Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a film that is so good, so universal, so touching, so involving, that it demands awards, attention, tears. And your heart. It has something for everyone. Shoot-outs, laughter, romance, family drama, incredible tension, chase sequences. It's all there. Essentially, it's a crowd pleaser. An Oscar-worthy crowd pleaser at that.

It has an odd, non-linear structure that is so familiar with recent movies, but doesn't feel forced here. It is set in Mumbai, and occasionally is quite odd, actually. An uplifting, beautiful scene is filmed in the Mumbai train station. The same place where terrorists opened fire only so many weeks ago. It doesn't distract, just has an odd sort of aura.

The film opens with a young, 18-year old guy named Jamal being tortured. We then flash back. Only the previous night Jamal was a contestant on the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. (The irony? The top prize on the show, 20 million rupees, is roughly 400,000 US dollars) But Jamal was suspected of cheating, and was yanked off the show, one question away from 20 million rupees.

After the torture, Jamal reveals his life story, and how he knew the questions. We flash back to when he was 7, and it continually alternates between the show, the police questioning, and just how he knew the answers. Sounds like alot on the plate but believe me, it works and well. He reveals his brother's descent into crime and how over all these years he has just yearned for one thing: his love, Latika.

The two halves are actually radically different in events and elements, although the plot and general mood remain consistent. The first has more humor and dry wit, although some violence is littered throughout. The second half is somewhat more somber, more violent, but ultimately more uplifting and rewarding.

The performances simply must be noted. Dev Patel as the elder Jamal, although rarely used, manipulates many emotions in about 30 minutes, and deserves a Supporting Actor nomination. The young 7 and 14 year olds playing the main characters over the course of time are all great. A couple of 7-year olds pretty much dominate the first hour, and it really, truly works.

But the true star of the film is its director, Danny Boyle. Previously noted for directing a drug-laced cult comedy and a zombie flick, it spawns one decade, four timelines, multiple set-pieces, and it doesn't fall apart. That alone deserves recognition. But the fact that he elicited such fine performances, emboldened a great script and captured the true beauty of Mumbai, is pretty incredible.

So see Slumdog Millionaire. Tell your friends to see Slumdog Millionaire. I make a sworn statement, right now, that it will get Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Director. It's simply that good. A