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

End Spoiler*********

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’

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

It is possible. Wow.

@ 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.

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.

****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

****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

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.