Director Danny Boyle's strong suit seems to be versatility. After jumping onto the scene with his cult-drug-classic "Trainspotting" (1996), Boyle has tackled the adventure thriller in "The Beach" (2000), the sci-fi horror genre in "28 Days Later" (2002) and even the children's movie, "Millions" (2004). But now Boyle has ventured off into uncharted territory: India.
The acclaimed British director's newest film, "Slumdog Millionaire," is an Indian epic with an all-Indian cast that transcends genres and time periods with relative ease. People who want action, romance, drama, comedy, history and popular culture will find large doses of each in this insightful look into Indian culture.
'Millionaire' opens with its protagonist, 18-year-old Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel), being tortured for allegedly cheating on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The police inspector interrogating Malik cannot comprehend how a poor, uneducated Hindi teenager with no family could get to the last question of the show and potentially win 20 million rupees. Told in a flashback style, the story details piece by piece the incredible life Malik endured and how that journey gave him the knowledge to answer the questions on the game show. As Mallik continues to recount his story, however, it becomes clear that he is not there for the money, but to find the love that he has been separated from so many times.
The narrative can be split into thirds. First, the flashbacks reveal seven-year-old Malik and his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) as they cope with the death of their mother and meet Latika (Freida Pinto), who becomes their third 'Musketeer.' Next, pre-teen Malik and his brother must fend for themselves in the city life. Finally, the story comes full-circle as Malik returns to the game show to hear the 20th and final question, with great riches just one answer away.
What makes the movie great is how the past three decades of Indian history are depicted with such vividness and realism. Boyle shows just how vicious the poverty in India once was. One scene shows Malik and Salim as young children in a small, dingy tent amidst hundreds of garbage piles, covered in filth with nothing to eat, nowhere to go and nobody to look after them. But these two boys are special: They learn how to survive and persevere, something everyone must learn to do. In another haunting scene, the eyes of a young Indian boy are burned, forcing him to go blind, because, when begging for change, "blind kids earn double." Each character in the movie, both good and bad, is forced to do regrettable things to ensure survival.
Stylistically, the movie excels, taking the viewer on an incredible journey through past and present India. The cinematography showcases a vibrant country with rich yellows, cool blues and fiery reds. Even the subtitles look visually appealing, as the movie frequently switches between English and Hindi. Due to these remarkable attributes, "Millionaire" will probably generate some Oscar buzz for visual awards.
The acting in the movie brings up an interesting concept. Unlike most of his other movies, which have starred Leonardo Dicaprio and Ewan McGreggor, among others, Boyle employs a cast of complete no-names, at least according to American audiences. The strategy will negatively impact box-office gains. The actors do an incredible job, however, of portraying a collection of righteous, betraying and conflicted characters. Patel as Malik gets the most screen time and portrays the main character with a certain naïveté; and innocence that goes above and beyond average acting.
Unfortunately, the ending prevents the movie from being a complete success. The final 10 minutes of the two-hour movie are serviceable, but still too formulaic. The ending lacks the intensity and focus that made the rest of the movie so captivating, but it barely affects the overall product because so much of the film centers on the story of how Malik got to the climax, not so much what he chooses to do once he's there.
The no-name cast may turn away some viewers, but that should not deter them from seeing such an otherwise worthwhile movie. The script is hard-hitting, the acting is always on-point, the cinematography is excellent and the intriguing story line comes together in a way few plots do nowadays. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a must-see, and that is the final answer.
