"What can a Slumdog like you do in life?"

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Directed: Danny Boyle

Summary:

Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of an Indian boy, Jamal, from the slums that gotten on India's most popular game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?". Arriving to the final question, the 20 million rupee question, he is taken into custody in suspect of cheating. As the police interrogate him, Jamal explains that he isn't a genius, but destiny that he got those questions. From there we go on a journey of Jamal's life from young age to present. Jumping back and forth from the gameshow to Jamal's life, we understand how he was able to get these questions.

During Jamal's life we are introduced to his brother Salim and he love intrest Latika. Throughout his life, Jamal has lost and regained his connection to Latika, and finally loses her again to gangs in Mumbai as well as his brother. We then find that the reason he is on the gameshow is to somehow get connected to Latika again. Will he win the prize money? Will he be reunited with Latika? You have to find out.

Review:

Story: 25/30
The story has the classic love story theme, as well as the idea that destiny decides the outcome of one life. Almost like a fairy tale, the story's ending has somewhat of a too-good-to-be-true type of ending. This can be the only part I felt hurt the story.

Acting: 25/25
The three characters, Jamal, Latika, and Salim have three actors protraying them in there life. Each I felt show the same quality in acting, and showed a great deal of pain and anguish during the rough parts of the story. The gameshow host was a great addition as well as the two police officers interagating Jamal. I found nothing wrong with any of the acting, and therefore gave the perfect score.

Directing: 14/15
Danny Boyle has a different style with each of his films, and this film isn't any different. The camera movement wasn't too jerky nor stail. The editing of the story is a great way of telling this tale, as well as understanding what Jamal is feeling at that moment.

Soundtrack/Score: 9/10
The soundtrack has a destinct sound of the Indian culture. With AR Rahman as composer, there is penty of India music stylings, as well as some western theme music. In one scene the song Paper Planes by M.I.A is featured, the only thing is that the scene turns into a music video with almost every word of the song being visualized in the scene. Now with the history of Indian films, and the love of musical-type films, including this scene wasn't as annoying to include, if it had been featured in say an American film.

Affective Response: 13/15
For the most part, I think this is where the film hurts the worst. I didn't have much connect with Jamal nor Latika and Salim. I could see where the film was going around halfway into the story. Neverless, when it needed to be tense, it was tense. When he answers the final question, there was a large explosion of emotion. That is the only scene I could think of that was impactful. But besided that moment. Nothing else.

Extra: 5/5
The lasting appeal of the film, as well as giving me the desire to visit India gives this movie the full extra points.

Final Score: 91/100

Overall the film is a very good one. To decide that this is the best film of the year, is something I cannot agree upon at the moment. Only because of my lack of viewing award nominee films. If this is the best film of the year, I will give you an update. But until then, we can only hope "it is written in the stars".