39 response about Review: Slumdog Millionaire »

1. 

   Here’s an example of a movie that I was all prepared to give 4/5 stars. But after describing it to a couple of people this morning and as I was writing the review, it became clear that I didn’t really have any complaints about the movie and I like it more and more as I think about it and discuss it.

   Will see again soon.

   Comment by Andrew James — November 6, 2008
2. 

   The great reviews are really selling me on this. I’m still a little hesitant but definitely looking forward to it a whole lot more.

   Comment by Marina Antunes — November 6, 2008
3. 

   The main girl in the film, Freida Pinto is absolutely gorgeous as well. First acting job ever according to IMDb.

   MORE STILLS:
   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Comment by Andrew James — November 6, 2008
4. 

   Oh WOW. I didn’t realize Irfan Khan was in this. Brilliant!

   Comment by Marina Antunes — November 6, 2008
5. 

   Director Danny Boyle on actress Freida Pinto:
   

   Director Danny Boyle on actor Dev Patel:
   

   Comment by Andrew James — November 7, 2008
6. 

   I take no pleasure in being a dissenting voice of a film this earnest but at the same time its hard not to comment, to at least give one dissenting voice on this site.

   Slumdog millionaire is a moderate improvment on Boyle’s sacrine Millions, which I really disliked, so I guess that is not saying much. I don’t know how exactly to phrase this, but everything in this film rang false to me, felt very much Bollywood, a world of symbols, moving drama forward on big gestures, overt good and bad, overt destiny, and predictable in every single scene. I am not much of a Bollywood fan so I suppose I am not the intended audience for this film. The biggest fault was that there was no sense of urgency to the romance, the characters felt like assemblages to move story from point A to point B… I mean is there a single line of dialogue spoken between the lovers which is not working dually to push plot forward? We are constantly being told what to feel about these people and there is no air to breathe, no room for exploration.

   Comment by Mike Rot — November 16, 2008
7. 

   While I liked MILLIONS (albeit somewhat inexplicably), why did I get the vibe that even as the Slumdog Millionaire was praised and talked about that this may be the case. I still look forward to seeing the film, but I’m very mindful of your take on it Mike.

   Comment by Kurt Halfyard — November 16, 2008
8. 

   The audience I saw it with applauded at the end, I suspect I am in the minority.

   Comment by Mike Rot — November 16, 2008
9. 

   “Slumdog millionaire is a moderate improvment on Boyle’s sacrine Millions, which I really disliked”

   Wow.

   I feel so much better about that Speed Racer argument.

   Rot has no heart!

   Comment by Goon — November 17, 2008
10. 

    Once, Chungking Express, Lost in Translation, Before Sunrise/Sunset, The New World, Annie Hall, Summertime, Amelie, all favorites of mine, the romantic drama genre is probably my favorite genre.

    When given a choice I will always go for the story that gives way to character development, rather than subverts character to tell a very rigid story. Situating a character into depressing situations does not make me empathize with the character, it is not what is done to him/her, but how he/she reacts. If their reaction is no less wrote than the predicaments that sequentially befall them, then they do not deserve my affection, anymore than a stick figure does. I feel for dimensional characters… probably why I am not much of a fan of horror, as it too tends to skip characterization and play off frights on archtypes, assuming we care about archtypes the same way we care about people.

    Two different things in my book.

    That said, I didn’t hate Slumdog, it passed the time, but I felt no emotional attachment to it.

    Comment by rot — November 17, 2008
11. 

    Oi. Though I liked it a whole lot more than Rot, I’m kind of on the same boat. Again, this is very different for Boyle (I like him more because he’s unattached to styles or genres) but overall, I wasn’t really connected to the characters. Andrew – you’re point about City of God is spot on to the point where even Salim *looks* like he belongs in the Brazillian slums rather than India.

    I loved the performances, particularly from Khan and the game show host who was the right mix of condescending and charming, but overall, I didn’t feel emotionally attached to the characters. Pulled along with the story yes but not so much the characters.

    That said, I love the way Boyle captured the city and the aspects of the city he decided to bring to the screen. I love the collection of stories that provide a glimpse and the old and new city and how, as much as it’s changed on the surface, it’s still the same underneath. The movie brings up a number of excellent discussion points and overall, I did enjoy myself and will likely add it to my growing Boyle collection down the road. One of the things that did nothing for me is the romance – this is essentially a romanceyet I didn’t feel any of that emotion.

    And I loved the music – the use of M.I.A. is interesting and adds another layer to the story and the sequence in the closing credits is awesome. Bhangra baby!

    Comment by Marina Antunes — November 17, 2008
12. 

    Oh yes, forgot about the awesome soundtrack. Loved the music – even some of the more “Bollywood-esque” numbers.

    I can see why you didn’t quite get the romance or attraction to the main characters. It seemed like it was more of a star crossed lovers thing (not exactly the right term). It didn’t focus much on their love as it did on him trying to find that love.

    Yes, I too really liked the game show host. He had an awesome voice and really reminded me of someone but can’t remember who.

    ** minor spoiler **
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    .
    .
    .

    I love how the whole three musketeeers thing comes around full circle at the end. Yes it’s a tad hokey, but it works really well and I remember the entire theater gasping when the final question was asked. I also loved how he used his phone a friend life line to just ask how she is doing and where she is. Not really giving a shit about the money.

    Comment by Andrew James — November 17, 2008
13. 

    Once this comes out a little wider, we should do a spoileriffic discussion because you’re absolutely right about that final question and it actually surprising to see the reaction from the crowd I saw it with. There’s was a piss-poor Q&A afterwards but a few interesting things came up. I say piss-poor because the guy doing the Q&A seemed completely lost but the audience discussion was great.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — November 17, 2008
14. 

    On Slumdog’s subtitles inspired by THE NIGHT WATCH:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/14/AR2008111400700.html

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — November 17, 2008
15. 

    “the subtitles bounce around the screen in a rainbow of colors. They’re stylish and splashy and original. They’re liberated.”

    A little bit of an exaggeration, but yeah, they are much easier and “friendlier” to read. Nothing like the stylization of Night/Day Watch though.

    Comment by Andrew James — November 17, 2008
16. 

    My thought as well. It was nice to see something different.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — November 17, 2008
17. 

    A lot of critics are already talking Best Picture for this sucker. I’m pissed that this still hasn’t come to my theatre and still won’t be there this weekend.

    Comment by Jonathan B. — November 17, 2008
18. 

    I’m teasing you rot, but it makes me wonder about your sense of ‘character development’ and whether or not you simply have some rigid arms crossed pose of how a character has to be revealed to you. And even with the way you’re expressing it in your post, I don’t see how Millions doesn’t fit. Sure, a whole lot is happening TO those characters, and that’s something pretty common in ALL of Boyle’s films. A lot happens to these people. But to say that you can’t empathize with them, that they don’t actually react… I can’t see that point.

    Comment by Goon — November 17, 2008
19. 

    I could put it this way and say all the characters are static, they are the same throughout, as children to adults, they are functions of an anecdote. When telling an anecdote you do not bog your story down with character development beyond what is needed to tell the story. Slumdog Millionaire is just such an anecdote film. Without getting into spoilers, the one ‘change’ to a character is so devoid of logic that I am not even registering it as a deviation from the static pre-fixed characters moving plot forward. This kind of anecdote storytelling is fine for caper films, or horror films, but when you are promoting a film as a romantic story, it ceases to work for me.

    Comment by rot — November 17, 2008
20. 

    ****CONTAINS SLUMDOG SPOILERS I’M GOING TO BET****

    ****SPOILER WARNING****

    ****HERE THERE BE DRAGONS****

    Rot, back when I was teasing you, it was because you were ripping on Millions, which I love to death. But I actually pretty much agree with you entirely about Slumdog. I liked it overall, and quite frankly there were moments where it was a little dusty in the theater, but not the obvious times you may think you could pinpoint out. I liked the general style, the way it build tension and the acting… well, during the children’s/growing up scenes anyways, where it seemed that they were going to develop into a more epic character arc. I was really digging on Slumdog for a good time, and then they’re adults all of a sudden and aside from the scene atop the building, those adult scenes, including the reconciliation, are a whole lot of ’so what?’ that is neither bad nor great. These characters are definitely static. Salim’s death should be more tragic, the reconciliation should have been more emotional, and the kiss should have been more of a payoff, but at some point it became so Point A Point B Point C Applause, and yes, I will drag out the P word and say it panders and I even think the (first) ending may make Kurt groan.

    Mind you, I’m doing all this over what I enjoyed quite a bit overall. It’s not going to be in my top 10, and a lot of whats great about the movie can make up for its flaws to the point that I was able to walk out of the theater after a pretty shitty day feeling quite happy I watched it. It is definitely fun enough.

    I will dare coin a term for it though. With its specific style, influences, method of storytelling, static characters despite all these tales that should suggest more changes in them as people, and overt sentimentality Slumdog Millionaire is really…

    City of Gump

    Comment by Goon — December 11, 2008
21. 

    I really do find it quite weird that Boyle put out another movie where the third act doesnt live up to the first two, but this time the problem is that third act is too conventional. in a different Danny Boyle/Alex Garland cut of this movie someone would burst onto the Millionaire set, hold everyone hostage and yet another character you haven’t met yet will save the day.

    Comment by Goon — December 11, 2008
22. 

    ****CONTAINS SLUMDOG SPOILERS I’M GOING TO BET****

    ****SPOILER WARNING****

    ****HERE THERE BE DRAGONS****

    I demand Kurt see this soon so you can have a spoiler podcast.

    The more I think of the final question afterwards Andrew, the more I actually start to hate it.

    My theater gasped too, but the noise I was making was more like “really?”

    It was such a Haggis move. Forced irony. And then the phone a friend. ACK. The walking across the subway tracks. GAG. If it weren’t for the dance sequence credits the final scenes would have knocked my rating for it down another full point.

    3.5/5

    Comment by Goon — December 11, 2008
23. 

    I would probably give it a 3/5, like I said it passed the time, and while I may focus on the things I didn’t like, it did bounce along.

    and I can see the City of Gump angle, but I actually don’t mind Forrest Gump, I do not find it the affront to taste that Kurt does. But it would be like a 3 or 3.5 out of five as well, so City of Gump works for me.

    Comment by rot — December 12, 2008
24. 

    I agree with Andrew’s review. I may even have more praise for it. OBVIOUS SPOILERS:

    @ Goon’s “It was such a Haggis move. Forced irony. And then the phone a friend. ACK.”

    It’s not forced anything. The film is nothing more than a fairy tale about fate, about love. It is not realistic obviously. But as destiny is what this film revolves around and everything leading up to him getting on the show and being able to answer all of the questions was able to happen, then there was NOTHING more appropriate than destiny making it so she had the cell phone when he went to phone a friend. And when he heard her voice, his mission was accomplished, since obviously he went on there to find her, not to win the money.

    Once again, it is a happily-ever-after fairy tale.

    Also, Freida Pinto could be the most beautiful woman in the world.

    Comment by Jonathan B. — December 29, 2008
25. 

    “Also, Freida Pinto could be the most beautiful woman in the world.”

    It is possible. Wow.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 29, 2008
26. 

    I find her a pretty bland beauty to be honest. When you get too perfect looking I lose interest.

    Comment by rot — December 29, 2008
27. 

    That actress is indeed beautiful, but did almost nothing for me while watching the movie.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — December 29, 2008
28. 

    “The film is nothing more than a fairy tale about fate, about love.”

    No.

    This is an excuse for Benjamin Button, but Slumdog is trying to tell it a la Usual Suspects, except this time it’s true. Only the ending goes into any sort of other world.

    Comment by Goon — December 29, 2008
29. 

    btw, I don’t see how being a fairy tale excuses or removes something from being ‘forced’, cheesy, or obvious

    Comment by Goon — December 29, 2008
30. 

    I never found the ending to be forced or obvious. Cheesy, yes. But I give Boyle the benefit of the doubt on this one. I think the movie wears its cheesiness on its sleeve. He knew where he was going the whole time, so why not go for broke? Nope. This is a quality picture with lots going for it. So much going for it that even the harsher critics should find redemption with the ending.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 29, 2008
31. 

    “I find her a pretty bland beauty to be honest. When you get too perfect looking I lose interest.”

    Agreed. Also, I don’t remember that character ever doing anything other than getting rescued over and over. There are several moments where this movie earns its sentimentality, but the romance is absolutely not one of them. His brother’s final scene isn’t earned either, it’s tacked on and not properly explored, it’s shot/treated like he’s frigging Boromir, and overdoes it with the poetry.

    I guess it’s a bit like what I’ve been saying about Benjamin Button, about how much you can buy into something to make you forget certain things, and whether or not the director’s treatment transcends some of the devices/flaws in the script. Obviously I felt Fincher delivered, and Boyle didn’t completely hit the mark. I still liked it overall, but like a lot of his other movies, the last 25 minutes made me wish he had a do-over.

    I find a lot of people are calling this a ‘crowd-pleaser’ – man, I hate that term. It’s kind of a backhanded compliment if you thing about it, every time I see it it’s like someone who isn’t into it saying “This oughta please the morons”.

    Comment by Goon — December 29, 2008
32. 

    “This is a quality picture with lots going for it. ”

    I think its much like the Dark Knight, in the sense that there’s so much going for it that people overly forgive the flaws. But I think the flaws here are much more pronounced.

    “So much going for it that even the harsher critics should find redemption with the ending.”

    Whats so particularly redemptive or unique about Slumdog’s ending that isn’t available in so many other movies? This movie isn’t much more than a regular boy-meets-girl story, and telegraphs everything.

    I wonder a bit if to have that extra connection people have in this movie, you have to be someone who believes in fate and destiny. I don’t. There’s been cases where a movie could put me there for a short while, but again, Boyle simply didn’t earn it.

    Comment by Goon — December 29, 2008
33. 

    “I don’t see how being a fairy tale excuses or removes something from being ‘forced’, cheesy, or obvious”

    I’m not sure Slumdog really knows what it wants to be, there is a lot of elements that are not really fairy tale-ish, and so it becomes harder to excuse the film on the basis of it being a fairy tale, unlike Benjamin Button which is more consistently so.

    And there are liberties given to a film according to the genre specifics it employs… its like the tone of voice, if someone has a sardonic tone of voice you react and understand it differently, likewise, a film that depicts its ideas in fairy tale ways is asking of the audience to respond to its story in a certain way. That way includes a resistance to realism nitpicking, to requiring fully dimensional characters, and plausible scenarios. This is why I think Benjamin Button is good for what it aspires to, but given the choice I much prefer more ambitious films set in reality.

    Comment by rot — December 29, 2008
34. 

    What do you mean “No,” Goon? Yes.

    The entire movie and every question throughout is based on a some guiding force providing Jamal with the answers. You’re talking as if it is only the ending, so either I am misunderstanding what you are saying or you weren’t paying attention to the film.

    @ “I wonder a bit if to have that extra connection people have in this movie, you have to be someone who believes in fate and destiny. I don’t.”

    That’s just fucking stupid, Goon. I am the biggest disbeliever in destiny and fate this side of the Mississippi, but that has nothing to do with the way I view a story, especially a story in a film like this. I could go on about the asininity of this comment, but I’m drunk, so maybe tomorrow.

    Comment by Jonathan B. — December 30, 2008
35. 

    “I could go on about the asininity of this comment, but I’m drunk, so maybe tomorrow.”

    There’s a girl I know who is way into the Secret and stupid shit, and only digs massively inspirational feel-good movies, so I can’t help but be influenced into that sort of wondering. I’m sure someone out there really grasps on to the destiny/fate elements.

    Comment by Goon — December 30, 2008
36. 

    “The entire movie and every question throughout is based on a some guiding force providing Jamal with the answers.”

    Characters believe “it is written” but so what? that’s nowhere near enough to justify calling it a fairy tale. Might as well call every movie based on fate/destiny or overcoming adversity, or anything that stretches believability, as a fairy tale. That’s way too easy an out.

    Now “Millions” is a mix of realistic storytelling and fairy tale, which leans more and more to the latter as it progresses. But as much as I love that movie, there’s only so much critique you can write off of it by saying ‘fairy tale’

    Comment by Goon — December 30, 2008
37. 

    Spoiler******

    The scene with the kid jumping into the biffy was the best part. Simply Horrifing!

    End Spoiler*********

    Comment by Colleen — December 30, 2008
38. 

    I finally got around to seeing it. Worst movie of 2008, hands down. Even worse than Mamma Mia, and I didn’t think it could get any lower than that. So contrived and manipulative, I almost walked out. I didn’t, but now that I know the ending, I wish I had. I don’t even know where to begin with my official review…

    Comment by Ashley — January 17, 2009
39. 

    I actually think this films final act is as problematic as Sunshines. And I don’t mind stuff like the Three Musketeers bit, but it was telegraphed and obvious.

    Comment by Rusty James — January 26, 2009

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