When I first walked into the theater to see Slumdog Millionaire, I knew nothing about it. I had seen no previews, heard no details about the plot whatsoever, and overall was in the dark on everything.
As a result, everything that happened surprised me. When I left the theatre, I knew I had seen true originality.
The story follows a young man from India named Jamal, who has managed to land himself on the Indian version of the game show “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”
However, after answering several of the questions correctly and winning himself ten million rupees, he is forcefully taken to the police station and tortured.
The police assume that since he is from the slums and grew up with practically nothing, he has a very low intellect and, therefore, must be cheating.
Jamal recounts his life to the police, explaining how coincidentally, his life experiences helped him learn the answers to the questions and allowed him to get so far.
Flashbacks throughout the film reveal his life with his brother, Salim, as they move around India, avoiding danger and struggling to survive after their home is destroyed by a violent anti-muslim mob and their mother is killed.
Without a doubt, this film was absolutely amazing. It is probably one of the most original and wonderful movies I have ever seen.
The story is solid, the characters have incredible depth and the depiction of life in India is as awe-inspiring as it i tragic. The usual rags to riches story might seem to get old after a while, but not if it’s introduced in a new way, which is exactly what this film does.
Have you ever seen a movie about someone who starts out with nothing and attempts to make a fortune by entering a games show, and that has the plot line supporting it all together? Surely, not many have been made.
It’s plain to see how this film is the winner for the “Best Picture” Academy Award.
Not many other films have quite lived up to it so easily. “Gran Torino” and “The Dark Knight” may be the only other films that can successfully compete with this one.