Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle

They have been playing the Slomdog song on the radio about 10 times a day now, it's a great tune! Love it!

"All I wanna do is, (boom, boom, boom) take your money"

Most writers don't like it because they put them self too far out there then realize no one else is there with them, Slumdog was very cautious about this. What a great movie!

I'm going to see it again, I love the way the story was told!
 
You know, I was going to write a big long post about why I feel the complete opposite as you, Cal. But instead I'll just say that once I connected with the characters, the coincidences (while there) didn't take me out of the film experience.

SPOILERS

I guess I also realized that, as essentially a "Bollywood"-style film, these moments of conincidence fell somewhat into the realm of fantasy. So as part of the larger genre, they didn't feel out of place.

As to the "answers," I'd say one way to look at it is that yes, he did cheat. Even though we never know for sure, when he says, "…wasn't I lucky that they only asked questions for which I knew the answers," I think you could interpret that as an admission. (Not saying that's how I read it, but one could read it that way.)

Oh, and I've already started saying "millionaire" just like the host. You should try it. :D

--SM
 
SPOILERS:

I never buy into a story where--and it's a common device--the protagonist chooses his life-long love at the age of seven. I mean, come on. Who do you even remember from age 7, let alone how could you choose one person to fall in love with?

Then add to this problem the fact that when he does find her as a young adult, she looks like a super model. Hm.

It's a fairy tale. Right from jumping in the deep pit of excrement, to winning all that money because of the incredible coincidences between his life and the questions asked, to all the bad guys get their comeuppance, while the good guys win.

But I did enjoy the film, even if I didn't love it thoroughly. I think it depends on what you expect from your movies. A good lesson learned is that audience members DO love fairy tales. So you can make all the bleak, serious dramas you want, but the films that offer make-believe will sell tickets.
 
And a fairy tale well-told and well-made is just as enjoyable a film as any other. It just may not be everyone's cup of tea.
 
CallaghanFilms said:
This is fast becoming one of those films that it is considered uncouth not to adore.

Being an uncouth mother poo pooer myself - I gotta say, "What's the big deal?!":huh:

The plot was way too coincidental. I'm talkin' beyond "Running-into-the-same-person-over-and-over-again-amongst-eight-million-New-Yorkers" coincidental...

Hell, it was even beyond "The-last-season-of-Quantum-Leap-where-suddenly-Sam-only-leaps-into-celebrities-or-famous-notables" coincidental.

Come on, how could each and every question on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire show mirror or mark an all-important point in his life?! I am a wealth of trivial information, but I don't remember where I picked up any of the useless shi* stored in the ol' Callaghan cerebral CPU.

And I don't buy it being a higher power (Shiva, Allah, Fate, whatever) intervening.

Don't get me wrong, the cinematography was great and the acting was respectable - and I LOVED how the host said the word "millionaire"...

But as a story guy first and foremost, I can't see all the hoopla.:huh:
Click to expand...

Well... since I do buy into a higher power, maybe that's why the film worked for me?

I don't know... honestly I don't like it because EVERYONE likes it... I didn't know ANYTHING about the film when I saw it... just that Danny Boyle had directed it...
 
sean90291 said:
SPOILERS:

I never buy into a story where--and it's a common device--the protagonist chooses his life-long love at the age of seven. I mean, come on. Who do you even remember from age 7, let alone how could you choose one person to fall in love with?

Then add to this problem the fact that when he does find her as a young adult, she looks like a super model. Hm.
Click to expand...

Thing is, they went through a traumatic experience together... and while they were kids he didn't even feel an attraction to her like he did when she was older... he just had a genuine care for her.
 
sean90291 said:
SPOILERS:

I never buy into a story where--and it's a common device--the protagonist chooses his life-long love at the age of seven. I mean, come on. Who do you even remember from age 7, let alone how could you choose one person to fall in love with?

Then add to this problem the fact that when he does find her as a young adult, she looks like a super model. Hm.
Click to expand...

SPOILERS KIND OF:

For an orphan child who had no one else to really care about or feel any love towards (other than his brother... but that's a different kind of love) I'm sure his relationship with Latika had to have created a much stronger bond than your average 7 year old crush. Not just to mention that he felt responsible for abandoning her and in the end it was more than just love... I felt there was a much deeper relationship in there that definitely would have survived time.

END SPOILERS


I loved the movie, it was amazingly tight and well structured. I felt very engaged with the characters and was completely behind the fairy tale elements in the plot. The cinematography was stunning. Danny Boyle definitely took a risk with Anthony Dod Mantle but he definitely nailed it. For someone with such little influence from Hollywood, Anthony is incredibly technically solid while still having one of the most unique visual styles around. I loved the camera they used, I recommend everyone go to a book store and look up this month's American Cinematographer... truly inspirational. He is the Christopher Doyle of the west.
 
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My point is that a bond between two very young children who undergo a trauma is not going to amount to romantic love. Maybe when they meet years later, a love will develop, especially because they have some early history they share. But I didn't see that in this movie. It was much more the typical scenario of the little boy who has decided who he will marry when he's a child. I don't buy it, that's all. No matter what the trauma. It's just an overused device. I've seen it in a lot of movies, and I didn't buy it then either. Fact: no one in real life has, at age 7, fallen in love with the one person they will marry in adulthood (and for argument's sake, arranged marriages aren't the same as love). Humans don't work that way. Old movies might work that way. Bollywood movies often work that way. It's a device, that's all.

I was really touched by the relationship between the children through their hardships. I believed in that 100%. Just not how that translates to some undying romantic love. When he finds her, if she'd been more of a real person (because real people don't look like supermodels, especially when they come from the slums--good skin and hair care are expensive!), and there had been some moment or two to establish the development to an adult romantic love, I'd have bought it. One of my movie-pet-peeves. I think a number of people found the love story the most cliche part of the movie, though. A lot of the movie was really stylistically beautiful and the world was original. So why retread such old territory without a slightly fresher take is all I'm saying.
 
CallaghanFilms said:
This is fast becoming one of those films that it is considered uncouth not to adore.

Being an uncouth mother poo pooer myself - I gotta say, "What's the big deal?!":huh:

The plot was way too coincidental. I'm talkin' beyond "Running-into-the-same-person-over-and-over-again-amongst-eight-million-New-Yorkers" coincidental...

Hell, it was even beyond "The-last-season-of-Quantum-Leap-where-suddenly-Sam-only-leaps-into-celebrities-or-famous-notables" coincidental.

Come on, how could each and every question on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire show mirror or mark an all-important point in his life?! I am a wealth of trivial information, but I don't remember where I picked up any of the useless shi* stored in the ol' Callaghan cerebral CPU.

And I don't buy it being a higher power (Shiva, Allah, Fate, whatever) intervening.

Don't get me wrong, the cinematography was great and the acting was respectable - and I LOVED how the host said the word "millionaire"...

But as a story guy first and foremost, I can't see all the hoopla.:huh:
Click to expand...

Agreed, this movie was entertaining but the praise that it's being given is pretty absurd.

The idea for this movie reminds me of something a 15 year old would come up with, it's cool, but very corny. Just about every part of the story has been done to death before...

When Jamal was calling his life-line at the end of the film and the cellphone rings, this guy in the audience started clapping out loud like he actually had no idea that was going to happen....wow, just wow...
 
I don't know Sean, I would argue that all the traumatic crap they went through as kids, and the need to take care of themselves most of the time would have them a little more developed mentally then the average 7 year old. Most American 7 year olds Veg. on the couch and watch Spongebob, not much development going on there, so I could totally buy them liking each other or at least sensing that.

Idk, that thought never popped into my head at all.
 
Well, one thing is for sure--Slumdog is cohesive and consistent. The "fantasy" or fairy tale elements are carried through the entire thing, both in terms of story and tone. No one would probably cover themselves in paper money before a shootout either, but it's poetic and magical, just like meeting your "true love" from childhood and having her look like a supermodel is poetic and magical. It might be ridiculous, but it's "the movies." And Boyle is one of my favorite filmmakers. Whether we like or dislike the message or some other detail, the film is artfully constructed and true to itself within its own four corners, so to speak. I really admire that. I can only hope I can make something as good some day. I did find this review, however, that shows others are finding a few story elements problematic:

http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2008/11/trivial_pursuit_1.html

I saw the Wrestler in the same week. I think they're both great films. And they both stay true and cohesive throughout, but they're on opposite ends of the spectrum--one being fantasy and the other gritty reality. Right until the end, each film keeps the "rules of its world" in check.
 
Kubrick71 said:
...The idea for this movie reminds me of something a 15 year old would come up with, it's cool, but very corny...
Click to expand...
Exactly:thumbsup:
So roll out the JR. HIGH OSCARS, and Slumdog should sweep...
but...
...wait...
...Hold the presses...
...I forgot about Twilight.
 
C'mon now, Callaghan. Comparing it to Twilight? Isn't that a bit harsh?

Besides, with Slumdog at 94% on RT, couldn't it just be that it's not your kind of movie?
 
...And according to IMDB, The Dark Knight is the greatest film ever made.

Edit:

I am not comparing it to Twilight other than to agree with Kubrick about its premise being something a 15 year old could have scribed.
 
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Really? You're throwing IMDB's anyone-can-vote rating at this?

Just read the Top Critic reviews of Slumdog. You may not agree with them, but being a vocal minority still places you in the minority.

Again, you're entitled to your opinion, as is everyone. But Slumdog deserves a little bit better than to be lumped in with horny teenage vampire movies.
 
The community can vote, but I mostly only pay attention to their Top Critic reviews. (Not that they're always spot-on, but as a group they usually seem to get it right.)
 
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