Jason KingSlumdog Millionaire ($16.50) - The Perfect Film
January 14th 2009 10:25
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Slumdog Millionaire ($16.50) - The Perfect Film
I cannot fault this masterpiece. I loved it in every way and it is so rare to see a film exhibit perfection on every level. Cast, direction, story, music, acting, cinematography, editing - the entire production is mind bogglingly brilliant. It was a rare alligning of the planets to mesh everything so well. I can't rave enough - drop everything and SEE IT!
British director Danny Boyle directs this dazzling heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed an appearance on India's version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending succession of challenging situations.
One of the biggest surprises I found was the lead actor (Dev Patel) - the goofy funny guy from Skins - my all time favourite TV show. I had no idea it was him in this film until it started then whooped that one of the actors from the TV show has gone on to greatness. And he is lucky Danny Boyle's daughter was a huge fan of Skins. Danny Boyle could not find a suitable actor for the part and she pleeded with her dad to look at Dev - history. The film already has four Golden Globe awards and I will put money on it for the Best Picture Winner at the Oscars. I haven't been this engaged, dazzled or emotionally involved in a film for a long long time. When you see it strap yourself in for the full range of emotion. Danny Boyle has hit on another great story and woven it onto film beautifully. His range of films are amazing with things like Trainspotting, Millions (one of my fave films), 28 Days Later and Sunshine. And I do admit to being one of the few that liked The Beach but hey, it was Leo
. This experimenting and diversity has led to this great film.
Trivia:
1) Mercedes-Benz asked that its logos be removed in scenes taking place in the slums. The company, according to Danny Boyle, did not want to be associated with the poverty-stricken area, fearing that that might taint its image.
2) The actor whose autograph young Jamal gets is Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan is a very real, and very famous Indian actor, the original host of the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", and also the father-in-law of Aishwarya Rai (or Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan as she is known after marriage).
3) The cricket match being shown on television in Javed's house is the 1st one day international of the Future Cup between India and South Africa played at Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast on June 26 2007. As shown in the movie, Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian batsman, was run out on 99. India went on to score 242 and South Africa won the match by 4 wickets with 3 balls remaining.
4) The film used a prototype Digital Cinema Camera from Silicon Imaging. When used in Mumbai, there were SI technicians on set constantly to deal with any problems the prototype had, of which there were many.
5) Director Danny Boyle placed the money to be paid to the 3 lead child actors in a trust that is to be released to them upon their completion of grade school at 16 years of age. The production company has set up for an auto-rikshaw driver to take the kids to school everyday until they are 16 years old.
6) Chris Tarrant, the host of the UK version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' featured in Danny Boyle's debut film Shallow Grave (1995). He appears as the host of another TV quiz show 'Lose A Million' but only on a TV screen.
7) In the opening chase scene where Jamal and Salim jump down from a building to the ground is an reference to Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996) in which the main character Renton jumps down into the frame at a drug dealers to eventually overdose on heroin.
8) In the scene where the adult Salim's phone rings soon after the adult Javed finds him, the ringtone is part of the theme music from A.R. Rahman's work on the Indian movie Swades: We, the People (2004). Rahman is the music composer for Slumdog Millionaire.
I don't want to talk about the story too much until you have seen it - I want you to experience it the way I did. Worth $16.50- or more. Brilliant! Starts Tomorrow!
I cannot fault this masterpiece. I loved it in every way and it is so rare to see a film exhibit perfection on every level. Cast, direction, story, music, acting, cinematography, editing - the entire production is mind bogglingly brilliant. It was a rare alligning of the planets to mesh everything so well. I can't rave enough - drop everything and SEE IT!
British director Danny Boyle directs this dazzling heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed an appearance on India's version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending succession of challenging situations.
One of the biggest surprises I found was the lead actor (Dev Patel) - the goofy funny guy from Skins - my all time favourite TV show. I had no idea it was him in this film until it started then whooped that one of the actors from the TV show has gone on to greatness. And he is lucky Danny Boyle's daughter was a huge fan of Skins. Danny Boyle could not find a suitable actor for the part and she pleeded with her dad to look at Dev - history. The film already has four Golden Globe awards and I will put money on it for the Best Picture Winner at the Oscars. I haven't been this engaged, dazzled or emotionally involved in a film for a long long time. When you see it strap yourself in for the full range of emotion. Danny Boyle has hit on another great story and woven it onto film beautifully. His range of films are amazing with things like Trainspotting, Millions (one of my fave films), 28 Days Later and Sunshine. And I do admit to being one of the few that liked The Beach but hey, it was Leo
. This experimenting and diversity has led to this great film.
Trivia:
1) Mercedes-Benz asked that its logos be removed in scenes taking place in the slums. The company, according to Danny Boyle, did not want to be associated with the poverty-stricken area, fearing that that might taint its image.
2) The actor whose autograph young Jamal gets is Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan is a very real, and very famous Indian actor, the original host of the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", and also the father-in-law of Aishwarya Rai (or Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan as she is known after marriage).
3) The cricket match being shown on television in Javed's house is the 1st one day international of the Future Cup between India and South Africa played at Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast on June 26 2007. As shown in the movie, Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian batsman, was run out on 99. India went on to score 242 and South Africa won the match by 4 wickets with 3 balls remaining.
4) The film used a prototype Digital Cinema Camera from Silicon Imaging. When used in Mumbai, there were SI technicians on set constantly to deal with any problems the prototype had, of which there were many.
5) Director Danny Boyle placed the money to be paid to the 3 lead child actors in a trust that is to be released to them upon their completion of grade school at 16 years of age. The production company has set up for an auto-rikshaw driver to take the kids to school everyday until they are 16 years old.
6) Chris Tarrant, the host of the UK version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' featured in Danny Boyle's debut film Shallow Grave (1995). He appears as the host of another TV quiz show 'Lose A Million' but only on a TV screen.
7) In the opening chase scene where Jamal and Salim jump down from a building to the ground is an reference to Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996) in which the main character Renton jumps down into the frame at a drug dealers to eventually overdose on heroin.
8) In the scene where the adult Salim's phone rings soon after the adult Javed finds him, the ringtone is part of the theme music from A.R. Rahman's work on the Indian movie Swades: We, the People (2004). Rahman is the music composer for Slumdog Millionaire.
I don't want to talk about the story too much until you have seen it - I want you to experience it the way I did. Worth $16.50- or more. Brilliant! Starts Tomorrow!
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Comment by Linh
Celluloid Fun
Awesome review for an awesome film.
I'm so happy Slumdog Millionaire won 4 Golden Globes last Sunday.
Hope it wins some Oscars.
Cheers!
Comment by Paul
Surreal Short Stories
Comment by Wilson Pon
Health 2 Know
Adventure Toes
Techno Stuffs
boxing sound
Business Rope
This movie is definitely my top choice as well!
Comment by Black Sheep
I feel like the world, and I apologize world for insulting your intelligence, is getting sucked in by the colorful, Indian packaging. Best Score? Best Screenplay? Just because we are not accustomed to Indian music, doesn't mean the music of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is actually anything better than plain pop. And the screenplay is bogged down in so much structure, it leaves no room for spontaneity. What is fate without chance?
I don't hate this movie. I like this movie. I just hate that everyone seems to be taken by it and I feel like it is for all the wrong reasons. After all, you even leave the theatre tapping your toes to the fun, bouncy musical number that runs through the credits. How could you not feel good after that? Very calculated but disguised as free.
Go ahead world, hate me.
Comment by The Sorcerer
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Thanks for comment - am also stoked it won and pretty sure it has a good chance to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Fingers crossed!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Hope you like it - come back and let me know what you thought!
Thanks
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
We do have very similar tastes in movies!
Glad you liked it!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Hope you like it as much as I did!
Thanks for the comment!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Yes hate him world
I would say a big yes to Best Picture mainly because it is a unique film that runs the whole gammut of emotions and leaves you with a smile on your face. I am yet to see Revolutionary Road but from what I have seen it will be a strong contender for the award also.
I would say that yes, the beating was genuine - Khan was doing his job as he should until the kid started talking and then he went from an evil cop who beats people to a human and actually could believe the story, in this sense he came around to what was a harrowing tale of life growing up in Mumbai.
I think the chronological order was mainly for our benefit - it would have confused the majority of the audience if it did go back and forth but I think it would have worked, besides the moral of the tale was "it was written" ie destiny, hence
Come to the Dark Side Sheepman!! Thanks for making me think and we don't hate you - just think you are odd.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
I'm gonna risk crucifiction here and say that I thought that this is one of the most over rated films in years.
The first half I liked, when he was a kid and you saw the hostility against islamic people and he became an orphan and when he dives in the shit, we all need to see a scene like that every now and then to keep us sane :-b.
what I didn't like was the second half, with the whole guys gets the girl and gets the money which proved that it was an ordinary film trying to disguise itself as a unique one, that crap at the end with destiny was sickening. As for the dancing at the end - oh my god, you've never seen me run out of a theatre so fast.
Ultimately I found the ending to be completely unconvincing and tacked on.
And finally, am I the only one who is shocked that there was an actual faked episode of who wants to be millionair in its entirety in the film, complete with the bullshit suspence music and and A.B.C.D thing as if the creators of the show had sponsored the movie! Why the fuck didnt he shoot it in a different way, I would rather slit my wrists than have almost half an hours worth of bad TV in one of my films - there's a thought why don't I go and make a film with half an hour of big brother footage in it - maybe I'll win an award!
Flame away!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I have to admit the shit scene was bloody brilliant!! One of my faves!
Cynic much? LOL. The end is GOLD.
I do want to see your Big Bro movie!!
I thought the film was so clever but like every other film out there - it's not for everyone!
Thanks for the comments. Just a "for the future" if ok - can you put a spoiler warning at top of comments that contain spoilers, had a few annoyed people in the past that don't want to find out the ending.