Slumdog Millionaire

When it debuted on 4 September 1998, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire redefined the gameshow genre, brining with it a slickness and glamour which had never existed before. At its peak, it drew in 19 million viewers, aired in over 100 countries and saw millions of people annoyingly asking "Is that your final answer?" Then Judith Keppel (of Eggheads fame) won the million, and nobody could really be bothered watching it anymore. Viewing figures plummeted and it's been bumped to any random slot that can be found for it in the schedule. After watching Slumdog Millionaire though, you may just feel a yearning to give it another chance...but only if Anil Kapoor is hosting! The titular `slumdog', Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), somehow manages to fly through round-after-round of India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? At the last question, and on the verge of winning 20 million rupees, he is arrested by the authorities for cheating and tortured. During his (brutal) interrogation, he reflects on his tumultuous life, with each chapter having played a crucial part in his current fortune. With Slumdog Millionaire, genre hopping Brit director Danny Boyle has created three things - an edge of the seat thriller, a compelling drama and a work of art. Boyle's direction style, getting right down to street level, gives the film a breathless and exhilarating tempo, with the initial chase through the Mumbai slums reminiscent of the opening scene from Trainspotting and is deserving of comparison with the brilliant City of God. Boyle, along with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, brings to life the slums of Mumbai, giving the film a vibrant and energetic tone. The feature also chronicles the transformation of Mumbai into the global city which it is has become. This is captured perfectly when Jamal is sitting with his older brother Samal (Madhur Mittal) in an incomplete skyscraper which is built on the site of their old slum. A.R. Rahman's Bollywood infused soundtrack maintains the energy of the film and also helps drive it. The adapted screenplay by Simon Beaufoy has come in for criticism, with accusations that it's completely impossible that anything like Jamal's story could actually happen. This criticism is completely unfounded, and maybe these same critics should also be reminded the lions don't talk and barbers don't slice people's throats. Instead, what Beaufoy has created is a multi-layered, contemporary Dickensian parable, full of depth, twists and turns. The main message of the film is that most people don't learn the facts of life through sitting down and reading books; they are taught them through experience. The claims of `feel-good' film of the year should be taken with the pinch of salt though; there is much slumdog to get past before you reach the millionaire. The three fractured narrative strands of the film are also brought together well by editor Chris Dickens into one gripping story which flows seamlessly. Dev Patel, former star of Skins, has Danny Boyle's daughter to thank for his current superstardom. After encountering trouble finding a lead in India - all of the male actors are buff, strong young men - Boyle's daughter suggested the young actor, and he fills the role of the `chia-wallah' brilliantly, making Jamal someone the audience wants to root for. The younger Indian children, who portray Jamal and his brother when they are younger, bring their slum dwelling experience to the fore, and fill the role entirely. Special praise must go to Anil Kapoor - aka Bollywood legend - as WWTBAM? host Prem Kumar, who acts as ringmaster for the entire proceedings. The Verdict An energetic, engaging, spirited and exhilarating modern day parable, told by a director at the top of his game - Boyle's hit the jackpot!!!

The overwhelming success of Slumdog Millionaire seems inescapable at the moment: with copious awards being granted to all facets of the production, and the once unknown actors steadily becoming household names. Though Slumdog only hit our screens in early January, its sudden thrust into worldwide success points to one question: is this innovative tale set to be the future of modern cinema? Set in the Slums of Mumbai, the story follows 18-year-old orphan Jamal Malek and his endeavour to reunite with his lost love Latika in appearing on the Indian version of game show Who wants to be a Millionaire? Though, his unexpected knowledge lands him just one question away from an astounding 20 million rupees, he is taken under arrest on suspicion of cheating; how could a street-kid know the answers? In his desperation to prove his innocence, he recounts his life in the ghetto with his brother, and reveals how behind every chapter of his life lurks another answer to the show's questions. The compelling story seems to have not only connected to its audience through its originality, but also by the premise that even though Jamal comes from a devastatingly poor background, the money he is competing for is immaterial to him: his one and only driving passion remains to find his lost love. While the exceptional story is undoubtedly an essential factor in its success, the casting of the actors and direction is the very thing that depicts the story in such a raw and realistic manner. Everything about the film, from the setting and scenery to the unrefined characterisation makes the story simply feel real - it's as if the audience is a spectator at a genuine event. It is clear in this project that director Danny Boyle has gone the extra mile to create this authenticity: something that remains evident in each aspect of the film, such as in his casting where he took three of the youngest actors in the company directly from the slums. The strength of the actors enabled its believability, as he used an all-Indian cast with the exception of Dev Patel, who plays the oldest Jamal, and, despite the fact the performers had little or no training they embodied their characters with impeccable execution. Boyle was also adamant about shooting scenes directly in the streets, despite warnings from Bollywood professionals, and remained clear that the film would encompass the true India - with no frills or effects. Though I must say, for me, Slumdog is a welcome exception to standard cinema. It's an utterly unique story, which has triumphed through the potency of the performers and the stripped back authenticity, which is in sharp contrast with the mundane regenerated films we've come to know as the norm; relying on cheap jokes, expensive sets and CGI to keep the audience interested. It is with no surprise that the film has taken such a surge into success, given its competition is mostly the archetypal Hollywood blockbuster -the underdog even outbid these star-ridden films in most award ceremonies. So is this cultural chronicle to be the start of a filming epidemic? It begs the question whether we are to see more like it, exploring the unknown world of a diverse and rich culture, and abolishing our pre-conceived notions. It is a film teaching us the universal theme that anything is possible, and that in our terrorist-fearing, celebrity-worshipping country, that maybe we have lost track of what is important.

As an Englishman living in Germany, where Bollywood films are dubbed and therefore much eaier to understand than with subtitles, I now know a lot about Bollywood, from both the Masala and the Parallel sides. "Slumdog Millionaire" manages what very few films have done before it,(perhaps Ram Gopal Varma's "Satya" was the closest), in that it combines both the Indian genres. It is a "parallel film" (ie. an Indian Arthouse movie) in its construction, but it has a "Masala Movie" (ie. a Bollywood Blockbuster) feeling in its execution. In other words, "Slumdog Millionaire" makes you think about the subject matter (which is arthouse), but it also makes you feel good at the same time (which is blockbuster). That is, it has a deep meaning (ie. that the slum people know things too, which could help the country to progress), but also a flashy cinemagraphic execution (for example, when one watches it, one has the feeling that something new in cinema has occurred, just like with Danny Boyle's earlier film, "28 Days"). As far as the Bollywood influences go, Danny has obviously taken time to study the art-form of Indian cinema closely, and any Indian who doesn't appreciate and respect that aspect of the film is banging his head against a wall for the sheer fun of it. Because at its core, the film IS Indian, full of the lifeforce and charisma of Mumbai. Though interestingly, apart from the Hindi speaking kids, who are FABULOUS, the NRI in the cast seems to understand the subtelty that Boyle is after much better than the Mumbai based actors. It's a shame, for instance, that for the film's balance, SRK did not accept to play the role of the quiz-master, as he would have given, as the character of Fate, a far more inspired and impressive counterweight to the background story than AK does. But nevertheless, AK brings everything he's got to the role, and obviously enjoyed it. As for Mumbai, and the criticism in India of showing the slums too graphically... Well, I'm sorry, but I know Mumbai, and it looks EXACTLY like it's shown in the movie. Especially North Mumbai, near Juhu. So, in short, Danny Boyle has done agreat job in capturing the lifeblood of the city, and I'm sure the film's sucess will open up a can of worms in the established Bollywood fraternity, where everything is still extremely caste-based, and where a lot of ingrained filmy-families have a lot to lose if "non filmy people" start having a success. But the point is, as the film makes clear, that change has already started to happen with the inroduction of TV, so that already the old style Bollywood of the "rich kids with their rich kid's problems" is giving way to the specific concerns of the upper and lower middle classes. Soon, I hope, the lower classes will have their own TV programs too,(which is not that far away, when one considers that a non-touchable recently won the Indian version of American Idol!). And so, when that happens, let the slumdogs cheer! Because then, just as Gandhi envisioned, India really will become a great democracy Let us hope, therefore, in solidarity with all the slum dwellers, (who are, by the way, some of the kindest people in Mumbai), that the day of equality will arrive there as soon as possible, so that everyone, no matter what caste they're born into, can filfill their true potential ... as a human being.

As someone who loves the "World Cinema" genre and has been thoroughly spoiled by having seen some of the most moving cinematic treats that film has to offer (very few of which have EVER won Oscar nominations, let alone prizes), I fully expected this movie to be 'something close to "proper" cinema, but aimed at "the masses" '. That, I fully admit, IS a very pompous attitude! Well, I have to admit that my expectations were not fully met - this film really DOES have a lot to offer. The structure of the plot is, to my knowledge, quite unique and offers a very 'structured' (for want of a better adjective) way of delivering the story line. It's most redeeming feature is the way in which it (fairly subtlely) illustrates the hardships of growing up in a society where 'survival' is the name of the game and then goes on to illustrate how that same society has both progressed (in a short space of time) a long way and yet remained true to it's deeply-rooted moral (religious?) code, all at the same time. Two things bother about the end product though, only the second of which is important: 1. This film was made by a British director! However 'spot on' this depiction of life in Mumbai's slums appears to be, I can't help wondering just how far from the truth it has strayed (given that the film-makers did not experience this life first hand). 2. I really think that the ending was too 'Hollywood'. For those who've seen it, I don't mean the (clearly) 'Bollywood' ending (when the credits were rolling - that was fantastic)! I mean that the better ending, in my opinion, would have been achieved by changing the answer given by Jamal to the final question in the quiz - afterall, "love is it's own reward"! All things considered, this film was a joy to live through and was nowhere near as flippantly "Hollywood" as the fuss made over it had led me to suspect. A great achievement for all involved with it and a DVD that I shall treasure and enjoy watching many times again. With 'my' ending, it would have earned 5 stars ;-) Buy it and ... enjoy!

This movie is the best thing I've seen since I first saw the Shawshank Redemption in 1998. It truly deserves every one of its oscars. The hype and praise heaped upon it by all and sundry are not overblown. This is a magnificent film, guaranteed to become a classic, and a mandatory addition to any DVD collection. The film works on many levels. As a simple story of love that triumphs in adversity, it has a charm that all audiences can relate to. As an example of modern film-making, the acting, direction, scripting and production values are all peerless. As a piece of social commentary, it is a vivid and sometimes brutal description of a dog-eat-dog environment in which the protagonists of the film live. It reminds us, that despite cultural, religious, historic and social differences, human beings are the same the world over. it also reminded me of how lucky I am, and that's always a good thing. Though the film is in many ways no more than an adult fairytale, it is nevertheless a touchstone for the hopes and dreams we all secretly aspire to achieve. So there is much to see, to feel and, ultimately, to enjoy. What I additionally found interesting was a further more subtle layer to the film that explores the relationship between the UK and India. A British quiz show embraced by Indian TV audiences. Indian call centres serving British customers. The shared British and Indian love for cricket. As much as Britain has influenced India, the film is evidence that india has also profoundly influenced Britain. The film makes you feel an extraordinary and surprising affection for India, which is hard to explain. This movie simply reinforces Danny Boyle's status as one of the world's top film directors. I loved every second of it and know that the DVD will bear countless repeat viewings. So I wholeheartedly recommend it and give it five stars without hesitation.

Brilliant film, great storyline

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions. I highly recommend this film. It was great quality and arrived really quickly. The film itself is funny and is great film with lots of great moments.

A true masterpiece from Danny Boyle and some fine actors from India. Has such a great story wich is not a true one (but it should be!!!) The 15 years rating is absolutly correct because there are some parts wich are very hard and not suitable for younger children. One of the best movies of this time. A must see. The Blue-ray has a good picture and great sound but if you would like to save some pounds the DVD would be goods as well. It is the story what makes this a masterpiece. The quality of the images/sound are good but this is not what makes this film brilliant. There are some extras on this Disc worth watching. Overall 5 out of 5.

I HAVE EQUIPMENT TO PLAY DVDS OR ANY MEDIA FROM ANY REGION IN THE WORLD. THIS PRODUCT JUST REFUSED TO FUNCTION IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE SELLER NEVER EVEN CHECKED THE PRODUCT OUT TO SEE IF IT FUNCTIONED. BEWARE OF TIS SELLER!!!

スラムドッグ$ミリオネア 2008年 とても好きな映画で何度も観ているのでBlu-ray版を購入。 私がインド映画に目覚めたのが本作がきっかけ。 ストーリー自体も考えさせられるものがあります。 →物乞いを子供にさせれるために残酷なことなど多数。 だが、最後のエンドロールでは一転、軽快なミュージックと共に踊る。 何度見ても素晴らしい。 ※動画は本作のエンドロールの魅力をダイジェスト版として※

Very disappointed. The filmer was only in German. No English at all

Un film incroyable

Prodotto conforme alla descrizione.