
Best Picture of 2008?
No matter how much money, star power, top of the line equipment, technical wizardry and good ‘ol fashioned “Hollywood” the movie making machine throws at any movie there are just certain things it can’t just buy or force: a heart. A soul. Truth. A perfect example of what I mean can be found in my review for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just below this review.
However, at the complete opposite end of the spectrum you have this little gem: Slumdog Millionaire. This may be the best film of 2008.
I don’t do synopsis write ups in my reviews. It feels too “high school book reportish”. But if you’re one of those people who need it, read this.
This movie so perfectly balances out the oxymorons of raw honesty, Bollywood movie melodrama and Hollywood heightened realities that it’s actually difficult to say which country this movie should plant it’s flag on. By the way, the director is the incredible British director Danny Boyle who introduced us to such dichotomous films as Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Millions. Plus Slumdog’s lead Dev Patel is a also a Brit. So you can toss in England in that pot as well.
There’s a point in many movies when you either wholly connect or completely divorce from it and you either can’t believe your good fortune of experiencing the great ride presented before you or you can’t wait to get out of the theater to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Most of the time you sort of lean more towards one way or another without ever truly committing to either. It’s sort of like people that way. I know that sounds bad (or something worse) but it’s my truth.
I knew pretty early on that Slumdog Millionaire is a great film the same way I knew pretty immediately that I loved Y Tu Mama Tambien, Lost In Translation and City of God. It was close to love at first sight. Again, sort of like people that way. By the way, those other movie comparisons aren’t random. If you saw those films then see Slumdog, you’ll understand what I mean.
Finally in all great films there is always always always a completely unexpected surprise that just serves as the perfect “cherry on top”. And as unexpected and uncharacteristic as it is, it still manages to fit perfectly and make sense. The nice ending after the plot’s ending of this movie does just that.
(Man, reading this review seems so fragmented and without a . I’m still out of practice and of my comfort zone of writing here. But one of the rules I’ve laid out when I started this was to keep my post editing down to a virtual nil. Bear with me.)
So I end this review with a few random points I was hoping to make more poetically:
- Shows that no matter your your IQ, books read, and studying one does nothing is more educational than living your life.
- Danny Boyle is turning out quite a kick ass legacy of classic films.
- As much as I love this film, it makes it wholly clear that there is not a shred of intelligent reason for me (or anyone for that matter) to visit India anytime soon.
- Just like the quintessential pop song, a good ‘ol fashioned love story that’s well told is timeless and the best.
- Go see this movie. Go see Slumdog Millionaire. Don’t waste your money or time on anything else first.
P.S. “sucker MC.. with his action hero in hand with the kung fu grip”
to be continued…
cap
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