Slumdog Millionaire

[Entropy]

I feel The Wrestler was very overrated this year too. I enjoyed Slumdog much, much more - sure it's a fantasy with an edge, which is probably the reason I liked it.

Yeah. I'm not a gigantic fan of The Wrestler, but think it's a far deeper, more mature, better written and acted, less predictable movie. And its theme is a much more interesting and compelling one than the simplistic Forrest Gump 'be a good person and you'll be rewarded in the end', there are higher powers at work, 'it is written' gobbledygook. But that's the feel good pablum that people want especially in these difficult times. All around it was a weak year for films, other than the tent pole popcorn flicks. Of all the BP noms, Slumdog is my least favourite and the least interesting. 2008 was certainly no 1939.

 

[nash]

IMO slumdog was a pretty shallow movie. the questions and the way they went about solidifying his answers were kind of lame imo. Honestly what was so groundbreaking about this flick? Sure it was good to see someone rise above poverty, something that many of us can relate to with our economic situation, but other than that, what?

 

[hydrobud]

what a great flick . drags just a little bit but it does stand up to all the hype . beats out Gran Torino in my book , which is also a great flick .

 

[KrisSolo]

Hate being a downer, but I also can't see what all the fuss is about. It's a good movie, not a great one. The oh-too-neat happy ending really turned me off. I enjoyed the first half of the film far more than the second - the kids striggle was more engaging than the crappy love story. And the WWTBAMillionaire structure got tiring very quickly for me. Just my opinion, but I prefered other nominated movies far more than this one.

 

[tylerdurden]

i loved slumdog millionaire. but i'm a shameless romantic (as i confessed in another thread), so feel free to shower scorn upon me...

in fact i love most of danny boyle's work. millions was a brilliant little film and quite under-appreciated, and under-watched.

and then there's trainspotting, shallow grave, 28 days later, even the beach. films that could never have been made by an american filmmaker. no disrespect to american film makers of course. but boyle's movies have a pretty european, or more specifically, very english sensibility abt them.

 

[LChinoz]

what a great flick . drags just a little bit but it does stand up to all the hype . beats out Gran Torino in my book , which is also a great flick .

I have to agree. Like the Dark Knight, I feel this film does live up the the hype, and solidifies Boyle as a multi-dimentional director and not one who sticks strictly with thriller. The one gripe I had with Sunshine was that I felt in the final act, the direction and story almost became a slasher film, with everyone running from a killer in space. In Slumdog, I don't think there was a single wrong note throughout. Even the dance sequence in the end, an homage to Bollywood, was pitch perfect. IMO Boyle's best.

 

[tomandshell]

I really enjoyed this movie and it gets my vote for Best Picture.

Another Boyle film that I enjoyed was Millions, although I don't think many people saw that one.

 

[Kuzeh]

I feel The Wrestler was very overrated this year too. I enjoyed Slumdog much, much more - sure it's a fantasy with an edge, which is probably the reason I liked it.

Really? I liked Slumdog a lot, but I think it is way more overrated than The Wrestler...
Slumdog did everything "by the book", nothing wrong with that, but no risks whatsoever...
While The Wrestler is much more deep and riskier in lots of fields IMO...

 

[Nitro]

Slumdog was OK, it wasn't a great movie but it wasn't bad either. I don't feel as though it should've been a Best Picture nominee. I think Dark Knight should've had that slot.

 

[Entropy]

That's a good point. TDK is a much more intricate, engaging, and exciting story. If the exact same story were told without as many action scenes and without the spandex, rubber and face paint it would be the BP winner, no contest. No respect for comic book films.

 

[LChinoz]

Slumdog was OK, it wasn't a great movie but it wasn't bad either. I don't feel as though it should've been a Best Picture nominee. I think Dark Knight should've had that slot.

I think Slumdog deserved the nom (and will win the Oscar), but TDK definitely could have taken The Reader's spot...

 

[UTtoyfan]

I really enjoyed this movie and it gets my vote for Best Picture.

Another Boyle film that I enjoyed was Millions, although I don't think many people saw that one.

Millions was a great film! I still need to see Trainspotting.

 

[DarthRamuk]

Me too!! What are some of your favorite movies that he has done? I'm looking for more movies with great music - I've loved Jodhaa Akbar, Swades, Dil Se and a few more I can't think of. We even used 3 of his songs in our wedding.

Sorry for the late reply! I didn't know that you are an Indian too.

Well, you should listen to his compositions for Mani Ratnam's Roja & Bombay, S Shankar's Gentleman, Indian, Jeans, Boys and Sivaji and his scores for Hindi films Lagaan, Dil Se and Taal.

Coming back to Slumdog, the track "O Saya" reminds me of Dil Se's Chaiyyaa Chaiyya's beats which mimics moving train. And of course, the colourful Ringga Ringga plays homage to “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” with the opening notes and featuring the same playback singers.

 

[Wetanut]

I thought it was a very very good film..but not the best. I was more ingrossed with Jamal and Selim's youth...those kids did a phenomenal job. However, it's won every best picture award it's been nominated for so far so I'm sure it'll ride the feel-good wave and win Oscar.

 

[tomandshell]

Just announced--this is coming out on video at the end of the month, March 31st. Short wait--just four weeks from announcement to street date.

 

[Dally]

Just announced--this is coming out on video at the end of the month, March 31st. Short wait--just four weeks from announcement to street date.

Already? I just saw this in theaters last week. I guess they want to get as many sales as they can while the film is still hot from the Oscars.

 

[SOLIDSNAKE]

saw the movie and I thought it was great but not movie of the year for me.

 

[Devil_666]

Honestly, it wasn't until the Oscars that I realized the meaning of the title. I was like "Oh.. he goes on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!?" Oh that's what the title means.."

 

[plasmid303]

Even though I wasn't in love with Slumdog Millionaire, I have to say the music is fantastic. I don't just mean the grand, set piece songs -- the ambient music is wonderful. I don't know if Danny Boyle utilizes the same composer and sound crew from film to film, but there are some similar notes I could hear that recall some scenes from Millions, Trainspotting, and even Boyle's fantastic scifi film Sunshine.

Sunshine had the best ambient music I've ever heard in a sci fi film since Blade Runner. Just watch the "Mercury in the observation room" scene and behold greatness.

 

[barbelith]

Sunshine had the best ambient music I've ever heard in a sci fi film since Blade Runner.

Yep. Brilliant soundtrack. People usually reference Tarantino when it comes to film soundtracks but he's nothing compared to what Danny Boyle (and even David Lynch for that matter) do with music and sound. Sunshine has a sublime soundtrack that's probably aided by the melding of minds between Underworld and its classical arranger.

I'm sure Slumdog Millionaire is getting the typical Oscar backlash but it's important to view the film as its own entity. Some of the alternative suggestions (The Dark Knight? Really?!) boggle the mind. This film is a case study in virtuoso filmmaking and nothing released last year comes close in terms of pure cinematic achievement. Movies like this are what the Oscar should go to, even if in reality they rarely do. Not my favorite picture of the year but clearly the most accomplished.