D. It is WRITTEN
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: Simon Beaufoy, Vikas Swarup
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto.
A young boy wearing a green t-shirt runs and delivers ball to a batsman. The batsman hits it high while the bowler screams,"Jamaal, catch it". Dumbfounded Jamaal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) looks up in the sky and starts running at the end of flying ball's trajectory to catch it and suddenly a plane flies too close and shocked Jamaal falls. This is when we see that this game of cricket is being held on an airstrip and two cops drive on two-wheeler mopeds with sticks in their hands to runs these slumdogs away. A.R. Rahman uses his vocals to sing an Aaalaap to a fast paced symphony that matches the steps of running boys and Danny Boyle's fast cuts filmed from unusual angle. This is nothing but a terrific start to one of the fascinating movies of 2008, 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
This is a tale of Jamaal (Dev Patel) answering questions of the popular game show to become a millionaire. But he is surprised and horrified to find questions flashing his own life. This life gave him unforgettable moments and those moments become answers on his way to a million rupees. Really unforgettable? Yes.
With a surprise of silence to the tune of Brian Eno's The Ascent in a zombie movie, 28 Days Later (2002), approaching sun's reflection on aviator sunglasses of an obsessed crew member of Icarus, Sunshine (2007), or the camode dive of a heroine addict, Trainspotting (1996), Danny Boyle always brings images and moods quite unique and extraordinary. Slumdog Millionaire is no exception. This time rather he takes his skills even farther. No doubt there is a great help from Simon Beaufoy's marvellous screenplay to Vikas Swarup's novel 'Q & A'. But Danny's vision to put viewer in first person's point of view is unparalleled and admittedly this is the reason this movie stands out. He should hope for an Academy nod.
Next credit is to actors Ayush Khedekar, Tanay Chheda (Middle Jamaal) and Dev Patel (Jamaal). These guys are fearless. They can 'jump in a dump', hang upside down from a train or sit and answer 'Millionaire' questions ferociously. Although Dev Patel has the longest screen time and will get nominated in several film festivals, Ayush and Tanay are remarkable and memorable. I wonder what Danny Boyle must have felt when he saw their expressions through the lense. So were the performances by Azharuddin Ismail, Ashutosh Gajiwala and Madhur Mittal as rightful and wrongful father figures, Salim, to Jamaal. Freida Pinto as Latika could be a very simple and shy girl but gives enough reason to Jamaal and us to her undoubted beauty. Irfan Khan, a cop, wants to know the truth. Short appearance maybe but as Jamaal spells the truth out to him he could very well give the expression of realization. Anil Kapoor as the game show host is a surprise character twist to Mr Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati. There perhaps is no bad performance in this 120 min drama.
Other mentionable additions are cinematographer Anthony Mantle and editor Chris Dickens. This movie is a stunning experience in cinema watching. Though there might be a constant reminder of Mira Nair's Oscar nominee Salaam Bombay (1988) for the theme of orphans living in slums of Mumbai. But the difference is huge. Salaam Bombay creates extreme recurring pity and sympathy for the slum kids while Slumdog Millionaire, though shows dark side at times, it creates an excitement over and over again for the kids. The main requirement to every answer to the game show questions is an unforgettable moment in Jamaal's life. Not only the writers have come up with those lines but Danny has shown images which anybody in Jamaal's shoes would never forget. This is a must see.
Rating: 9.5/10
