Danny Boyle is a director who never ceases to amaze me. His films are so
different to one another, but they're all so good. "Slumdog Millionaire" is
almost a Bollywood film, even though the big dance scene doesn't take place
until the final credits. How could an Englishman have such a feeling for
India?
The film has a similar structure to
"Forrest Gump", which I only noticed after watching the two films soon after one another.
Both films tell the history of a country through the eyes of a naive person.
Forrest Gump travels through America from 1950 to 1980, naively unaware
because of his lack of intelligence. Jamal Malik travels through India from
1990 to 2006, naively unaware of India's growth because all he's interested in
his finding his long lost love Latika. His older brother Salim points out the
developments in India from the top of a skyscraper, but Jamal isn't listening.
"Slumdog Millionaire" is so well constructed that the complexity is hardly
noticeable. Three timelines are interwoven in the narrative:
1. The present, in which Jamal is being interrogated in a police station.
2. The recent past, in which Jamal appeared on a television quiz show.
3. The distant past, in which Jamal grew from a child to a man.
Added to this, there are frequent flashbacks and flashforwards. You'll only be
able to appreciate the flashforwards the second time you watch the film.
Needless to say, this is a brilliant film. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying
it.
Success Rate: + 22.8
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