Brutal but brilliant.
That's how I described Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire as I exited the cinema. Though this was in a text, so I was going for concision rather than pith.
I'll stand by the statement, because Boyle's fable of a street urchin winning the big bucks certainly doesn't pull any punches. Literally. We're taken through Jamal's hand-to-mouth childhood as he's being brutally interrogated by the police for getting the correct the answers on India's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. I can't really handle watching kids or animals get hurt in films, so in that way Slumdog Millionaire is very confronting.
However Boyle also infuses the film with a huge amount of love and joy. If you've seen the gorgeous Millions, you'll know how well he works with children and how effortlessly he can plunge himself into their wild and wonderful worlds. The opening chase sequence - classic Boyle and set to one of many cracking songs by A.R. Rahman and M.I.A - is a perfect example of the director's exuberance and empathy for his characters. In fact, Boyle has plans to set up a trust fund for Mumbai locals who featured in the film.
Now Slumdog Millionaire has racked up eight Oscars, I'm hesitant to add to the hype. The film is essentially a beautifully shot, wonderfully performed fairytale. It's a little film, with a big heart, and I worry about it drowning under the weight of expectation. If you're yet to see the film, I'd suggest you try to take it on it's own terms, not conflated by the accolades of the Academy.
I'd also be keen to hear if you were able to watch this film without reflecting on the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai. I couldn't help but think about these horrible events, particularly during the scenes at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Station. Yes, it took me out of the film a bit, but I'm always fascinated when history (albeit very recent history in this case) journeys into cinema, distinctly, if subtly, altering my viewing experience. Another example is the tragic death of Heath Ledger and how this can't help but impact your experience of his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. No doubt the same will be said for his final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
But I digress...
To lock in my final answer: Although the realities of both Slumdog Millionaire's setting and it's trophy haul will no doubt affect your interpretation of the film, don't let that stop you enjoying this brilliantly structured fable about the brutal life of a slumdog.
That's how I described Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire as I exited the cinema. Though this was in a text, so I was going for concision rather than pith.
I'll stand by the statement, because Boyle's fable of a street urchin winning the big bucks certainly doesn't pull any punches. Literally. We're taken through Jamal's hand-to-mouth childhood as he's being brutally interrogated by the police for getting the correct the answers on India's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. I can't really handle watching kids or animals get hurt in films, so in that way Slumdog Millionaire is very confronting.
However Boyle also infuses the film with a huge amount of love and joy. If you've seen the gorgeous Millions, you'll know how well he works with children and how effortlessly he can plunge himself into their wild and wonderful worlds. The opening chase sequence - classic Boyle and set to one of many cracking songs by A.R. Rahman and M.I.A - is a perfect example of the director's exuberance and empathy for his characters. In fact, Boyle has plans to set up a trust fund for Mumbai locals who featured in the film.
Now Slumdog Millionaire has racked up eight Oscars, I'm hesitant to add to the hype. The film is essentially a beautifully shot, wonderfully performed fairytale. It's a little film, with a big heart, and I worry about it drowning under the weight of expectation. If you're yet to see the film, I'd suggest you try to take it on it's own terms, not conflated by the accolades of the Academy.
I'd also be keen to hear if you were able to watch this film without reflecting on the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai. I couldn't help but think about these horrible events, particularly during the scenes at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Station. Yes, it took me out of the film a bit, but I'm always fascinated when history (albeit very recent history in this case) journeys into cinema, distinctly, if subtly, altering my viewing experience. Another example is the tragic death of Heath Ledger and how this can't help but impact your experience of his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. No doubt the same will be said for his final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
But I digress...
To lock in my final answer: Although the realities of both Slumdog Millionaire's setting and it's trophy haul will no doubt affect your interpretation of the film, don't let that stop you enjoying this brilliantly structured fable about the brutal life of a slumdog.
Posts
2 comments:
I thought this was a top movie too for the reasons you give (so beautifully), but it was unfortunate that I had watched City of God (2002) on DVD only a couple of weeks before. I think I was subconsciously expecting more pathos/ tragedy in Slumdog and wasn't prepared for the fantasy. I wasn't quite as attached to the final third of the movie as I was the first two. Any thoughts on that? Just me?
It's not just you, Jud. I thought the kids' stories were a lot more powerful than the grown ups'. Plus the final third was gearing up for the 'happy' ending, so even the tragedy seemed like a vehicle to enable the conclusion.
Comparing Slumdog with City of God is an inevitable, if ultimately unhelpful comparison. Boyle clearly sets up the fantasy, or make that the destiny of his story, so you know the tragedy is coming with a spoonful of sugar.
Post a Comment