SYNOPSIS:
Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Rare in the history of cinema has there been a film as visually dazzling, breathlessly involving and as emotionally uplifting as Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire”. This is a film that was shot entirely in India, starring a cast of mostly unknowns and almost never made it to the big-screen (thanks to the closure of Warner’s indie filmmaking arm, Warner Independent Pictures).
But like its rags to riches story, “Slumdog Millionaire” has gone on to win the hearts of millions around the world, taking in almost 25 times its production budget and bagging 8 Academy Awards in the process. Yes, till now, audiences who have seen it are still concerned over the wellbeing of its child actors, the cherubic Rubina Ali, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar. Never mind if you can’t remember their names- it is their faces you won’t soon forget after watching this film.
So what really is this phenomenon that has swept the world into its embrace? It is the equivalent of a modern fairy tale; and like the best of fairy tales, it dares us to dream, to imagine and to envision a better world. No doubt that it is a fantasy (life doesn’t always promise a happy ending), but “Slumdog Millionaire” takes you on a journey that erases your instinctive cynicism, that despite your personal convictions, makes you want to believe that it is possible for good to triumph above all.
Such is the story of one Jamal Malik, a chaiwala from the streets of Mumbai who is at the cusp of winning 20 million dollars on India’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire? As Irrfan Khan’s police inspector puts it, lawyers, doctors and other academics have all tried but failed to get past five million. What are the odds of a “slumdog” from the streets making it to the very top?
The story of how Jamal knows the answers (no, there is no cheating involved) is his life story, one that is told through flashbacks as Danny Boyle vividly recounts each episode involving his brother Salim and his one true love Latika. You will cheer, you will laugh and you will cry as you discover just how the circumstances of Jamal’s life have led him to this juncture and especially why a lowly chaiwala has taken perhaps the riskiest step of his life to take part in one of the most-watched television shows in India.
“Slumdog Millionaire” is indeed a celebration of life, of every hope and every dream that we have had of a better tomorrow. It is also a celebration of love, love that gives life, sustains life and rejoices in life. If you haven’t yet seen this cinematic experience, what other reason do you need? And if you have, you’ll know why people are flocking to see it again and again.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Featurette: A quick 3-mins look at what the film is about and the unique experience the film crew had shooting the film in the slums of India.
Deleted Scenes: About 28 mins of deleted scenes for those who can’t get enough of the movie.
Film Clips: Just 9 of the film’s most defining scenes. Watch this if you want to savour the best bits of the movie.
B-Roll: Strictly for those who are interested what took place on the set of the film.
Interviews: Capsule interviews with director Danny Boyle, producer Christian Colson, writer Simon Beaufoy, and stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto about their thoughts on the film.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track doesn’t do justice to the rich cinematic experience this could have been were this presented in 5.1 surround. Apart from that, the disc’s visual transfer however is excellent- the colours and contrast vivid and flawless.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 15 September 2009
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