Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review

Would you believe that an ignoble slumdog could win millions on India’s exceptionally popular television quiz show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, without cheating? Are you ready to be moved by the brilliantly heart-wrenching and heart-warming life story of an ordinary slumdog and his enduring love?

Slumdog Millionaire is an extraordinary, crowd-pleasing film about tragedy, poverty, hope, friendship, love, trust, betrayal and luck. It is an unconventional love story and a fascinating modern fairy tale rags-to-riches story that reflects both the beauty and atrocity of real life and awakens many human emotions. Get ready to be overwhelmed with a roller coaster of strong emotions as diverse as fear, terror, pity, frustration, anger, abhorrence, happiness, fun, excitement, melancholy and sentimentality. The excellent fusion of a great story and superior cinematography made the film emotionally influential and engaging you will definitely laugh, cry and shout while your eyes remain glued on the screen. You will leave your seat inspired with hope and courage, in love, full of optimism and with great appreciation to life.

Slumdog Millionaire received ten (10) nominations in the 2009 Academy Awards and achieved eight (8) Oscars namely:

- Best Achievement in Cinematography;

- Best Achievement in Directing;

- Best Achievement in Editing;

- Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score;

- Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song (for the song “Jai Ho”);

- Best Achievement in Sound;

- Best Motion Picture of the Year; and

- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.

It has also won all four (4) nominations of the golden Globe Awards, five (5) Critics’ Choice Awards out of six (6) nominations, and seven (7) BAFTA Awards out of the eleven (11) nominations. Additionally, it received several awards from other various U.S. and international award-giving bodies.

Slumdog Millionaire is a story about a young man from Mumbai, Jamal Malik, who has become a contestant in a popular television game show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. Jamal has made it to the final question and needs to give the correct answer to win 20 million rupees. However, neither the show host nor the police inspector is convinced that Jamal has won the prize without cheating.

The story opens with a Mumbai police inspector interrogating and torturing Jamal in order to let him admit how he cheated on the show. During the interrogation, the story of his life unfolds explaining how he came to know the answer to every question. In each question, flashbacks of his tragic, emotional and at times funny childhood life come into view recounting how he was able to learn the answers.

Jamal grew up in the slums of Mumbai beating the daily adversities of life brought by cruelty, poverty, greed and corruption. His mother was killed in a religious uprising when he was still a young boy, leaving him and his older brother, Salim, on his own. While struggling to protect their own life, they met an orphan girl from their slums named Latika. Jamal convinced his reluctant brother to let Latika join them and named their group after his favorite book, “The Three Musketeers”, with Salim and Jamal as Athos and Porthos respectively, and Latika completing the team as the third Musketeer whose name they do not know. The three unknowingly joined a notorious gangster but managed to escape except Latika, who was forced into child prostitution. After the separation, Jamal’s ultimate dream is to be reunited with Latika, a dream that lead him to join “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” with the strong belief that she will be watching the show. After the hardships he has endured, will Jamal’s dream come true? On the other hand, will his sacrifices become vain?

Living on the slums provides you an opportunity to see life from a different perspective. It motivates you to undertake things you may have never tried or even the things you thought you would never do. When you see the film, you will never underestimate the power of noble hope and true love.

Leave a Reply