It's been out for weeks, it's sweeping up all the awards, there seems little else to say about Slumdog Millionaire... except that I finally saw it today, and it deserves every bit of its success.
I've been a fan of Danny Boyle since Shallow Grave - he's yet to make a bad film (though The Beach could have been much better), but this is possibly his best yet. That's mostly down to the story though, based on Vikas Swarup's novel Q&A (now renamed in favour of its Hollywood title). From a writer's point of view, there's so much to admire here - most notably the simple yet hugely effective trick of using the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire format as a device to make the plot and characters immediate and relevant to Western audiences; to ramp up the tension unbearably; and as a flawless hook on which to hang a rags to riches / rags to rajah story. It's one of the most ingenious, immediate, exciting, and satisfying structures I've seen used in fiction in a long time. It just works so damned well, I'm in awe of it. So obviously, now I have to go read the book...
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16 rants and reactions:
I feel so shallow and supericial. When Karen and I went to the cinema last week we were tempted by this but in the end decided to watch something a bit "easy" and "throw away" - hence my Underworld review. I feel so unworthy.
If you're allowed to consider the potential of the source material, then I would edge towards called The Beach a bad film, but that aside I completely agree with you here - I saw Slumdog last weekend and really enjoyed it - it's a worry, seeing something which has been pretty hyped up, but it was great - mumbai felt really different and was shot so wonderfully,the acting was great. The young Jamal kept reminding me of Toto in Cinema Paradiso - and there was nice echos of other Boyle films, the trainspotting toilet bit I've read about elsewhere but (spoilerish alert) I thought that opening shot of the money pouring into the bath, and its eventual resolution, was quite Shallow Grave-y.
Also it was a million times better than the curry I had afterwards.
Yes it WAS good, but must admit I'd never have gone to see it if I'd known how harrowing it was going to be and that the laughs were going to be so few and far between. As for the 'feel-good' element everyone keeps going on about - two minutes at the end - and that's your lot!
Latika!!!
My sister read the book and told me it was much better. Usually that's something pretentious people say, but she's my sister so I have to believe her.
Read the book! Read it (I am one of the pretentious ones)! You won't be sorry! I went on holiday a year or so ago and didn't take enough books (AAAAAAAArrghhhhh) but "Q & A" was the one I was happy to read again.
This has been really helpful. A clear message; read the book. Then see the film. Enjoy both. Sometimes it's good to be last.
Steve - then my work here is done.
Adam - it's the book which makes The Beach such a disappointment... perhaps if I hadn't read it beforehand, the film would have been more enjoyable?
Laura - but surely, the worst things you see the characters go through... the better the feelgood ending?
PITS - always listen to your sister.
Lucy - did they not have bookshops where you went?
BT - hurry. Do it now.
If by "bookshops" you mean "places that sell anything other than Danielle Steel or Andy McNab in tiny annoying chunky supermarket format with gold lettering on the front OH AND a copy of last week's Daily Mail", then no.
Excellent film - but the publicity does sell it as a feel good film so like Laura I wasn't prepared for the violent and harrowing scenes.
Strange because these are probably what makes it so memorable.
Yes - I like Shallow Grave as well.
Haven't seen it yet, but I think I will having read your blog about this. Anything other than another Mike Myers kidflick.
Hope your arm is getting better, should make turning book pages easier when you're outta the cast!
We've still to watch Slumdog Millionaire, but I remain optimistic, and your post has helped.
Mind you, I don't agree about Boyle. He is a great director, but I think his association with Alex Garland didn't manage to yield one truly great film. "The Beach", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine" all brought the concept and visuals, but faltered badly at payoff, for me.
Which is interesting, because it sounds like Slumdog is strong because of the payoff.
Guess we agree to differ on that one, Nick... I loved both Sunshine and (especially) 28 Days Later. Garland's book was much better than the final movie of The Beach though... I might have said "ah, that's because he didn't write the screenplay... as he did with the other two"... but as The Beach screenplay was written by the otherwise reliable John Hodge, I'm not sure who's to blame.
Oh, I can watch and rewatch "28 Days Later" - and to a lesser extent "Sunshine" - I just don't have the same unreserved enjoyment of them that I do of his earlier films with Hodge - and no Garland.
It's something about the final act in each of those movies that falls apart for me - like Garland and Boyle are most excellent when they're setting up their high-concept and then their secondary peril, but that they devolve into garden-variety thriller when it comes time to tie it all up.
Though god knows, that's a problem in most movies, not just the ones by these guys! In fact, it's pretty much a cinema plague at the moment!
Giving good climax is always the trickiest part of a writer's job, we both know that. I can actually see how some people might have a problem with the climax of Slumdog... no spoilers, but if you've accepted that the plot up to that point is built upon coincidence, I think it's a little churlish to pick holes in the conclusion. That said, I did think they might go with a SLIGHTLY less happy ending (there's an obvious option - you'll see what I mean when you watch it).
Money and Hollywood are to blame for The Beach, I think, and Leo a bit too, probably, although he's kind of just an expression of the other two. But if he hadn't made 'the beach' like that he almost certainly wouldn't have reacted and made '28 days later' like that and I think that would have been a real loss. However nice it can be to have books you like made into films you like it often doesn't really quite work. I'm very worried about Watchmen.
Aren't we all!
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