Since his first international success with 1996’s Trainspotting, director Danny Boyle has been working diligently to deliver a film that would make him more than a once hip British filmmaker. The Oscars’ Best Picture nominee, "Slumdog Millionaire", is not only a brilliant film, but definite proof that he is among the most influential directors of his generation if not this century.
"Slumdog Millionaire" is Simon Beaufoy’s adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s novel "Q & A" which was inspired by a true story about an uneducated, young man from the Mumbai slums and his unlikely success on India’s translation of the now iconic game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". For Boyle, it is one of the few times he has worked on a film not written with the involvement of Alex Garland or John Hodge, but the theme that some things are “Written” is a plot that is common in most of his films. This film might be the most acceptable offering of this message Boyle had directed.
Accused of cheating after the first show ends, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is held by the police and forced to endure aggressive interrogation to either confess to cheating or explain how he could possibly answer questions that not even the top professor in India can answer. As the overly truthful Jamal tells how every answer to each question was earned through the life experience he and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) gained from trying to survive the slums of India since their childhood, in an effort to fulfill his destiny to be with his childhood’s best friend Latika (Frieda Pinto).
The film definitely belongs to Danny Boyle, but the other elements cannot be ignored. The acting is strong, especially from the children who portray the young Jamal and Salim. Its story encompasses so many heart-wrenching moments, the viewers accept Jamal as their own while maintaining a comedic balance to allow the viewer to relate with Jamal. Because of this balance, it might be considered appropriate for any mature child.
It is also easy to appreciate since it is based in one of the most westernized Central Asian countries. Despite a good deal of it is in Hindi, the foul taste of subtitles is lost. It may be a foreign experience, but at no time does it feel like a foreign film. This may explain the lackluster premiere in Mumbai despite the fact that Boyle made his best effort to recognize India’s love for and the influence of Bollywood.
Danny Boyle’s contribution to this grand equation is his ability to find a way to capture everything that he wants a scene to show. His pans from the Jamal to the supporters never abandon the character we must maintain our focus on despite the hero may not even be in the shot and his ever improving use of montages show why there are always great expectations whenever he offers the world a new film. These montages have been mastered to the point that he seems to have an absolute control over time, something rarely seen in motion pictures and perhaps never at this level.
To give it the final touch of a Boyle film, the eastern electronic score of A.R. Rahman and soundtrack (comprised mostly by the songs of M.I.A.) give it the grand audio experience that is expected of any of his films. It is not for those who enjoy the more classical style of John Williams and James Horner, but it does not necessarily take away from the film.
Slumdog Millionaire is the defining work of director Danny Boyle. The fans of Boyle will appreciate this film for showing how brilliant he is as a director, and Oscar should drive the cautious film goer to see this work of near perfection.
 |
| www.imdb.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment