REVIEW: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

Year: 2008
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Slumdog Millionaire is a film that I have been wanting to see for awhile, but was just too scared to bring myself to go out and see it. I mean alot of people have been talking about it and saying how great it was, but I was alittle frightened that I might now like it as others did. I mean the trailer for the film looked alright, but nothing special. After so many awards and nominations, I finally decided to take a chance and see for myself what the big fuzz was about.

Plot Outline:
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Freida Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions.

Plot:
The film is an adaptation of the Boeke Prize winning novel Q and A by Indian author Vikas Swarup. Having not read that novel, I cant tell you if it comes close to the movie or not. The story is fresh and exhilarating. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this film, but all that changed within watching the first 20 minutes of the film. I was literally sucked in and couldn't stop watching. Director Danny Boyle has crafted an intense atmosphere that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The film reminded me of the 2002 Fernando Meirelles crime thriller "City of God". Even though their both different films and display different messages, they are also somewhat similar looking. Though not as depressing and powerful as City of God, Slumdog Millionaire comes pretty damn close. The film starts off with a kid born in the slums and than it soon pits him on the show answering questions. The film tells the story in a flashback sense and this works effectively. Editing is top notch here and director Danny Boyle easily knows what hes doing with this material. What worked so brilliantly in Slumdog Millionaire was the fact that it told a story that not only worked on many levels, but is also highly entertaining. I mean everything about it is nearly perfect. From the beautiful cinematography to the enchanting music, the film simply has it all. I haven't seen a film this extraordinary in a long time. Trust me when I say this, Slumdog Millionaire is definitely a must see.

Cast:
Dev Patel plays as the kid from the slums, Jamal Malik. He gives a great performance as Jamal and truly had me believed he was a real character. Ill be honest and admit that I have never seen this guy before this movie, but his work here is truly something to be remembered for. I think this was a great pick by the casting director and I give props to him for making the right decision in casting Patel as Jamal. Freida Pinto plays as the love interest in the movie, Latika. She too gives a great performance and is something she will be remembered for. Shes simply beautiful in the movie and displays that sad-ness that Latika always seems to show. I enjoyed her in this movie and hope to see her in more films as good as this. Anil Kapoor plays as the host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Prem Kumar. He is also great in his role and I liked him playing this kind of bad guy part. He may not look like a host that we might have in today's world, but I think he played the part pretty damn good. Irrfan Khan plays as the Police Inspector in the movie. His role seems nicely suited for him and he does a good job at it, but I wish he had more screen time. The only time we see him is when hes asking questions to Jamal, but that's it.

Picture:
The visual look of Slumdog Millionaire is also a winner. I complained on my recent review of The Wrestler that the visual look of the film wasn't great and looked alittle outdated compared to other new releases. That isn't the case with Slumdog Millionaire. From start to finish, the film looks great. It also helps that the film has some of the best cinematography I have seen since 2007's There Will Be Blood. Some of these shots are outright amazing and really Oscar worthy in my opinion. Theirs alittle bit of grain here and their, but nothing that's gong to distract you. Colors look wonderful and somewhat vibrant. Theirs alot of locations in the film and these all look very good. Black levels look alittle flat, but is still pretty strong compared to some of the new releases. Flesh tones look quite natural and have that warm feeling to them. Detail is pretty great and shows alot of clarity to the image. Some of the close up shots look very nice and detailed. The environments show alot of pop and this is definitely a title I'm curious to see on Blu Ray high def.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Slumdog Millionaire is simply fantastic. As much as the visual look of the film is great, its soundtrack is a notch up. The original music is by A.R. Rahman and I think he did an absolute amazing job on this film. Even if your not into Indian music, Its still something that's going to catch you by surprise. Every music and orchestral work here is just glorious and really fun to listen to. Not only that, but the music also engages you to stay on your feet and pay attention to the film. I also enjoyed the song sung by the cast at the end credits and I'm not even Indian. I can sit here all day long raving about how great the music is. Not only that, but Slumdog Millionaire also features some great bass usage. Dynamics are loud and nicely spread out the way I like them to be. Its not all front heavy, but rather all around. Even though the film doesn't have alot going on in each scene, theirs still enough rumble to satisfy you.

Conclusion:
Slumdog Millionaire is easily the best film of 2008 in my opinion. The film not only has a strong story that's full of surprises, but its also very entertaining. I haven't seen a film this captivating and engaging in a long time. Not only does Slumdog Millionaire live up to the hype, but its easily the best film to come out in a long time. Director Danny Boyle has crafted one masterpiece of a film. The cast is great and all of them give out good performances that makes the film much more real. The visual look of the film is great and features some good looking colors. The soundtrack is simply awesome and managed to keep me tuned in through out the whole film. I can go on and on about Slumdog Millionaire and how amazing it is. I now understand why Slumdog Millionaire gets all these awards and critical praise. This is a must see for anyone who loves movies.

Grade: A

Teaser Poster For X-Men Origins: Wolverine

20th Century Fox has released the first new one-sheet poster for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, opening in theaters on May 1st. Directed by Gavin Hood, the action-thriller stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, will.i.am, Danny Huston, Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Dominic Monaghan and Ryan Reynolds.

Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.

Thoughts:

Looks cool, but its very plain. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of getting tired of seeing Wolverine doing the same pose for almost every X-Men poster.

Universal Moving Forward With The Thing Prequel

Universal will add a new chapter to "The Thing," lining up another take on the paranoid horror classic most recently brought to the screen by John Carpenter in 1982.

Studio has set "Battlestar Galactica" exec producer Ron Moore to write the script and commercials director Matthijs Van Heijningen to direct the re-imagining.

New project borrows heavily from the John W. Campbell Jr. short story "Who Goes There," the basis of the Carpenter film and 1951 Howard Hawks original "The Thing From Another World."

It is set in a Norwegian camp and chronicles how the shape-shifting alien was first discovered and overcame the inhabitants of that camp. Strike Entertainment's Eric Newman and Marc Abraham are producing. David Foster will be exec producer.

Thoughts:

This seems unnecessary, but at least its a prequel and not a sequel. The original was great and still holds up to this day. I'm curious to see how the new movie will turn up. I'm glad its a prequel and not a sequel because I think theirs more to tell in a prequel rather than a true sequel.

New and Final Watchmen Poster

Some viewers have already gotten a glimpse of this image, as it's the same as the cover for Music soundtrack, but this is the final poster for director Zack Snyder's Watchmen.

Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6, the graphic novel adaptation stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson.

Thoughts:

Looks pretty cool and hopefully the movie will deliver.

Warner Bros. Rebooting Tomb Raider

Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Dan Lin (upcoming Sherlock Holmes) are in early development on a a reboot of "Tomb Raider," the popular video game action franchise featuring Lara Croft.

Paramount previously made the two movies based on the game, but the rights have since reverted to Eidos. When Time Warner upped its stake to 19.92% in Eidos in December, films rights to the property were included as part of the deal.

Lin will produce the project via his Lin Pictures while Stephen Gilchrist will co-produce; Ian Livingstone of Eidos will executive produce.

The new project, however, is expected to revamp the character and her mission and bear little resemblance to the original pictures. It will reimagine the origins of the character, her love interest and the main villain.

As an open-writing assignment, the project is still in its nascent stages. An actress who could play the role Angelina Jolie made famous would likely come on after a writer and director are attached.

Thoughts:

Sounds interesting and I'm all for it. I enjoyed the first Tomb Raider film with Jolie even though it didn't really follow the game like it should have. Never got around to watching the sequel, but I saw parts of it on TV and it didn't look good. I hope the reboot turns out much better and stays true to the Tomb Raider games because this is a franchise that I think could really be special if they take the time to write up some good stories. As for who to replace the wonderful Angelina Jolie, my pick would be Rhona Mitra. Shes very sexy and actually British. She looks exactly like the character and I'm sure she has it in her to kick some serious ass when needed (See Doomsday if you don't know what I mean).

Warner Bros. Goes to the Future with Samson

In a seven-figure upfront deal, Warner Bros. has acquired "Samson," a pitch for a futuristic retelling of the Samson and Delilah story.

"Samson" gives a futuristic twist to the story of the biblical strongman who was invincible until he was betrayed by Delilah, to whom he entrusted the secret that his strength came from his long hair.

Scott Silver will write the script, and Francis Lawrence will direct. Erwin Stoff will produce through 3 Arts.

Lawrence last directed "I Am Legend," and he is developing a prequel vehicle for Will Smith with writer D.B. Weiss.

Thoughts:

Movie sounds like it been done before or at least to some extent. Not sure how it will turn out, but I'm not really excited about it. Would have to see how it turns out before jumping ship.

Jose Padilha signs for Ludlum's Sigma Protocol

Universal has found its director for international thriller "The Sigma Protocol": Berlin prizewinner Jose Padilha.

The studio is in final negotiations with the helmer of "Eilte Squad," the action movie that won the Golden Bear at last year's Berlin International Film Festival, to direct the Robert Ludlum vehicle.

The studio is planning on a summer shoot.

"Sigma" is based on Ludlum's final complete novel, which was published after the prolific author's death. Like the Jason Bourne franchise, another big Universal property, the story involves a modern-day man on the run in Europe from a series of international assassins and agents.

The two plots differ sharply, though, with the latter using a World War II conspiracy and Nazis as a plot hook.

Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, who penned "Iron Man," are signed on to write the script.

Thoughts:

Sounds really exciting and I cant wait to see more. I have been keeping a good eye on this film and if its anything like the Bourne series than were in for a treat.