Two very different dramas this time, and starting off first with…
Slumdog Millionaire (2008). It’s not everyday when a Bollywood-esque movie is award Best Motion Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. And not just that even: it picked up 8 of 10 nominated awards.
Interestingly, it didn’t pick up any of the acting awards. And after watching it over the weekend – I’d watched bits of it in the air during the San Francisco trip – I don’t think the movie is for everyone, even though I enjoyed it myself. While the relatively unknown cast all looked the part and did appropriate jobs within their roles, I didn’t find any measure of the acting especially memorable.
Ok, apart from maybe Anil Kapoor who plays the Game Show’s host. Now, that’s a fellow who dominated every scene he’s in with his sneers and numerous attempts to run down the titular hero of the movie.
For me, it was the story. What’s the gist of it? Well, it’s about a young Indian lad, Jamal, who finds himself in the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and when he does better than what everyone’s expectations, is suspected to have cheated. The story itself is a refreshing premise, as is the narrative: Jamal really did know the answers through various experiences of his life. The story is told through numerous flashbacks from Jamal’s poverty-strike childhood, and there’s a clear resemblance to the David Copperfield character from Charles Dickens’ story.
The production and cinematography is unforgettable too. This is an India you wouldn’t have seen before: the slums of Mumbai are on the screen and there is no effort to hide the dirt, chaos and violence that occurs in the story. The much talked-about scene at the Indian call-centre was a hoot: just a pity it was a rather short scene.
Just goes to show that even if ordinary acting, you can get a great movie with the right story.
Recent comments