Slumdog Millionaire- Not for people who knows the real india! (Slumdog Millionaire (DVD))

Member Name: aadnan613

Product:	Slumdog Millionaire (DVD)
Date:	04/07/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hype.The mystery factor about india.

Disadvantages: Lots

Well,don't be surprised to see this rating! I can imagine why most american and european would land up giving this film a 5/5 but the impact of this film on asian film is completely different. While some enjoyed it as much, most didn't feel it was anything extraordinary.I belong to the latter!

The film moves mostly in flashback mode, showing jamal's trouble childhood and how he landed up where he was(in the jail). I dont think I need to elaborate on the basic plot, so I would stay away from that.

So what did the west see in this movie?What appealed to them? Was it the slums? Or was it the life there in india- the bustling sub-standard life, was it the sympathy for the poor who didn't have shelter in the rain? Well,this are frequent observations for any of us, so they fail to charm me as an audience.

One of the biggest drawbacks about this film is the fact that it destroys reality, it gives a wrong idea to the audience. You would never see a slum kid speak in english, let alone a beggar seeing a dollar note( the beggar knowing about the person on the dollar banknote is impossible to say the least).There are too many little flaws in the film, where you go like "this is not possible" in real life. The western audience is probably left in awe with what is happening on screen, whereas we are probably laughing seeing how un-real it is!

The film has its share of moments.There are genuine hilarious moments,though the acting leaves a lot to be desired.Its a shame that the best actor in the film( Irfan khan) gets the least screen space.The love angle would just not work for any person familiar with indian films, it is mediocre compared to the love stories in good indian films.The music, which landed Rahman with double oscars is surely not his best,probably even the weakest album out of the 6 released last year!That says a lot about the Slumdog frenzy in the oscars.

Slumdog is a lot of hype,and less on material.Probably a 2.5/5 would have been fairer, but i would stick to 2!

---Also on ciao under the same name---

Summary: Only for western audiences with limited knowledge of india