Slumdog Millionaire
Year: 2008
Grade: B+
Country: UK
Director: Boyle
Reviewgreat film. it’s occurred to me that many of the films i love are just outside of realistic. my top three could be considered lies of some sort and this one tells a lie in its own way. sure, they’re all plausible on some level, but they each stretch the truth or stylize it to dramatic effect. that’s one of the things that film can do so well.
danny boyle is one of those directors whose work falls into the must see category. whenever he has a new film i do my best to check it out. i haven’t seen beach or millions, but i’ve seen the rest of his feature films, including the made for tv “vacuuming completely nude in paradise.” i love what he does in part because it’s always something new. horror, straight-up comedy, junkie brit grit, etc. word has it that his dream is to make a musical; i’d even watch that if it came to fruition.
it’s said that everything you’ve done in your life has led to this point. it’s true and can be occasionally depressing, but this idea is at the crux of slumdog millionaire. boyle weaves the past and present together well and, for the most part, maintains the momentum. films about fate can sometimes come off as trite, especially if the characters aren’t well presented. here, though, boyle presents us with great characters and uses the game show as an interesting plot device to bring about a familiar ending. it’s a life-affirming film with a great balance of comedy and the kind of drama no one i’ll ever meet will know. one of the three best of the year.
Watched in theater