SYNOPSIS
Jamal (Dev Patel) is one away from the final question and 20 million rupees on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He is accused of cheating and spends the whole night recounting the various events in his childhood and adolescence that provided him with the answers for the show. Mostly, he focuses on Latika (Freida Pinto), a girl he met as a child and has come to love. He struggles, sometimes with his brother Salim and sometimes without, to gain freedom with her to a better life. This comes to a head when he gives his final answer.
CRITIQUE
For decades now, India has been home to a film industry that is the only one in the world that actually produces more films than the U.S. does. The phenomenon of celebrity for Bollywood stars rivals that of American actors, and the influence of those films is slowly making itself felt in American productions. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice got the Bollywood treatment in 2005’s Bride and Prejudice for example. This year, the Best Picture winner has the heartbeat of India at it’s core as well. Slumdog Millionaire uses creative, thrilling direction to present its brilliantly written story.
From the first frame of this film, the direction of Danny Boyle impresses. The first thing to mention is that this is a film riddled with flashbacks, so the editing Boyle has corralled from Chris Dickens serves an important function AND stuns the audience with its immediacy. Boyle also uses color and changes in frame rate throughout the film, most memorably in the flashbacks, to maximum story effect. And what a story it is. Gritty and urban in feel, the element of wish-fulfillment also present here makes a nice balance. Moment to moment, the plot is consistently engaging. There will be action here, a pinch of humor there, and then a romantic interlude to finish it off. That mix is really what makes the story work. Jamal may have to endure torture to defend his knowledge and race to the wire to win the money, but he is also going to get the girl.
This leads me to the cast. Patel and Pinto are new to American audiences (though Patel did star on the Brit-import teen series Skins which is gaining popularity here now that it airs on BBC America) but they’ll have plenty of fans now. They connect well on screen and that final shot sizzles. Then comes a FUN end credits sequence when they prove they can dance, too! Patel especially seems to have rhythm. The other actors here, all Indian, captivate the audience as well. The children who play Jamal and Latika as kids particularly stand out. Performances and direction that thrill are only the most conspicuous facets of Slumdog Millionaire, which also boasts an amazing script.
THE VIDEO
The standard widescreen format is used on this disc, and is excellent for home viewing as usual. Pristine transfer of picture and especially color make this disc’s video perfect.
THE AUDIO
The wonderful score and sound in this film gets the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround treatment, and there is also a French language track in Dolby surround. Subtitles in English, French, and Spanish are also on this disc.
THE EXTRAS
Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks on this disc. Director Boyle and actor Patel join for one track, while producer Christian Colson and writer Simon Beaufoy join for the other. Boyle and Patel have a great time and consistently entertain on their track. Boyle impresses as an articulate man, easily discussing the minutia of filming alongside praise for the colorful, distinctive culture he found himself working within. Patel injects a bit of humor here and there, mostly self-deprecating. For example, he mentions being taller than Pinto in their adult reunion scene. Beaufoy and Colson, by contrast, are silent a bit but still inform. I like when we learn that Beaufoy really learned what some of the Hindi curse words he’d written meant after filming began! Both of these are worth a listen.
Deleted Scenes: A large selection of 12 scenes is included here, and these scenes are as wonderfully directed as the film itself. Most of these could have been included in the film and fit right in. There are some good moments from the childhood story to see, like one where Jamal sneaks into an opera performance, and the final scene here is a long one that really wraps up the issue of Jamal being accused of cheating clearly and engagingly.
“Slumdog Dreams: A behind-the-scenes look at the film, of course, and a good one at that. Lots of interviews and on-set footage entertains and informs. Casting is discussed, and it’s nice to learn what a role the Hindi casting director played in helping Boyle direct the non-English-speaking kids. But the most interesting part of this doc is the new camera used for handheld-but-steady shots in the cramped slum locations. Definitely watch this extra.
Slumdog Cutdown: This bonus feature is simply clips from the film edited together and set to “Jai Ho,” the song that plays during that final dance sequence. This is a cool addition, but most viewers will probably only feel the need to watch it once.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Slumdog Millionaire is truly exciting filmmaking in every aspect, from script to direction to performances. The film earns its Best Picture Oscar because the technical supports the artistic so seamlessly. Any film fan will also enjoy the good extra features on this disc as well. Everyone should at least rent Slumdog Millionaire to experience what is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.
