In Continuum.

That's it. If there is one movie that you are going to watch next year, it has to be Slumdog Millionaire. It hasn't gotten an official release date in Singapore just yet, but that's kinda how it is with films that receive a limited release in America. It'd probably only reach our shores if it earns some major awards out there (like the Best Motion Picture - Drama category in the Golden Globes which it has already been nominated for). Slumdog Millionaire is an amazing piece of work, no questions about that. Even if it isn't going to hit the theaters here, try to get your hands on it somehow, because it is worth the risk. This film is just one of the many mind blowing movies that has been released in the past month or two in the theaters, and it does not pale in comparison with the other great movies. The truth is, amidst all the heavy Oscar contenders with an equally heavy topic like The Reader and Revolutionary Road, this one provides a refreshing and light-hearted story that takes your breath away by the end of the film. 

I can't say that, before this, I was a fan of Danny Boyle. I mean, as much as people love Trainspotting, I couldn't get pass the first fifteen minutes of the film, for some reason. I'd probably get to it eventually, but just not now, not yet. I am not a fan of zombie movies because they don't scare me very much, and they are really one and the same from one movie to another. People tend to read too deeply into zombie movies at times, especially the (something) of the Dead series by George A. Romero, all the discussions about socio-political implications. It's a brainless zombie movie, with dead human beings chasing living human beings for their flesh - that's it. Which is why 28 Days Later didn't exactly appeal to me any more than just a brainless summer movie. It was fun for what it was worth, but it didn't really leave an impression on me. Though, I must praise the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie that featured an empty London - that was pretty awesome. The Beach was fine, to me, because 1) I love Robert Carlyle 2) I love Virginie Ledoyen. But everything else in the movie was just off, in my opinion. Slumdog Millionaire, to me, is Danny Boyle's best film yet. 

Slumdog Millionaire begins with Jamal Malik on the show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is one question away from the top prize, ten million dollars, and he is doing all that not because he wants to get rich, but because he was hoping that the girl of his dreams, Latika, would be watching. With everything set in India, we go back to the beginning when Jamal and Salim, his brother, growing up in a slum as orphans. Their parents were killed in a religious riot between the Muslims and the Hindus, and that was also how they both met Latika as children. We see them grow up in a slum by cheating, stealing, and doing whatever that is necessary to survive. But childish fun quickly becomes darker when Salim takes the path to the darker side, especially after acquiring a pistol along the way and murdering a childhood menace. The two brothers take on different roads, sharing only the harsh reality of our world. The interesting bit that I forgot to mention before is probably how Jamal knows the answer to the questions, despite being a "slumdog" and being lowly educated - he just knew. Somehow, he just knew the answers to the questions being asked, because of his past experiences as a child in the slum. So the story unfolds slowly as we move from one question to the next, one story to another. 

The first minute of the film pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the movie. You have quick shots of Jamal in the hot seat, answering questions, and then the scene cuts to Jamal being interrogated by police. He is being punched, kicked, drowned in a bucket of water, and then electrocuted, all because he was being suspected of cheating in the game show. In an attempt to clear his name to the police officer is how the audience learns about his past. Danny Boyle has elected the method of intersecting the past and the present, with the both of them moving in a chronological order. Using different actors for the same characters in different times, it isn't difficult to tell who is who. The case is especially so when all three versions of the same characters give brilliant and top-notch performances, and especially so for the young Indian child actors that play the younger versions of the main characters. Slumdog Millionaire is kind of like City of God, a similar film about children and teenagers growing up in slums, joining gangs and trying to survive in harsh times. City of God didn't really appeal to me that much though, but I blame it mainly on the fact that my attention had to be split between the film itself and the subtitles - I tend to be pretty slow on that most of the time. 

Slumdog Millionaire probably has all the necessary formulas to make it the ultimate dark horse in the Oscar race happening in March next year. It has an unique cast (all Indian), a spell binding story, beautiful location work, and great cinematography to boot. Forget about Juno being hailed as the dark horse of this year's Oscar, Slumdog Millionaire blows that movie out of the waters and onto the moon and beyond. More than that, the movie makes the multi-faceted nature work, when a lot of movies cannot even seem to handle one right. You can view this film as a sweeping romance movie, with Jamal going to great lengths to finding Latika throughout his life. Or, you could see the film as an examination into the poverty situation in India, as well as the same horror stories happening around the world, with children being exploited and living in difficult conditions. You could even see this as a Bollywood movie that does not involve the usual cheesy action hero killing a whole battalion of enemies with a dagger. Though, the end credits is preceded by an interesting dance number that gives tribute to the movie industry in India. You know, the whole where-did-the-dancers-come-from dance routines and all that jazz. 

Danny Boyle's style of filming is like a more tamed and rational version of Baz Luhman, in my opinion. I find that Baz Luhman can be a little too absorbed sometimes, trying too hard to make his films quirky, but then making it look too eccentric for my taste. I've never liked any, and I mean any, of Baz Luhman's works, and one of the reason is because it's just too self-absorbed. Danny Boyle is a little different here, and his bold cuts and effects does add to his imaginary watermark all over the film itself. He carries forth his style of filming effectively into this film, and it works brilliantly even in the context of an Indian slum. I love the first scene in the slums, where you see two policemen chasing the children off an airport runway and into the slum itself. We get to see the living conditions, the people, and what is happening within the span of the chase. The first half of the film differs drastically from the second half in the sense that, there is a distinct message in the first half that demands the attention of the viewers. After going through all that, the second half of the movie picks up from present time and moves on with the story that it started off with. It is one of those feel good movies that leaves a smile on anybody's face at the end of it all, definitely. 

My friend had a bit of a problem in regards to the disparity between the first and the second half. He thought that the film, as a whole, was brilliant. But he was a little let down by the last quarter of the film, which focused merely on Jamal finding Latika, and then trying to win the competition. As predictable as these movies go, you still can't help but root for the main character as he attempts to answer his very last question. This film has a rather Dickenson feel in the sense that, we have the protagonist living a tough life, surrounded by evil adults, and dreaming big at the same time. It is a winning formula for the audience to love and enjoy, and this film does all of the above with a twist. This film blends tragedy and happiness, heartbreaks and triumphs. All of that, mixed with a fast moving narrative and characters you genuinely love to love, and love to hate. Every element of a good movie can be found here, the kind of thing that'd make an audience love the film. It is not possible for you to walk out feeling like you have wasted your time and money on this feel good movie - it's not possible. Perhaps it would make you feel more aware of the poverty situation in the world, but overall it still gives you a sense of hope, and the film dares anybody to leave without a good spirits. 

In truth, I don't think this film is going to win the top prize in any awards. I just don't see it happening, but then that's what dark horses are supposed to be. It tries to be everything, and most of it works - but that's normally not what any academy looks for in a film. They kind of like consistency, I suppose, and this isn't the kind of film that they'd typically choose over other more "serious" films. Over this holiday, I have watched a couple of critically acclaimed films, the ones that have a shot at winning the top prize. Frost/Nixon was great, and so was Milk. But personally, this is my favorite, even if I don't think that it is going to win. It appealed to me personally, and that is really good enough for me. There are times when I love to drown myself in "serious" movies to get my brain cells fired up, while there are times when I just want to watch something that makes me feel good, like a modern fairy tale that has a happy ending. I recommend Slumdog Millionaire to anybody who loves a good story, wants to feel good, and enjoys a great movie. Besides, any movie that uses Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros in the trailer is good enough for me, on some levels. 

10/10