Slumdog Millionaire

After hearing about what a fabulous movie it was, Tanner and I decided to go see "Slumdog Millionaire". It's a movie about a kid from India who gets on the New Delhi version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", and seems to know answers that he shouldn't know. But as we see through flashbacks, various traumatic experiences in his youth have seared those unlikely answers into his brain. It's a rather clever premise.

Of course, it's also preposterous -- especially the fact that the flashback for each successive question just happens to come in chronological order, so that as he plays the game, we get to see how he grew up. He goes from being brutally orphaned, to being tortured in a slave-labor orphanage, to being a con man & grifter, to finally getting involved with the Indian mafia. The publicity for the movie calls it a feel-good story...but the majority of the film is about the seedy life of a petty criminal who constantly endures filth, hardship, betrayal, and loss. Not much to feel good about there, in my opinion.

According to mainstream movie critics (and literary critics, for that matter), a story becomes a "feel good" tale if the protagonist should die, but doesn't. So I guess by that criteria, I'll have to accept their take on it. And I suppose some people might consider it uplifting to see someone who has spent his life stealing from others being given the opportunity to win a million dollars, so he doesn't have to ever rob anyone again. But for my money, if you want a "feel good" movie, go rent Back to the Future again, OK?

On the other hand, if you want to spend a couple of hours immersed in the seedy side of Indian ghetto existence, and you enjoy seeing how cleverly the writers entertwine vignettes of unspeakable cruelty and torture with the excitement and glamour of network TV game shows, then you'll probably get a kick out of this movie. Does he win the money, get the girl, and temporarily escape from the mafia hit men? I'm not going to tell you. But I can reveal that there is a big Bollywood-style dance number in a train station during the closing credits. What more could you ask for?

Still, if you really, really want to see something in the "criminal youth runs away from even nastier folks" genre, I'd have to recommend "T2 - Judgment Day" instead. And if you want the big dance numbers without seeing orphan abuse and children covered with flies, then I'd recommend "HSM-3". But whichever movie you choose, I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!