Slumdog Millionaire - 4 smiles

With “Slumdog Millionaire,” Director Danny Boyle has created a movie that is both engaging and highly original, producing a sense of time and place that is so fluid that you don’t notice when he shifts from one time period to another. And at its heart, this movie is a love story, but it’s also a mystery and a thriller. It’s hard to believe that a film that begins with such violence can end up being as enriching and enjoyable as this one. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a poor boy from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Surprisingly, Jamal is able to answer question after question correctly, earning 10 million rupees just as time for the episode runs out. The next day he will return with a chance at the biggest prize. However, right after the show ends, the police take Jamal in for questioning, certain that he cheated. After being tortured, he explains how he knew the answer to every question. The result is a flashback-tour of Jamal’s life and we meet the two most important people in Jamal’s life: his violent brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and the girl he loves, Latkia (Freida Pinto). As the story progresses, it becomes clear that “Slumdog Millionaire” is not about Jamal’s success on the quiz show, but whether there will be a happy ending.

“Slumdog Millionaire” has all of the elements that make it a dark horse Oscar contender. It has a wonderful story that vibrates with life, it’s superbly acted, and it’s full of the sights and sounds of exotic India. It pulls you into a fast-moving, engaging narrative that has its moments of heartbreak and tragedy, but is ultimately uplifiting and joyous. And the movie ends with a grand Bollywood song-and-dance number dares you to leave the theater in anything but a good mood. 11/5/08