Who wants a Million Dollar Concept?
Added 11/22/2009
I, like the rest of the world, heard about the Film of the Year; "Slumdog Millionaire". However, I never overheard a clear explanation of the plot and what I did hear was more confusing than helpful; a dramatic story built around a gameshow. In addition, I read where 2009 was such a mediocre year that a movie like "Slumdog Millionaire" might end up as Best Picture come Oscar time.
"Slumdog Millionaire" IS a very good movie. As it began, I thought that I was finding out too much too soon. With all this information up front, how would the rest of the movie keep my attention. Before long I realized the brilliance of its' cinematic concept; the answer to each question on the game show was learned in the school of Hard Knocks by our improbable hero, Jamal Malik. Jamal has lived a tough life and every tragedy and misfortune was etched in his memory. His seemimgly emotionless reaction to each correct answer on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was a testimony to the suffering the answer brought to mind. Naturally, the movie lets us in on the "stories behind the answers". Along the way, we meet other characters important in Jamal's life as they weave in and out of his story. The ending is somewhat predictable but we would be greatly disappointed otherwise.
I guess "Slumdog Millionaire" IS a dramatic story built around a game show. However, it didn't take a mediocre year to give it a chance to win Best Picture. It would have competed in any other year as well.
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Also a far greater world
Added 11/21/2009
An 18 year aged teenager Jamal Malik, gets interrogated at a police station in Mumbai in a charge of committing a fraud to answer correctly every question of a quiz show "kaun banega croarepati (Indian adaptation of 'Who wants to be a millionnaire'). As the interrogation proceeds, the film runs thru flashback of memories showing where the answer to each and every question lie.
In these answers appear, the world around Taj Mahal, Mumbai, Modern India and then also a far greater world around it, at a breathtaking speed, taking audience thru a journey of mixed emotions and colours. Along with it also runs a story of hope, love and just getting on with living in the best possible way.
Jai Ho !!
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A Really Good Film but not as Great As I Was Led To Believe!
Added 11/16/2009
I enjoyed this film but I did not feel it was as great as all the hype it has received. The director uses flashbacks in a confusing manner starting with an adult Jamal being tortured in a Mumbai police station. We are then treated to all kinds of flashbacks with an adult Jamal playing the India version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and a very poor kid Jamal being abused by his bully brother Salim. Salim locks Jamal in an outhouse when the local celebrity comes to visit their villiage. The only way Jamal can get out is to fall in the cesspool beneath the outhouse. A Jamal covered with feces is able to get an autograph from the star.
Jamal's misery is intensified as his brother sells his Jamal's autographed photo and then a bunch of rioters kill the boys' mother. The two boys escape the rioters to be taken in by some criminals that are trafficing and exploiting young children. The boys eventually escape but Salim twarts the escape of Jamal's female friend Latika.
The movie follows them as they grow up and Jamal is constantly searching for his friend Latika. The movie shifts constantly between the present day torture in the police station, Jamal answering questions on the TV game show and the boys story growing up.
All through their life Salim is bad to Jamal and Jamal can never seem to find happiness without Latika. I really liked most of the film but I found the constant flashbacks and time shifts to be annoying. Also, the subtitles when needed were virtually impossible to read. Jamal's game show experience did not seem believable except if the movie were to be labelled a fantasy.
I did like the Bollywood number that the director threw in to the end. I liked the Paper Planes song that is played in part of the movie.
One of the better movies of 2008 but not the epic film that many make this movie out to be.
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Million Dollar Movie!
Added 11/15/2009
Slumdog Millionaire has become one of my favorite movies. Love the premise, the music, the dance. What a surprise hit!
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Is it a drama?
Added 11/13/2009
In the movie time goes backwards, but that's a common technique. Everything begins with a boy from Moombai, Jamal Malik (Dev Pootel) participating in "Who wants to be a millionaire?" Jamal grew up in boondocks and didn't have any education whatsoever. He works as a waitress in a cell company and he shouldn't really know any answers. Seriously what can he possibly know besides how much milk goes into tea. Lost eyes, no emotions also support the idea and clearly audience makes fun of him. But as the show goes on, showman Kumar has less and less to laugh about, because Jamal answers all the questions he's asked. And when the prize is almost there, Kumar gets obsessed with idea that Jamal is cheating. He thinks that there is no way guy like this can answers the questions that couldn't been answered by educated people with degrees. They send Jamal to police, where he gets beaten and tortured. There he tells policeman about his life and why he knows the answers. His life was cruel and tough of course. Poor childhood in a Muslim family, murder of his mother by fanatics, loitering with his brother Salil and girl Latika, begging, tough love of him and Latika, betrayal of Salil, mafia and a chance to win 20000000 and find his love. Then goes traditional Indy songs and dances.
Danny Boyl - the director of the movies is original and versatile. Drama about drugattics in " ", adventure "Beach", horror - "28 days", totally stupid "Sunshine", and now drama "Millionaire" where Boyl mixed original Indy movie with a thoroughly planned scheme "Movie for Oscar". And it worked. First of all the movie got 8 Oscars plus 75 awards and 26 nominations. Second, with budget of only 15000000(half of which were spent on snacks) it collected 300000000 over the world (almost like a "Pulp Fiction" back in the days).
The movie isn't bad. The idea of mixing Bollywood and Hollywood is quite interesting. But the real drama didn't happen in my opinion. Boyl created a typically Hollywood fairytale: poor but honest guy takes trails over the years in order to get money, girl and a car (or maybe personal Rickshaw).
The main idea of the movie is that uneducated guy got lucky to know all the answers because of his sad life experience and that can't take any critics. So that's a fairytale although movie is brought as a drama. Why then all these coincidences? But on the other hand if we assume that the game for a million is a contrast to support the pitiful life in boondocks of Bombay. Boyl was very precise in showing all the horrors of that life.
I don't want to say it's loosely made movie. But all the soap is overrated. His girl was a towel for a mafia boss and then she runs away to a recently rich tea-seller. That's once again for those who likes fairytales or doesn't defy drama from melodrama.
Well, Boyl wasn't orienting on a people like me. People like me wouldn't bring 300000000 for the movie or not even that $15000000 budget. But those people who like fairytales, brought that money. So, Boyl was right.
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Who wants a Million Dollar Concept?
Added 11/22/2009
I, like the rest of the world, heard about the Film of the Year; "Slumdog Millionaire". However, I never overheard a clear explanation of the plot and what I did hear was more confusing than helpful; a dramatic story built around a gameshow. In addition, I read where 2009 was such a mediocre year that a movie like "Slumdog Millionaire" might end up as Best Picture come Oscar time.
"Slumdog Millionaire" IS a very good movie. As it began, I thought that I was finding out too much too soon. With all this information up front, how would the rest of the movie keep my attention. Before long I realized the brilliance of its' cinematic concept; the answer to each question on the game show was learned in the school of Hard Knocks by our improbable hero, Jamal Malik. Jamal has lived a tough life and every tragedy and misfortune was etched in his memory. His seemimgly emotionless reaction to each correct answer on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was a testimony to the suffering the answer brought to mind. Naturally, the movie lets us in on the "stories behind the answers". Along the way, we meet other characters important in Jamal's life as they weave in and out of his story. The ending is somewhat predictable but we would be greatly disappointed otherwise.
I guess "Slumdog Millionaire" IS a dramatic story built around a game show. However, it didn't take a mediocre year to give it a chance to win Best Picture. It would have competed in any other year as well.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Also a far greater world
Added 11/21/2009
An 18 year aged teenager Jamal Malik, gets interrogated at a police station in Mumbai in a charge of committing a fraud to answer correctly every question of a quiz show "kaun banega croarepati (Indian adaptation of 'Who wants to be a millionnaire'). As the interrogation proceeds, the film runs thru flashback of memories showing where the answer to each and every question lie.
In these answers appear, the world around Taj Mahal, Mumbai, Modern India and then also a far greater world around it, at a breathtaking speed, taking audience thru a journey of mixed emotions and colours. Along with it also runs a story of hope, love and just getting on with living in the best possible way.
Jai Ho !!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A Really Good Film but not as Great As I Was Led To Believe!
Added 11/16/2009
I enjoyed this film but I did not feel it was as great as all the hype it has received. The director uses flashbacks in a confusing manner starting with an adult Jamal being tortured in a Mumbai police station. We are then treated to all kinds of flashbacks with an adult Jamal playing the India version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and a very poor kid Jamal being abused by his bully brother Salim. Salim locks Jamal in an outhouse when the local celebrity comes to visit their villiage. The only way Jamal can get out is to fall in the cesspool beneath the outhouse. A Jamal covered with feces is able to get an autograph from the star.
Jamal's misery is intensified as his brother sells his Jamal's autographed photo and then a bunch of rioters kill the boys' mother. The two boys escape the rioters to be taken in by some criminals that are trafficing and exploiting young children. The boys eventually escape but Salim twarts the escape of Jamal's female friend Latika.
The movie follows them as they grow up and Jamal is constantly searching for his friend Latika. The movie shifts constantly between the present day torture in the police station, Jamal answering questions on the TV game show and the boys story growing up.
All through their life Salim is bad to Jamal and Jamal can never seem to find happiness without Latika. I really liked most of the film but I found the constant flashbacks and time shifts to be annoying. Also, the subtitles when needed were virtually impossible to read. Jamal's game show experience did not seem believable except if the movie were to be labelled a fantasy.
I did like the Bollywood number that the director threw in to the end. I liked the Paper Planes song that is played in part of the movie.
One of the better movies of 2008 but not the epic film that many make this movie out to be.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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