Slumdog Millionaire is a damn fine movie, set and filmed in India, it tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who lands a place in the hot seat on the worldwide phenomenon hot-show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Director Danny Boyle manages to weave an eloquent epic that centres on how the boy acquired the knowledge to the questions that he is asked as he strives to win the top prize. The film drags us into the fabric of Indian society, illustrating to us the magic, the chaos, the horror and the beauty of this extraordinary country.
Our hero is Jamal, a sincere and heartfelt orphan who together with his tough brother Salim ekes out a life amongst the cut-throat backstreets of the slums of Mumbai. They team up with another orphan, Latika, whom Jamal immediately falls in love with and the trio become The Three Musketeers. We follow their mischievous adventures and daunting experiences as they attempt to simply survive their dangerous environment, depending on one another to endure. Eventually, the streets swallow them up and they go their separate ways. Years later, Jamal seeks to win the million on national television, while at the same time win back the love of his life.
Slumdog Millionaire is based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup and was adapted for the screen by Simon Beaufroy. The movie has a zeitgeist feel to it as it deals with an ever-changing India, we step in and out of the wealth and poverty that co-exist side by side in the modern India and indeed Jamal goes from rags to riches in quick-time. It won four Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director -Motion Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.
