to be on the show. This may not give away the entire ending, but I feel like it gives away part of the movie that builds up suspense if you don't know about it.
Your review is clever and funny!
I think its cool that you attached other links so people could see other reviews, but there's not "news you can use" section telling anything about the release of the film.
ReplyDeleteI really like your voice throughout your column. You have a good tone and it's easy to see what your opinion is. You also did a good job at adding a few things you liked about the film along with the negatives.
ReplyDeleteYou do a good job of making it obvious that you don't like the movie. I didn't really like how you gave away the ending of the film in the first couple of paragraphs. Not that people don't expect him to win or that he is doing it for the girl, but you should probably leave those two details out as those are the big reveals at the end. I also thought you could have mixed in some more positives to even it out, but if you didn't have anything else it is better to leave it as is instead of trying to BS your way into making it more even. I did like the way you used humour in your review, it made it enjoyable to read.
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