I'm writing this review before I read all of the "I hated it so apparently I'm unique because I hate anything that's popular" threads, because everytime I read those first I end up defending the movie and feel like I'm writing a personal message to those people instead of just saying why I did or did not like the movie. So here goes.
I loved Slumdog Millionaire. I am still somewhat baffled over the R rating. First of all as far as language goes I don't remember one single use of the F word although apparently it was used like twice. Which still shouldn't make it rated R because I've seen quite a few PG-13 movies that have used the F word twice or more. I do remember a couple of times hearing the S word. But hey its a movie. Lots of movies have the S word. Nudity/Sex: well you see a little kids bum and there's a scene where it is implied that a young girl is coerced into sleeping with a young boy. Ok well, I see that on the news everytime a kiddie porn ring is busted. They didn't show anything. They just imply that it happened. Blood/Violence: there is some violence and some pretty intense scenes but there is literally no blood or gore. You see people get shot and hit in the head with a crowbar and have acid poured into their eyes but you don't actually see any of the gore. Intense yes. Take a child to see it no. But I do remember watching an episode or 60 of 24 where Jack Bauer more than implies that he killed some dude by biting his jugular vein. I mean come on. Point = TV shows are more intense than this. Drugs/Alcohol etc. again TV is worse or equal to what was seen in this movie. I mean couldn't they have just put a Parental Discretion is advised instead of slapping an R rating on there just because it was made by Danny Boyle?
Wow. Ok rating rant over. The movie is a very charming story about two young brothers living in the slums of India who lose their mother and are forced to fend for themselves. It is also a love story about one of the brother's quest to reunite with a girl they meet who also has no parents. The way the story is told is interesting. We get to see the main character Jamal on the Indian version of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire answering all kinds of questions and at the same time he explaining how he knew the answers to the questions to a police chief who is trying to get him to confess to cheating. Each question leads to a flashback which is where the main story comes in. It is a very creative story and I thought very well crafted. While the actual elements are quite text book, (hero starts at home, goes on a quest, has adventures and whatnot, rescues the princess from the evil dragon, etc. whatever) but since when is that kind of a story not welcome? I like stories with happy endings. I don't think there is any hidden political agenda in the movie. I don't think Danny Boyle is naive or pompous or trying to talk down to anyone. I think he just wanted to tell an interesting engaging story about three very likeable characters who are trying to deal with life, but in a very different setting than a lot of people are used to. Its kind of like Oliver Twist meets Homer's Odyssey meets [insert love story here] in India. I knew what the 20 million rupee question was going to be from the second he gets whacked over the head with the book in the beginning by the way, but the predictability of the movie doesn't take away from its enjoyment because it doesn't try to present itself as a movie that trying to keep you guessing or surprise you with intricate plot twists.
Great there I go. I haven't even read the hater's posts yet and I'm still defending the show based on what I'm sure they are all saying. Well whatever. I give the movie a 10. It deserved Best Picture of 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment