Slumdog Millionaire

I finally watched the 2008 Oscar Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire last week. Let me get one thing straight . . .I heard so much through the media that this was a "light-hearted," "feel-good," and "happy" movie and how great it was winning against bleaker fair. So I was looking forward to an upbeat tale . . . only to watch Jamil Malik get tortured in the first five minutes of the film and then further violence and abuse throughout the rest of the movie. Light-hearted indeed!! This is not my idea of a feel-good movie.

Despite not quite meeting my expectations, Slumdog Millionaire was an excellent film. Jamil Malik is one question away from winning the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The police are sure that Jamil is cheating and torture him to learn how he knows the answers. Jamil tells the story of his life and how each question related to an important episode in his life. Jamil grew up in the slums of Mumbai with his brother Salim. He meets and befriends a young girl named Latika, who becomes his life long love.

It was a great story of survival and will he get the girl? In fact, this entire movie seemed like a modern, Indian Charles Dickens novel. Sort of a Great Expectations crossed with Oliver Twist. The Cinematography was fantastic as was the music. I loved the music and dance scene over the credits. The story was disturbing to me that so much violence and poverty exists in our world.

This is an excellent film . . . as long as you realize that it is not a light-hearted happy film!!