Slumdog Millionaire ***** (2008, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor) – Classic Movie Review 2907

Director Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire triumphed at the 2009 Oscars, winning eight, including Best Motion Picture, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy) and Best Cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle). A long, atmospheric film exuberantly handled and compellingly told, it is one of Boyle’s best.

It would have been nice if there had been a nod in the direction of Dev Patel, who is just great as Jamal, a Mumbai slums teenager who becomes a contestant on Indian TV’s version of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? quiz. But he is so brilliant that he is is arrested on suspicion of cheating.

He is just one question away from winning 20 million rupees on Kaun Banega Crorepati? when the show breaks for the night and police arrest him because they don’t believe a street kid could know so much.

But, while being brutally interrogated, events from his life are shown explaining how he knows each of the answers. Good as the film is, it is Patel’s youthful warmth, energy and charm that make it really work.

The rest of the cast are just right too. Irrfan Khan plays the Police Inspector, Freida Pinto is Jamal’s love interest Latika, the girl he loved and lost, Saurabh Shukla is Sergeant Srinivas and Anil Kapoor is Prem Kapur, the oily quiz show host.

A R Rahman is a double Oscar-winner for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, shared with Gulzar (lyrics), for the song Jai Ho. He was also nominated for the song O Saya. the following year he was also nominated for Score and Song for 127 Hours (2010).

Just to advise, it is a friendly sort of movie but it has sharp moments and rough edges and is rated R for some violence, disturbing images and strong language.

RIP Irrfan Khan, Bollywood icon and star of Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, died on 29 April 2020, at age 53.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2907

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