Mar 12, 2009 05:05 PM
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YES. The movie IS A TRIUMPH. A brilliant rags to riches story with all the usual twists and turns. The only difference is there is absolutely no dull moment in the 2 hour long movie, not even a fraction of it. It's got no running around the trees, but great music. No high profile actor or actresses but great entertainment. To me, its worth all the hype, the attention and of course the 8 Oscars and bevy of other awards to its credit. What helped big time is, I watched it on the big screen, first day first show, total Mumbai ishtyle.
If I have to talk about the most important factor in the movie, I will say its the energy - pure, raw, pulsating and seething energy of Mumbai. The slums, the heat and dust, the tell-tale hunger for life of the slum children, the very basic instinct for survival.
Its all been captured like never before and I do believe its a masterpiece by Danny Boyle. (Boy he has to be a genius, this is India's story, generally the Europeans dont have a clue when it comes to the slums of Mumbai not to mention the life associated with it. Still it took a Danny Boyle to think of making a Slumdog Millionaire which incidentally is written by vikas Swaroop, an Indian author. Where are the good Indian directors??) Forget about the image of India its projecting outside and all the media hogwash, this is simply great movie making. It could be the slum children all passionate about life and survival or the high drama of the story, I could almost touch the current, the pace of the movie was so electrifying.
As far as the hype it made at the Oscars/golden Globe etc, I feel its simply fair and the recognition is great. I feel its a great story of human triumph. (I am not proud of it because I am an Indian but I feel its a different yet real portrayal apart from the usual faces of India seen outside - in the drama of Bollywood beautiful women in colorful sarees or on the news channels representing the india inc. This was different. At the end of it, the spirit for survival wins, its the desire to come above the negative circumstances is what the Slumdog millionaire is all about and that actually could be any country's story.) Danny Boyle, ok, he is simply amazing, his direction is awesome to say the least, the oscar was so well deserved. And music, God, the humble and almost tougue tied Rahman was adorable. The guy is a powerhouse of talent and pure talent with no airs. The songs are so fitting and so great. I feel its only fair that it got hardly any casting/acting nominations. The main character of the movie is the slums, later may be the bigger city and the pulse of Mumbai. That however does not mean the acting in the movie is any less brilliant, Dev Patel is so good as Jamal Malik (and even if I am no 18 year old I am smitten by his tall lanky figure and the cute british accent and his seriously underdeveloped dancing skills!!) Anil Kapoor gives one of his best performances and Irrfan Khan is great too. But finally its the children of the slum, who take the cake.
I personally feel this movie is not about projecting India in some way or other. I mean how can it be nagative? How can you be critical about this hunger for life and survival? The slum children are forced to take charge of their life so early on - of course they know all the answers. There have been some embarassing moments, when I am watching the movie with a hall full of Europeans, I feel I am taking responsibility for my country. The decapitation of children by the orphanage people or the communal riots are not things I am proud of but it is a part of who India is and the issues are simply there; the blind children are so much the part of the landscape of urban Indian roads. But the fact is the intelligent audience knows better than being judgemental about a country based on a 2 hour long movie! I really loved watching it on the big screen, it was well worth the wait!!
So to make the long story short, ITS A GREAT MOVIE! GO WATCH IT!!!
