2008, UK/USA
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun.
Extended version:
Director Danny Boyle is not documenting India for National Geographic. He is not searching for sympathy from those outside of the country's borders. He is not providing a travelogue for anti-eco tours. Boyle works in extremes, and the MTV flash of a life fathoms below the poverty line in Slumdog Millionaire displays his brilliance for delivering a surprisingly upbeat (not necessarily inspiring) story of a character conquering his surroundings despite the sludge through which he traveled.
Boyle's career demonstrates an ability to delve into attention-grabbing subjects, whether they be drug addiction (Trainspotting), sci-fi horror (28 Days Later..., Sunshine) or a tale of kids finding themselves with more money than God (Millions). Boyle always raises the level of believability for the sake of the journey, and it is easy to become swept up in the ride. His penchant for gore and filth is not unlike watching a train wreck, sticking around to poke through the survivors and then flashing back to what led them to their gruesome end. To turn down such an adventure is to turn down human curiosity and the natural attraction to shiny things.
Slumdog Millionaire follows three Mumbai musketeers: Jamal, his brother Salim and his love Latika. From the moment they are thrown together after being orphaned by a terrifying raid, the three are forced to fend for themselves while attempting to stay together, though pulled by contrasting paths towards what they each determine to be a better end. The film opens with Jamal's ultimate arrival on an Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and his success is met with skepticism as the game show's producers question how an uneducated slum kid could know all the answers.
Though a history of conniving to survive implies he must be cheating, flashbacks attempt to justify his knowledge. As cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (The Last King of Scotland, Millions) dizzyingly flies over the crazy quilt layout of shanties and drying laundry, he finds color and personality in an area whose people are struggling to survive amongst trash heaps. Paucity is not glorified but it is presented at its absolute worst, with children maimed for improved begging earnings and foolish tourists providing comic relief through their naivety. The film is kicked into high gear with a clubworthy soundtrack that centers on M.I.A.'s fitting "Paper Planes" as the kids hustle.
Slumdog Millionaire succeeds in being an uplifting movie without falling into the usual traps. Though the community support Jamal receives as he rises above his caste is heartwarming, it is not treacly. It is truly a film where the journey is more important than the outcome of his million-dollar question, and money is more of a distraction than a means to an end. But is Boyle justified in his means to an end through his portrayal of India? As with any fractured fairy tale, when the message is received over a Bollywood dance number – yes.