Tim Monzon

I’m going to mix things up a little bit here at my blog, and I’m going to write a quick review of this movie. In no way am I a movie critic, just a lover of movies. So if you want a review on why a regular person might like it, then you’ve come to the right place. It’s been nominated for Best Picture this year as well by the Motion Picture Academy too, and with good reason I might add. If you’d like to know why, feel free to read on after the break.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is the story of Jamal Malik, a young indian man who was born on the streets, and his journey from an impoverished childhood to the unlikely hotseat of the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. The story actually starts with him at the second to last question, with a few people in power questioning his ability to have ascended so far in the game, considering his uneducated upbringing and poor lifestyle.

Jamal, the main character of "Slumdog Millionaire"

And so begins a journey into Jamal’s past, and a story of how fate brought him into an unlikely and very enviable position. In essence, it’s your basic “against all odds” type of movie, but does it in a style that brings freshness to the story type. It’s hard to get into detail about the movie without giving away spoilers, but you’ll find yourself agreeing with the many ways Jamal, his brother, and friend justify doing things in order to get by well enough. And in the end of course, all is redeemed. How exactly, I can’t say, but just watch the movie and you’ll get it. The movie manages to throw in enough humor and inspiration through the desperate times so as not to appear too bleak of a film, yet stays raw and real enough that its not too over the top either.

There’s been a bit of controversy in the news lately about how “Slumdog” portrays the impoverished in India. Many indians are claiming that the movie makes India look like a horrible place to live, and make a living. Now, I understand the concern. A lot of the movie depicts a few of the tricks impoverished kids use to swindle, steal, and scam others. However, I believe that those voicing their rage are also doubting the intelligence of the general population. I’m sure that many people understand that there’s more than one side to the coin. Even in the United States, we have to deal with the problem of homelessness, joblessness, and poverty. Is it as widespread? Definitely not, but I’m sure most people do understand there’s just as much well-being and satisfaction as there is poverty in India, as well as many other places in the world.

No one can dethrone the singer of Tunak Tun.

Oh, and just to make the movie that much more awesome, they elected to include the one thing that every Bollywood picture contains: a dance number . I haven’t seen such a thing of beauty since the immortal Daler Mehndi. Haha.

So would I recommend it to a friend? Definitely. The film is absolutely deserving of its Best Picture nomination.

Okay, that wraps it up for today. For those of you in the Southern California area, keep dry, and stay safe if you’re driving out there!