bcholmes | Film Festival Film #6: Slumdog Millionaire

I wasn't expecting much from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. For the most part, it's a schmoopy love story with sexy production values. The film starts with Jamal, an uneducated "slumdog" on his way to winning the grand prize in India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

He's been arrested on suspicion of fraud, and so he's explaining how he knows the answers to a local police inspector. Each question reveals a flashback to a (usually tragic) episode of Jamal's life. It's a bit manipulative, but I do like the juxtaposition of the shallowness of game shows with some of the ugliness in life.

But mostly it's one of those "I will find you, even if I have to go to the ends of the earth" love stories. And it's pretty successful in being that. The film is apparently getting a lot of hype, so it'll probably get broader release.