Slumdog Millionaire

Review by Loc

I miss Berkeley’s semi-vibrant Indy-flick scene. Back in the day, you could take your pick from 4-5 small, ghetto theaters to see flicks you only knew about because you saw another Indy-flick and saw the trailer months earlier. Stadium seating? No! THX? Doubly Surround? NO! Just a semi-serviceable screen, a ticket booth with country fair-style tickets, and a lot of Indy/liberal/old/”deep” people in the audience. Back then, the super-hyped, in-the-know flicks would have those four-city limited releases, and Berkeley was usually one of them. Nowadays, I’m surrounded by megaplexes, blue Slushees, and big blockbusters that draw $100M on opening weekend. So it was a bit of work to find the newest Indy-jewel, but find it I did. Quick hit: Slumdog Millionaire is compelling Indy-flick goodness.

Slumdog Millionaire is they somewhat romanticized, pseudo-scrutinizing look at India’s poverty-stricken slum class orphans. We follow Jamal Malik, a call-center assistant who finds himself in the improbable position of being one question away from winning the grand prize of 20 million Rupees on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Yet, a tea servant advancing so far in the game draws suspicion from the local authorities, and we begin the movie with Jamal being interrogated by the unsympathetic police captain.

What unfolds over the next two hours are a series of flashbacks, each explaining how Jamal’s unique experiences allows him to answer increasingly difficult questions on the quiz show. However, these are often haunting memories, ranging from the riots fueled by religious conflicts to the usually unseen nature of the children street-beggars. There’s very little Cinderella in these tales, and while some are played for minimal laughs, the prospect that these images reflect the current reality is disheartening and thoroughly depressing. At the same time, the very nature of Jamal’s life does seem comprised wholly of the worst possible existence known to civilization, and one wonders how much artistic license was used to dramatize this character’s life.

Throughout the flashbacks, we follow Jamal and his older brother Salim, as they somehow manage to survive. They also find a kindred spirit in Latika, a fellow orphaned girl who finds herself grouped into many of their adventures. Again, it’s compelling to watch how these children fend for themselves in an environment that has no interest in seeing them survive.

As the story unfolds, juxtaposing childhood memories with game show flashbacks and Jamal’s current interrogation, we see how Jamal’s motivation revolves around Salim and Latika rather than the possibility in fortune. And while this is often a recipe for success in storytelling, the concentration on the most important relationship seems to be missing something. There’s manufactured weight and substance, but the inherent heart is lacking. I’ve left this vague on purpose, as it’s not hard to figure out through the course of the movie, but you should experience it unfold for yourself.

Overall, Slumdog Millionaire is compelling. It’s not “entertaining” in the sense that this is far from a happy-ending, Cinderella makes good story. The hardships faced by an entire generation of orphans is mindboggling and wholly depressing. This doesn’t end with the audience in a feel-good state of mind, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it does end with a sweet Bollywood dance sequence, so stay for that. Out of 20 million Rupees, Slumdog Millionaire earns 15 million. Final answer.