Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language.
Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later)
Starring Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, and Freida Pinto
Slumdog Millionaire is an amazing film that everyone should see.
It’s the powerful 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.
Those chapters are filled with some of the most horrific images and painful memories I have seen a character experience. We witness everything from him jumping in over his head into human waste and seeing his mother killed, to losing the girl of his dreams and experiencing the cruelest of betrayals. Needless to say, this is a difficult film to watch and the exciting energy and beautiful colors make the ugliness even uglier. That being said, it is that unbearable ugliness that draws you in and keeps you hooked from beginning to end.
Director Danny Boyle has not only won an Oscar, but has given the world a fresh new movie with that age old message… that love can, in fact, conquer all.
The only thing I didn’t like was the “Ballywood” type music video as the ending credits rolled. It’s so ridiculous that I actually found myself getting angry. I mean they made it so easy for me to become emotionally involved in the lives of the characters only to pull the rug out from under me with the cheesiest dance routine ever… UGH!
Now that I got that off my chest, Slumdog Millionaire is an engaging and inspirational movie that will have you believing in happy endings. And if you do believe, this will probably be your favorite movie of the year. My only advice is to turn it off before the end credits run.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
As I have said, this is not an easy movie to watch, and obviously a lot of scenes will be too intense for younger viewers. But for those students mature enough, I believe they should see this movie.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
