Slumdog Millionaire

Went to watch Slumdog Millionaire last night. Thought I’d check it out because of all the hype it’s been getting from it's Golden Globes wins and Oscar nominations. Having not seen any of the other films that are nominated for movie of the year (I still need to make time to catch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), I cannot comment on who I believe should win but this film showed me why it was nominated. On a side note, I am a little disappointed that The Dark Knight got snubbed in many of the main categories but am glad to see Heath get the much deserved nod for Supporting Actor. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he takes the award even though there’s some tough competition out there.

The way the story unfolds is very cleverly handled. Basically, the main character is on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He’s one question away from the grand prize but is taken away on suspicion of cheating. The story progresses with him explaining how he knew the answers to each of the questions through a past experience of his, beginning in his childhood. You later come to find out that the whole reason he’s on the show in the first place is to reunite with his long lost love that fate has managed to keep from him time and time again. This movie has a little bit of everything: action, comedy, romance, drama. As more and more of the character’s back story begins to present itself, you can’t help but begin to grow attached to them and root for them to end up together and be happy after all that they’ve been through. The interaction between the characters and the way their development is handled from childhood to adulthood is masterfully done. Many of you may not know this but I have an uncanny 6th sense to see the ending of a movie coming and as a result have ruined many a movie for people watching with me. I didn’t necessarily do that here, but I did enjoy the look on my date’s face when I leaned over and told her what the final question was going to be. It wasn’t too difficult to spot and if you’ve been paying attention it’s pretty easy to see it coming. I still got the chills when the question I predicted popped up because I wasn’t 100% sure. This movie may not be for everyone but if you enjoy a strong character-driven plot, you will enjoy Slumdog Millionaire.