Thursday, May 7, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle

What can we say, it was great. And the discussion afterwards by the Guild left me mulling over the film for weeks. Given the many Oscars/nominations, though, expectations were high. It was a hard way to learn about slums in Mumbai, but it truly showed the viewer the gaps between the very wealthy and the very, very poor.

In retrospect, I thought the script might have been more powerful if it contained fewer detailed torture scenes. Not to say that they did not happen with the frequency shown in the film, but a little went a long way, and unfortunately the torture rather than the story is what I remember in great detail. Perhaps the amount was an attempt to pull in specific audience segments. Or maybe the frequency was to ensure lasting impressions on viewers who can effect change in Mumbai slums.

It was easy to see how a childhood of atrocities manifested itself in Samil. Amazingly Jamal and Latika evolved despite the torture. I would have liked to have seen, though, more about how such a past influences daily struggles and decisions in these characters. Slumdog Millionaire was truly a triumphant story of the spirit over unimaginable circumstances.

No comments: