Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)

[Antoine Doinel]

I've been looking forward to this when I first heard about it when it went into pre-production, and it looks like it's garnering some great reviews at TIFF.

Some early praise:

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire hits the ground and never stops running. After its first press screening early Saturday morning, it became a leading contender for the all-important Audience Award, which is the closest thing the Toronto Film Festival has to a top prize. And an Oscar best picture nomination is a definite possibility.

The movie does something that sounds unlikely. On one hand, it uses a traditional flashback structure and suspense about a TV quiz show. On the other, it is a searing story of an orphan from the slums of Mumbai who climbs from rags to riches through brutal early experiences. A petty thief, impostor and survivor, mired in the most dire poverty, he improvises his way up through the world and remembers everything he has learned.

Boyle is at his absolute best here. You can go back to Trainspotting and Shallow Grave to see the origins of the skills he brings to bare here, but unlike those, this never feels like a young director trying to show off. There is a rugged self-assurance in creating some amazing images, pushing the editing (via editor Chris Dickens), and mostly, telling the tale in a remarkably efficient and entertaining way.

The casting – you’ll recognize no one but the great Irfan Khan – is spectacular. All three age groups are dead on and completely compelling. The boys fit the evolving story of their personalities. And we hope that Freida Pinto can get over her debilitating ugliness some day.

But mostly, it is a romp through some of the most disturbing terrain on the planet. It is, in many ways, an Indian version of City of God with a lot of Dickens and Dumas to boot. It’s funny. It’s scary. It’s romantic. It’s horrible. It’s violent. And did I mention… it’s very funny.

[LQ]

I can't decide if the plot sounds nifty, or trite. However, with all those great reviews...I'll tentatively go with "nifty"

[mfunk9786]

Millions has been my favorite Boyle film thusfar, although I really enjoyed 28 Days Later... this one sounds intriguing...

[Adam]

At the Telluride Film festival, it was everyone's favorite film (well, of those who saw it; I wasn't one of them.) I mean, massively enjoyed by literally everyone who saw it. Couldn't be said for "Happy-Go-Lucky" or anything else.

[domino harvey]

I think we all just want to see a movie called Slumdog Millionaire get nominated for Oscars

[Antoine Doinel]

Here's the poster.

[johnny truant]

How does this even get an R rating?
there was nothing that questionable in the movie

[Antoine Doinel]

Here's the trailer.

[Antoine Doinel]

Scrubbing the slums.

[Antoine Doinel]

Lots of free screenings.

[Antoine Doinel]

M.I.A. hooks up with Indian megastar A.R. Rahman for a new song for the soundtrack.

[rs98762001]

The MIA/Rahman collaboration that plays over an early sequence in the film is indeed fantastic. Unfortunately, though, the rest of Rahman's score is bland and by the numbers. Despite his stature, he's always been hit or miss as a composer; for every score as beautiful as Dil Se, there are quite a few more monstrosities that bear his name.

Slumdog Millionaire is being ridiculously overrated. It has a fast and fabulous first 45 minutes, playing like a funnier, more genial version of City of God in the Mumbai slums, but then quickly peters out into conventionality and sentimentality (the scenes when the characters are children are far better than those when they are teens). My suspicion is that Western critics are being wowed by the novelty of the Indian setting, because ultimately the story is as old and predictable as the hills.

[brendanjc]

The MIA/Rahman collaboration that plays over an early sequence in the film is indeed fantastic. Unfortunately, though, the rest of Rahman's score is bland and by the numbers. Despite his stature, he's always been hit or miss as a composer; for every score as beautiful as Dil Se, there are quite a few more monstrosities that bear his name.

Slumdog Millionaire is being ridiculously overrated. It has a fast and fabulous first 45 minutes, playing like a funnier, more genial version of City of God in the Mumbai slums, but then quickly peters out into conventionality and sentimentality (the scenes when the characters are children are far better than those when they are teens). My suspicion is that Western critics are being wowed by the novelty of the Indian setting, because ultimately the story is as old and predictable as the hills.

I think you've hit this right on. I liked the film quite a bit, but that's mostly because the child performances were great, the game show sequences were amusing due to the host's performance, and Boyle can really put together exhilarating music-video-style sequences. Of course, as with all of Boyle's films there are some moments confused or completely overwhelmed by the frenetic editing and a few parts that are just plain bad (the riots stuck out in my mind). Still, I think the film has a great chance at being this year's Little Miss Sunshine - it's cute and that's about it...I suppose I should tag this...

Spoiler

The love story was definitely hackneyed and lacked chemistry, but I thought Salim's progression (betrayal, redemption) was handled well. The reviews are going to be overwhelmingly positive because of the ending, of course. If you go out with a bang, that's what people will remember. The whole "destiny" theme was unnecessarily explained, but the appeal of the masses rooting for an underdog, someone just like them, to win is undeniable. The goofy credits dance sequence washed the bad taste of the generic romance out of my mouth and it was hard not to leave smiling, even if it is all a bit cheap.

[Antoine Doinel]

To those who have seen the film, are the subtitles really as garish as it sounds?

[LQ]

To those who have seen the film, are the subtitles really as garish as it sounds?

I remember really loving the subtitles for Nightwatch because they were (subtly) dynamic and interacted so well with the action, sometimes in perfect tune with the screen's environment...but this just sounds terribly over the top.

[brendanjc]

The subtitles aren't distracting - as far as I can remember they only exist in the sequences with the main characters as children, which are also the best parts of the film. The characters speak English for the overwhelming majority of the picture.

[Giles]

while the subtitles work on a large screen (the films aspect ratio is 2.35) it will be interesting to see if this is altered when it's transferred to home video.

[domino harvey]

A note from Ray Carney: I'd be interested in hearing site readers' thoughts about Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. The fundamental question is whether it is really, truly an important and enduring work of art, a film that will be thought about, viewed, and discussed decades from now, a work that can deepen and enrich our lives, or just a flash in the pan. If I receive enough thoughtful responses, I'll devote an entire page (or more) of the site to a discussion of the movie.

[Jeff]

I'd be interested in hearing site readers' thoughts about Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. The fundamental question is whether it is really, truly an important and enduring work of art...a work that can deepen and enrich our lives

Nope. It is, however, a charming fairytale that is buoyed by Boyle's strong sense of structure and storytelling. Its central romance is sweet and sincere without being cloying. It's also implausible and silly and naïve, and ultimately probably too sentimental for its own good. I wouldn't say that it's an "important" work of art, but neither Carney nor his acolytes are in any position to determine whether it will be "enduring." I can imagine that many of those who straddle the line between casual filmgoer and serious cinephile will refer to it as a favorite for years. You would have to be pretty shallow for it to "deepen and enrich your life." In many ways, it resembles the Capracorn that Carney is so fond of.

[rs98762001]

You would have to be pretty shallow for it to "deepen and enrich your life." In many ways, it resembles the Capracorn that Carney is so fond of.

Eh...Capra pulled it off a hell of a lot better. It's a joke that anyone is even asking whether Slumdog is an enduring work of art. It's a piece of intermittently entertaining fluff. Have our standards really slipped this low?!

[Cde.]

[ Have our standards really slipped this low?!

IS THE DARK KNIGHT THE BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME?

[knives]

I think Boyle did it better when it was called Millions.

[LQ]

AV Club interview with Danny Boyle.

[Jeff]

AV Club interview with Danny Boyle.

Thanks for that article. I noticed that you changed the thread title to include Loveleen Tandan. Even though the article mentions that she was given the "co-director" credit, it should be noted that this is not actually the same as shared directing credit like the Coen Brothers might have. Co-director is almost an honorary title for someone who assists or inspires the director in meaningful ways. It is common in animation (most Pixar films have one), but is rare in live action. Sometimes the co-director is someone who works with large casts, especially when there is a language barrier on set. The credit is often designated after the film is completed, and the co-director does not have much in the way of artistic influence. They are not generally included on the "directed by" title card, and are often only mentioned in the closing credits. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does not recognize the credit, and the DGA discourages it. The film is still credited as "directed by Danny Boyle."

[LQ]

AV Club interview with Danny Boyle.

I noticed that you changed the thread title to include Loveleen Tandan.

'twas not by my doing, I don't know how to change thread titles