"Slumdog Millionaire" Avoids Most Bollywood Cliches

“Slumdog Millionaire” is the tale of a poor Indian youth who gets on the local version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” The story of his life in the bone-crushing poverty of Mumbai's slums is revealed through the answers to the game's questions. Accused of cheating, he has to convince the police that he really did know the answers. It is a good tale told well.

The film has already won a few awards, notably the British Independent Film Award for best film, best director and most promising newcomer. It has also secured four Golden Globe nominations: best director, best film (drama), best original score, and best screenplay. However, this is not a film snob piece of cinema.

The average mall-rat in America will enjoy the gangsters, the violence and the pretty girl involved. There are also a few scenes where the small kids of the gutter outsmart the authorities – which is always good for a laugh. While some of the dialog is in Hindi, English is one of India's official languages, and reading subtitles is not necessary for the entirety of the film.

The performances rise far above the usual Bollywood style. Irrfan Khan as the police inspector provides one of the most credible cops on film, and one walks away thinking he needs more work. Dev Patel as Jamal Malik, the hero, is indeed the most promising newcomer. Freida Pinto as Latika is competent and may be one of the most beautiful young ladies in the business, and she has the talent to continue a career after the age of 27.

Finding a cinema that shows “Slumdog” is the biggest challenge to enjoying the film. Most of the big chains like Regal can't be bothered with a foreign independent movie. So, one is forced to go downtown to the art houses. This is a shame because the piece would do well with a major release. Nevertheless, that may all change after the Oscars. It may not win much, but the nominations won't hurt the box office.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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