Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)

[Antoine Doinel]

That was me. IMDB is listing Tandan as co-director which is why I had changed it, but thanks for the clarification re: credits Jeff.

[Jeff]

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

Sorry LQ, I've lost my mind. When I wrote that, I thought for some reason I was replying to a post by Antoine. I believe he changed the title of his original post after reading the article you linked. I was just explaining why I changed it back. Apologies to you both.

[Jeff]

Darren Aronofsky interviews Danny Boyle about the prototype digital cameras used to shoot Slumdog.

[exte]

Danny Boyle and Darren Aronofsky talk about Directing Style

(Where are the other five parts of this interview? I wonder.)

[The Paineful Truth]

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 the novelty is the intertwining of a game show intended for the middle classes with a contestant who had the effrontery to be answering the questions. Also, I think we need to watch this with our feet firmly inserted into some Indian sandals in order to view it from the perspective of a country that large and supposedly that civilized that still has religious riots and firmly implanted caste system.

This is what I wrote before I read the comments in this thread:

The only homage this film pays to the Ballywood genre is during the credits. It deserves the nominations its getting and may well be the first foreign film to win an Oscar for best picture (if the rules don't prohibit it from being nominated).

The short synopsizes of this film out there don't do it justice. Yes it has to do with an Indian version of Who Want's to Be a Millionaire, but the three central characters are Dalits or of the untouchable caste from the oppressively downtrodden slums of Mumbai. And worse they are Muslims. But the movie isn't pro-Muslim as soon becomes apparent.

The central question is how a young man from that background had the knowledge, or intelligence, to answer the questions on the show. The story uses the format of showing the questions one at a time and then him telling the police (whom the quiz show host had had arrested for fraud, and tortured in order to force him to tell them how he'd cheated) how he'd come by the answers. There was a thematic slant favoring destiny, which I didn't like, and an emphasis on truth, which I did.

The inventiveness in every aspect of filmmaking, even down to the Hindi subtitles (about 50% of the dialogue) which was the best way of presenting them I'd every seen (you could watch and read at the same time), was spectacular. My only objections were to the ending which was straightforward but not up to the quality of the rest of the film; and to the title, which blunted the force of introducing the derisive term, slumdog. It should have been titled Rough.

PS, I hate subtitles and normally avoid them like the plague.

[Oedipax]

PS, I hate subtitles and normally avoid them like the plague.

The Paineful Truth,

[exte]

Regarding subtitles, they work just the opposite for me - or can at least - because in this film it made the experience more immersive for the children to be speaking Hindi. I 'bought' that those kids were really in the picture, rather than speaking English for the sake of a global audience. I'm glad they went ahead and allowed that to happen. I was sorry they went for more english by the end of the picture, actually.

The original criticism that the screenwriter and director had about those little kids who did know English but DID NOT look like slum kids gets lost as the older actors are brought on. I guess that's the influence of Bollywood actors. And I know they went with a UK guy for the lead for this reason, but the actor portraying his brother ended up looking like a GAP model by the time they're adults in the story.

[The Paineful Truth]

Maybe it's just me, but when I'm reading b&w subs at the bottom, I don't really see what's going on. In this case though, it drags your eyes across the middle of the screen, and the different colors seemed to help.

[domino harvey]

Dad, is that you?

[Murdoch]

PS, I hate subtitles and normally avoid them like the plague.

I'm guessing you're not a big Criterion fan then.

[moviscop]

Dad, is that you?

"City of God is really good dad, trust me."

(5 minutes pass.....)

"They aren't speakin' English!" "I can't see whats goin' on, my eyes are at the bottom!"

](*,)

Subtitles take some getting used to in many cases. Just like you get accustomed to foreign and classic pacing, in the same way you get accustomed to reading and watching. It is something that has to be acquired by viewing something you really "want" to digest in the first place. In the case of Slumdog, I felt like it worked very well.

The last 30 minutes of a Danny Boyle film is where something ALWAYS goes awry. He needs to stay away from Alex Garland. Thank god that man didn't work on Slumdog.

[Grand Illusion]

There's a certain number of cinematic conventions or cliches or general movieness that I'm willing to forgive. I'll even go so far as to say that sometimes it's necessary for narrative efficiency. The premise of this film alone pushes that envelope, but with some deft storytelling, Slumdog Millionaire might not have degenerated into a movie with more asinine coincidences than previous "Best Pic" Crash. Unfortunately, Boyle seems lost in the dark, swinging for the fences.

Do we really need another "I've loved you since we met for a few days when we were 4 years old" love story? Then when searching for her, we get the line of dialogue, "There's some 90 million people in this city." A few minutes later, they find her.

The film's childish notions of destiny and karmic justice destroy any notions of realism or credibility that the film hopes to garner in its gritty slum sequences.

Spoiler

One must wonder how a filmmaker feels the need to caption the phrase "It is written" with text on the screen. Why bother to put this? Especially after Jamal, the lead, guesses the right answer. Yes, after using the entire premise, itself a stretch, to show how this young, rough-and-tumble kid can learn the exact answers to these questions to fight his way out of the ghetto, he simply guesses the answer.

He doesn't know it. He's got a one in four chance, and for the sake of the feel-good ending, what the hell, he'll get it right. And he'll get the girl. I don't like using "sentimental" as a disparaging term, but discarding narrative plausibility for sentimentality is indeed a storytelling sin.

Which of course, is intercut with the Islamic mantra "God is great" to beat the divine intervention into you.

Sure, the quickness of pace and rhythm of editing borrows heavily from City of God, but when

Spoiler

Jamal's mother's death

is lit and shot like a Tony Scott-directed music video, Boyle is just trading on style and coincidences to build his house of cards.

Some positives such as the character of Salim, Jamal's interaction with the game show host, a dramatic bit with a cellphone, and a few anti-tourist realities about the slums of India make this goofy film a decent one. But nothing beyond that.

[Nothing]

The man may have his flaws, but I'd say Armond's review of this is pretty accurate.

[moviscop]

Armonds review, as usual, is very bitter and serious. But, I thought the childish notions were what made the film stand out. I have never been a Boyle fan since his bad habits of ruining the endings of his films. Slumdog, however cheesy and unrealistic it might be, was a pretty cool cultural coming-of-age story. Everyone who I have spoken to enjoyed it and made them feel good.

[Nothing]

Making Americans feel good - a worthy achievement O:)

[Grand Illusion]

The aftertaste of this film makes me dislike it even more. Particularly, I'm really picking apart the love story. There was a recent story in the news about a Holocaust survivor who faked a love story in his memoir. My immediate reaction as a narratologist was, "What? The Holocaust isn't intrinsically dramatic enough?"

And I could say the same about escaping from the slums of Mumbai. I don't understand why Boyle is getting a pass for grafting cheese and cliche onto legitimate subject matter while other directors would be eviscerated for it. I mean, the love story frickin' ends with

Spoiler

the two kissing against lens-flaring lights in the background. The exact shot was used in Michael Bay's The Island. And I only remember that moment because it was the moment I forever swore off Michael Bay's films.

Thinking on it, if this wins the Oscar, then it is truly a sign of the times. If No Country for Old Men was Bush's hopeless, nihilistic, and senselessly violent Texas, America, then Slumdog Millionaire is Obama's story of a minority overcoming the odds and winning out with ridiculously inflated expectations and unrealistic fairy tale happy endings.

[moviscop]

Your point is valid, but in all reality, you and a few critics are the only ones bitter about it. It was a "feel good" film for the rest of America. Even the kiss at the end and the cheesiness of the questions didn't bother me. Your bitterness is valid but not practical.

[rs98762001]

Your point is valid, but in all reality, you and a few critics are the only ones bitter about it. It was a "feel good" film for the rest of America. Even the kiss at the end and the cheesiness of the questions didn't bother me. Your bitterness is valid but not practical.

Someone who criticizes this overrated movie is bitter? And anyone who has problems with it is wrong because "America" has given it the thumbs-up? Seriously, what on earth are you talking about? That's the most nonsensical thing I have ever read. There are plenty of extremely valid criticisms being thrown at this movie; the fact that it's a popular success does not negate them.

[moviscop]

The film's childish notions of destiny and karmic justice destroy any notions of realism or credibility that the film hopes to garner in its gritty slum sequences.

Then the logical thing to do when watching a "fairy tale of sorts" would be to disband any prejudice against "childish notions", no matter what they are.

The entire thing was a coming-of-age picture that was dramatic, fairy-tale esque, and often unbelievable. That was the point.

[Barmy]

Slumdog Millionaire is Obama's story of a minority overcoming the odds and winning out with ridiculously inflated expectations and unrealistic fairy tale happy endings.

He's certainly a millionaire.

[knives]

While I don't like the movie and agree it is overrated, I have to say it is a fairy tale and isn't meant for real world, I want to say physics.

[conspirator12]

Mmm... I loved the delicious (and authentic) style of this Indian dish! Boyle finally delivers on the promise of "Trainspotting" with a hyper-charged East-meets-West crowd-pleaser feat. superb MTV editing, easy to read subtitles (thankfully half the film is in English), and a metaphorically-rich story that hits all the right buttons. Also, cinematographer Antony Dod Mantle announces himself as the successor to Christopher Doyle's throne with his unique emphasis on canted framing. Let's hope this charming foreign film sweeps the Oscars!

[kaujot]

Are you Ben Lyons?

[domino harvey]

Peter Travers

[swo17]

Trainspotting promised a "hyper-charged East-meets-West crowd-pleaser feat. superb MTV editing, easy to read subtitles, and a metaphorically-rich story that hits all the right buttons"???