"Magic, Pure Magic. "
In the world of Jamal Malik, "Millionaire" is the only way out of a hardscrabble existence scorched on the streets of Mumbai.
The story is told in reverse as Jamal is on the verge of winning a million dollars on India's version of Millionaire. The host of the show is convinced that Jamal is cheating and sets him up for a round' midnight interrogation the night before the big question is to be answered. While the entire country is championing Jamal, he must answer his accusers.
During the interrogation, Jamal is forced to explain to the police how it is that he knew each and every answer that he had given on the show. This is a brilliant vehicle for story telling and done here in four-star fashion.
The flash back interrogation allows Jamal to tell his grim tale of survival and sorrow. We learn that Jamal and Salim are survivors in the truest sense of the word. The two are bound by blood and have seen more devastation and loss by the age of sixteen than anyone should see in ten life times. From religious motivated attacks that leave he and his brother orphans, to falling into the clutches of a sadistic Fagan-type character, Jamal has only his brother and Latika (his one true love) to keep him company (and alive).
The colors used in this movie are spectacular as they somehow find a blance between the depressed existence in the slums of Mumbai marked by browns and grays and the bright yellows and greens of a dream world. India is seen at once as a place of great possibility and sweeping despair. The directing is done in quick shot fashion that could be described as MTV era but is too effective to be pigeon holed.
The magic of Slumdog is that, after all the trials and suffering Jamal endures to earn the right to answer the final question, it really doesn't matter whether he gets it right or not. His survival is his reward.
Slumdog reinforces the notion that what we go through is who we are and that our pasts cannot be forgotten. When the final scene plays out, Jamal hears a voice that he thought he would never hear again. It is a voice that is more important to Jamal than all the money and fame the world could offer. We should all be so rich.
Overall: A
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