So I finally went to see Slum Dog Millionaire tonight and I can see why it won 8 Oscars last month! The movie opens with Jamal being interrogated in a Police Station in India, as to how he knew the answers to the various questions thrown at him during his stint on India’s version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. The opening scene is hard to watch – he’s being tortured to make him talk, and thankfully that scene doesnt last very long and is not indicative of what the rest of the movie holds.

As he’s being further questioned, he flashes back to his life as a child in the slums. The first flashback is hilarious – it literally had me in tears and the rest of the audience was laughing just as hard.

As the movie progresses, it follows Jamal and his brother, and shows various events in his life which enabled him to give the correct answers to the Contest questions – and events which shaped both brothers into who they are as adults- and although they both had the same experiences, they do not have the same personality. Jamal’s brother goes down the darker path (I wont say more lest I spoil it for those who havent seen it yet).

The young adult Jamal ends up working in a Call Center serving Chai tea to the people making overseas calls to us North Americans. Its during this employment that he sees the TV show and through extenuating circumstances, becomes the next contestant on that show.

From there, the stories merge and its no longer flashbacks and story telling, but present time, and we are on the edge of our seats to know how it ends. Again, no spoilers from me

This movie is amazing, shocking, moving, intensely funny, hopeful, wide eyed and innocent even while sadly true to life for many such ’slum dogs’ trapped in that enviroment with no way out. This is the best movie I’ve seen for many months; in fact, I honestly cant remember a recent movie I’ve seen that rivals this one for sheer entertainment, passion and feel good-ness. Considering it was put together on a shoe-string budget, you’d never know. This movie is a must see.. and stay as the credits roll.. you’re in for a treat.

One thing that will stick with me from this movie (there are many things, but this one in particular) , next time my credit card company, telephone company, bank, or other institution I have an account with, calls me to try and get me to upgrade – I will be much more pollite on the phone as I say thank you no, I”m not interested. I now know most of those calls are coming from India, and the employment for the people calling, is giving them a foot out of the slum and into a better life. Thats got to be worth me being polite at the very least.

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March 7th, 2009   |   Tags: Media, Movies, TV   |   Comments: