SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
I truly admire director DANNY BOYLE, even when he fails. Unlike most directors, who generally toil in the same genre throughout their career, Boyle seems interested in stretching himself thematically and stylistically with each new film. It’s hard to believe the man who made 28 DAYS LATER also made SUNSHINE and TRAINSPOTTING. While MICHAEL BAY continues to essentially make the same film again and again, Boyle tries something new with each film.
This is no exception with Boyle’s latest effort, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
The film follows a poor boy named Jamal Malik (DEV PATEL) as he grows up in the impoverished streets of India. His adventures unwittingly prepare him to become a million-dollar winner on the Indian version of WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?, which then gets Jamal in trouble with the Indian government. We know he wins from the outset, as the film is told in a series of flashbacks during Jamal’s brutal interrogation after his dramatic win. Along the way, we follow Jamal, his best friend Salim, and Jamal’s love interest Latika as they scramble through underground crime and a variety of seedy jobs in order to survive.
The underbelly of Indian culture and the massive tidal wave of humans that shuffle through it provides a dense, rich backdrop for Boyle’s film. He captures it well through digital video, which easily snakes through the tiny side streets and streamy backrooms of India’s most impoverished alleyways. Throughout, the film pulses with life and energy that lends an immediacy to the events in the film. The cinematography by ANTHONY DOD MANTLE is richly vibrant and contrasty, with dark blacks and heavy shadows. Visually, the film is terrific candy for the eye.
Boyle’s masterstroke was to employ very talented kids to portray their own lives onscreen, which they do impressively. Patel is the heart of the film, his soulful eyes betraying a sadness and a cunning intelligence. Also impressive are the kids who portray Jamal and Salim as younger kids. Unlike traditionally-trained Hollywood child actors, these young kids provide the film with a realism that cannot be faked.
The ROCKY-like, feel-good storyline, however, is a little less impressive. Take away the relatively-alien Indian backdrop – which gives this film a distinctive flavor – and you have a film like most of its kind, fairly cliched and ordinary. Boyle’s creative, thoughtful direction and the naturalistic performances in this special environment set this film apart in many ways, and might be one of the better special effects of the year.
I can certainly see why this film has been garnering so much Oscar talk, and most of that comes from the environment of the film rather than the film itself. It is certainly a terrific film for its kind, but nothing in it suggests a transcendent greatness deserving of Best Picture. It is, however, another wonderful piece of filmmaking from one of our most diverse and creative directing talents, and an enjoyable one at that. I definitely recommend it.
