Basic synopsis - the film starts off in the present where the main character is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. He is doing remarkably well, since he had grown up in the slums of Mumbai and has had no formal education. Thus, he is tortured in an attempt to get him to admit that he has cheated, and in a series of flashbacks, we the viewer learn of his life's experiences that have provided him with the answers to the questions. In the flashbacks, we learn that he and his brother witnessed their mother brutally killed, and are then picked up by con-men and forced to become beggars to earn them money. Along the way they meet a young girl about their age who has also lost her family. Predictably enough, the main character, Jamal, and the young girl, Latika, become very close, while Jamal's brother becomes a thug of sorts. Yada yada yada, let's skip a few years and the boys and girl are separated. When they find her again, she is pulling some kind of tricks or something. Jamal's brother then loses his damn mind, tries to hook up with Latika, and Jamal runs off, not finding his brother and Latika afterwards. Now back to the present. He finds his brother again, and subsequently Latika, who is now the girlfriend of some shady gangster that Jamal's brother works for. I'm not going to give away any more of the ending, but I'm sure that if you thought about it hard enough, you could probably come up with it on your own, right down to the final question that Jamal is asked to win the million dollars. Boy meets girl, loses girl, gets girl back. Stereotypical Hollywood formula. Basically a plot out of some shitty romance novel, that just happens to be set in India. Ohhhh mixing it up a bit I see. How fitting it would be if Jamal and Latika got married, etc, moved to the suburbs and then find out for themselves why Kate and Leo lose their damn minds in the far superior Revolutionary Road???
Most people enjoy this movie, and I think it is mainly because it has such a nice happy ending. In my opinion, it has a nice little, completely PREDICTABLE ending. I'm so sick of this cheesy garbage coming out of Hollywood that is supposed to make you feel good. I've seen this movie before, but with different actors. I guess I'm also supposed to like it because of the horrible conditions it shows of the slums and poverty in Mumbai. I know there is horrible poverty in Mumbai, I don't need to be reminded about it in an extravagant, pretentious Hollywood film, which by the way was directed by the British Danny Boyle.Don't get me wrong, the movie was not horrible. I am not saying that it is. But best movie of the year?? I completely disagree. It will most likely end up being the Crash of 2008. Not the best movie of the year, but the promoters push it hard enough, and suddenly it's at the top of everyone, including the Academy's lists. It will most likely win Best Picture, and then a year or so later, everyone will come to their senses and admit that it really wasn't the best picture of the year, just the most commercial out of the nominees.
The one compliment I can give the film is that it is shot very well, and the cinematography is fantastic. Soundtrack is also good, with the sampling of MIA mixed in. And I guess if I was having a really bad day, and needed some cheering up??? Maybe I would decide to watch this instead of Revolutionary Road or Sophie's Choice. Which brings me to my final point: would Meryl Streep ever do a movie like this??? Well, she's not Indian, but besides that?? Most definitely NO. IT'S TOO DAMN HAPPY!!!!!!!!! I give it 3 Meryls.
2 comments:
You're such a hater but I have to give you props for that sweet mathematical formula which included James Van Der Beek. Nice touch.
You are definitely a hater. This movie was awesome. I don't think we can ever go to the movies together again.
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