SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

“You don’t have to be a genius to know the answers,” Jamal tells the Police Inspector (Irrfan Khan) who is questioning him for cheating on India’s version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” Co-directors Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan (of India) bring us the 2008 British drama, Slumdog Millionaire. The film won eight Oscars out of ten nominations at the 2009 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adaptation, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Music. Delusional cults, greedy gangs, intelligent humor, and a romance destined to be, makes this film attractive to all audiences.

       Slumdog Millionaire is a rags-to-riches story starring Dev Patel, an 18 year-old British film and television actor, who plays Jamal Malik, an uneducated Mumbai orphan who is accused of cheating after winning 10 million rupees on the India version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” This film is told seamlessly, but its complexity is what makes it deserving of Best Picture of the year.

      The structure of Slumdog Millionaire is fascinating to dissect. There are two present storylines, and then the flashback storyline of Jamal’s life, which are all being told simultaneously. We start off with Jamal being questioned and tortured by police; he’s accused of cheating on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” The Police Inspector sits him down and questions him about how he knew each answer. The sergeant turns on the tape of Jamal playing “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” and this is how the two present storylines transition into one another.  Jamal’s asked a question by the game show’s host, Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor); when Jamal sits back to think of the answer, the third storyline of flashbacks from Jamal’s life comes in. Then, we go back to the Police Station for commentary and prompt into how he knew the next question. This cycle continues throughout the film as all three storylines are intertwined, and in the end, they eventually fit together like an impossible puzzle, magically crafted.

      Salim Malik, played by young Indian actor Madhur Mittal, is Jamal’s older brother, who while in search for riches, loses himself in crime and ultimately a bloody tub of money. Freida Pinto plays the part of Latika, the young orphan Jamal grows to love and destines to be with. The 3 musketeers—Jamal, Salim, and Latika—find each other after their slum is violently raided and destroyed by Ramallah. The 3 orphans stick together until Latika misses the train. Jamal spends much of the rest of the film searching for his childhood love. The 2 brothers then set out on their own adventure to find food and money. Through their journey, we are enlightened by this virtual experience of India.

      Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle is responsible for the amazingly crafted shots of India that allow the audience to explore the depths of this society and its colorful culture. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy wrote the adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s prize-winning debut novel, Q&A. The dialogue flows so naturally between characters, it’s hard to believe it was all staged. “Money and women. The reasons for most mistakes in life. Looks like you’ve mixed up both,” the Police Inspector informs Jamal. The intelligent, complex storylines are masterly intertwined in this screenplay. 

The unique structure of this film is where its excellence lies. The film could have been simply told sequentially beginning when Jamal was a child and telling his life story, then to him becoming a contestant on the game show, then to the station being accused of cheating, and finally back to the game show. But instead, the writers chose to throw the audience in the middle and make everyone’s job harder, including their own jobs, but  the end result makes the film more suspenseful. The audience would piece things together on their own, but the writers had the extremely difficult job of thinking of flawless transitions that would make storylines flow perfectly together and not confuse the viewer.

       A.R. Rahman wrote the music for the Oscar-winning song, “Jai Ho”—the musical number in the end that brings the entire cast together to sing and dance. The traditional, upbeat, Indian song continues into and is entwined with the elaborate credit sequence. This last performance invites the viewer to keep watching and reflect on their overall experience of this mind-blowing film. The credit sequence, along with the cultural dance, shows video stills of the characters from highlighted moments in the film, which adds a finishing touch to the film that reminds the audience of its greatness and provided enjoyment. The “Jai Ho” dance (choreographed by Longinus Fernandes) is sure to be the next big trend hitting American’s pop culture. 

      Those who didn’t have the pleasure of seeing this extraordinary film on the big screen won’t have to wait long, as Slumdog Millionaire comes to video March 31.