Is That Your Final Answer?
It is written. That is my final answer.
*The famous tune for the correct answer roars igniting a celebration.
The film would definitely deserve the victory and the celebration. Slumdog Millionaire is an exquisite, honest, brilliant, interactive, witty and wonderfully knitted film. It takes anyone into a fast-paced ride full of excitement and revelations and end up living like a fairy tale character sans the cheesiness. The revelations are always packed with enough hope to move someone forward. It spreads optimism into the whole film that even with stupid obsessions and decisions as long as they are unconditional and unwavering they would succeed.
The story of Jamal Malik’s (played with surprising audacity by newcomer Dev Patel) unusual journey of life as a Mumbai slum dog to India’s next millionaire after winning the local version of the popular game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, parallels the transformation of the city from a slum capital to a booming region for development. His growing up as an orphan in the dirty slums of the old Mumbai and going through several harsh but exciting stages of his life up until its fairy-tale ending has been intricately weaved in between his present crisis. Although we can’t really blame if someone doubts you to win millions in a game show if you’re, well, an uneducated call center assistant who grew up in the dirty streets doing various kinda-illegal-kinda-unconventional tricks and rackets just to survive; however Jamal proved that lessons in life and memories of each important turning points of survival could be the best teacher to the road of success. Of course, who would ever overlook a hero’s chivalric pursuits to win his damsel in distress which was carefully played by Dev Patel with subtlety and sympathy mixed together well? It’s a very clever formula but still remaining true to its purpose.
The whole film reminded me of Cidade de Deus’s unique upbeat story-telling and composition as well as Trainspotting’s euphoric and speed driven narration. Danny Boyle’s direction brought independent film’s quality to match with the traditional Hollywood filmmaking. I admire Danny Boyle’s culture cross-over respecting India’s Bollywood trademark injected through the whole film. This is by far an indie destined to be one of the classics of filmmaking. I don’t care if others would dismiss the film as taking advantage of the grossness of poverty and the sentimentality of romance; I’m convinced it deserves an Oscar and that is my final answer.
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