Slumdog Millionaire– Movie Review

Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan Direction: Danny Boyle Music: A. R. Rahman Production: Christian Colson

After cashing in millions at the US box office, this Mumbai-based fairy tale is now here to woo millions of Indians. A young boy from the slums, Jamal Malik(Dev Patel) is on the verge of winning 2 crores from a 'Who wants to be a millionaire' contest (Kaun Banega Crorepati) But the host (Anil Kapoor) is too sure that a person from the slums cant possibly know all the answers, so he brings in an inspector(Irfan khan) who interrogates the boy; both are sure that he cheated. But only during the interrogation does the cop come to know of the life of Jamal, and how all the events that has happened in his life are the

answers to each and every question. Jamal Malik is not interested in money but he is doing this for his one and only love, Latika. A love which has stood against all odds over one and half decades. Will Jamal prove his innocence and get what he wants? Well that’s something which you have to find out yourself in a theatre near you. As expected it is a classic from the word go. The screenplay is immaculate, the editing is brilliant and there are no dull moments, even though the steam does go down a little in the second half. But the climax makes up for it. But this modern day fairy tale-masterpiece is not without any mistakes. The way the protagonists talk perfect English after living in the streets of India is something which was never justified. And Kaun Banega Crorepati was never a live event. The movie has many such small mistakes but what one cannot deny it has its heart in the right place, makes this a must watch. Technically, the movie is special with some extraordinary work behind the camera. Editing by Chris Dickens is praiseworthy. But special mention should be made of cinematography Anthony Dod Mantle who has shown Mumbai like none other. The chase sequence of the two protagonists as kids chased by a couple of police constables is something which will take your breath away. Dialogues are just right and some like "If not for Ram and Allah I would have still got my mother" linger in your mind long after the screen becomes blank.

Now coming to the Music by our Mozart Rahman who has also received the best original soundtrack Golden Globe and nods for this years Academy, is exquisite. When you see the movie you can sense Rahman's hard work in making each and every tune get along with the overall feel of the movie. Danny Boyle who is quite famous for his movies Trainspotting and 28 Days Later which became cult hits, has at-last given a blockbuster, a ticket to stardom has always eluded this master craftsman but this movie catapulted him to greatness. Dev Patel as Jamal Malik goes through the role quite easily. Freida Pinto also impresses even if she comes in a small role. Ayush Mahesh who acted as Jamal's younger version was a revelation. Irfan khan does his role in a dignified fashion, Saurabh Shukla is efficient as always, Anil Kapoor is passable. Overall, the movie is brilliant and lives up to the hype. If only the credit roll song sequence was pictured properly or removed, it could have elevated the movie much more. This tale about love has all it takes to become the biggest grossing foreign language movie in India. Verdict – Go for it!

Courtesy: behindwoods.com