Slumdog Millionaire

We just saw Slumdog Millionaire over the weekend at the conclusion of the South Asian Film Festival.  I loved it.  I can definitely say that it was one of the best movies I have seen this year. 

It was vivid and captivating.  The story and the feeling of watching it reminded me of City of God, which was equally brutal.  One of the reviews I read said that the movie was bland and somewhat predictable until the final 30 minutes.  I disagree because I felt like I was thrown in full speed ahead from the first scene.  There has been much praise lavished upon the main star, Dev Patel, but I would argue that the real stars are the kid actors.  The story is told through a series of flashbacks and the actors who play the two main characters in their younger years truly steal the show.  Even if you don't like the story and find it predictable there is still one more reason to see this: the scenery.  I'm not talking about sweeping vistas and beautiful Indian countrysides...rather the exact opposite.  Being that the main character is a "slumdog" the majority of the flashbacks take place in the slums of Mumbai (or so we are led to believe).  As the kids race through the narrow alleys and gullys I could help but remember my own experiences in Ahmedabad.  Of course I wasn't running from anyone or for that matter racing through the slums for any reason.  However, the feeling of claustrophobia and homes/stores/stalls stacked precariously on top of each other made me feel like I was there.  Scenes like those could not be done on a sound stage no matter how big and I applaud Danny Boyle's decision to do so much on location.  There are definitely a handful of scenes that made me turn away or cover my eyes, but getting through them was worth it to see what was overall such a wonderful movie.