Slumdog Millionaire [DVD] [2008] |
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Staring:
Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor, Rajendranath Zutshi
Director:
Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £1.98
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Danny Boyle (Sunshine) directed this wildly energetic, Dickensian drama about the desultory life and times of an Indian boy whose bleak, formative experiences lead to an appearance on his country's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Jamal (played as a young man by Dev Patel) and his brother are orphaned as children, raising themselves in various slums and crime-ridden neighorhoods and falling in, for a while, with a monstrous gang exploiting children as beggars and prostitutes. Driven by his love for Latika (Freida Pinto), Jamal, while a teen, later goes on a journey to rescue her from the gang's clutches, only to lose her again to another oppressive fate as the lover of a notorious gangster. Running parallel with this dark yet irresistible adventure, told in flashback vignettes, is the almost inexplicable sight of Jamal winning every challenge on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," a strong showing that leads to a vicious police interrogation. As Jamal explains how he knows the answer to every question on the show as the result of harsh events in his knockabout life, the chaos of his existence gains shape, perspective and soulfulness. The film's violence is offset by a mesmerizing exotica shot and edited with a great whoosh of vitality. Boyle successfully sells the story's most unlikely elements with nods to literary and cinematic conventions that touch an audience's heart more than its head. --Tom Keogh Stills from Slumdog Millionaire (Click for larger image)
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 Mainstream gloss over of a much more gritty and troubling topic! Slumdog is pure disney!, 2010-05-24
Slumdog Millionaire has like many of the negative reviewers commented on been called 'feel-good', and I recall seeing the poster in my local Odeon labelling it a 'romantic-comedy'. Why this film fails is not just because of the contrite truly amateur acting or in its ridiculous rags-riches cliche predictibility, but in its portrayl and truly fictious outlook on slum life. The fact Boyle creates such a gloss with his cinematography and editing over the few bits of mainstream grit found here (really? people thought the torture scene was that disturbing :-/). Slumdog merely dwells on an optimism which I truly detest considering the subject matter. Take any Brazilian film about slum life in the favela's and you will know what I mean. The 1980's film Pixote is an extremely graphic but completely realistic depiction of life on the streets without the hollywood wash over. In that film our young 10-year old protagonist deals drugs, accidentally kills people and becomes involved in a life so embroiling in sadness that it will move you more than anything this hollow wreck could offer. It also has the truth, that in Pixote the child actor playing the lead would be killed several years later living the gang and crime life he had tried so much to avoid. So out of respect avoid Slumdog Millionaire for all its worth. Depends how you like your films though I guess...:-(
Poor acting, 2010-05-23
Bunch of unhygenic people exposing themselves as pure filth, it's a sick, disgusting 'poor me poor me pour me another one' film intended to make westerners feel guilty of a situation which has nothing to do with us.
The acting is poor and on par with Bollywood films. It makes actors in eastenders look like potential oscar winners. If you are Asian like me then you will know what I am talking about as I have grown up watching Bollywood, even 3rd rate Hollywood acting is so much better on a cheap flick.
If you appreciate good acting then avoid this film made on a budget like the way you would avoid swine flu.
What is the point in watching a film if the acting is poor? Most of the positive reviews are by Asians who are on their high horse.
 A silly Harmless Fantasy, 2010-08-08
Slumdog Millonair;2008 conforms to many Wester Cliches of India. Obviously there is the poverty Corruption , colerfull customs all here to entertain and bring together a montage of scenes and Music borrowed from Old Bollywood films Kipling, and Travelouge all diluted re booted for a western palate. Reminds me of one of those design shoping bags with Indian writing and Images that you see with young mainly (trendy types) white women in Britian.
This is Boyles most comerically made Film to date and as a sure fire for the box office it seems well put together with this in mind. Anil Kapoor is suprisingly restrained as an unscruplious tv host giving a seasoned well mesured performance awhich goes to show a great actor can adapt and convince in any any language with the right script.
It is easy to pick holes in the stylised premis Kids from Indias Urban tough sprawl speaking English when intracting with each other. It is really showing a Liberial western perception of India and does not seek to divert or re educate from the conventional depiction of India that is progjected on Televsion again and again.
Dev Patel handles a leading man role well and is convining in tragedy, romantic scenes and action all belighing his relative in experiance.
There have been unsavory reports about the explotation that took place in the making of the film and this makes all the more grating when the films aims to be championing the plight of the poor in the third world.
If you really want a better film about crime in India watch Satiya(1998, Or one of the original influneces on this Film's Masla Melodrama Deewar 1975.
A good film to take the kids too if you liked Annie 1982 and have a soft spot for old Disney Films you should find an uplifiting piece of Hockum here.
I think some Indians would be offended at the expert comercial explotation and cliched stero typical depiction of their country which is on its way to becoming an economic power house.
 Huge disappointment, 2010-05-07
Bought this film with high expectations after reading all the reviews.
The film was a disappointment.
How on Earth it can be promoted as "a feel good film" is beyond me! The film where right in front of you a child is blinded by a criminal gang, where children suffer so much physically and psychologically cannot be called "feel good". What the authors are trying to say to us? "He's got the money, so everything is alright now" ????? Do they believe that winning money puts things right? Do they really think that it makes us feel good and makes us to forget everything that happened to these children before or still happening to other ones?
It would have been an OK film if they didn't use this stupid "feel good" for promoting it! I think it is the highest insensitivity of authors towards their own story and their own characters.
Left me feeling BAD!
 Slumdog Blu Ray UK, 2010-05-29
Here We Go
Movie - 4/5
Blu Ray Picture Quality - 4/5
Blu Ray Audio Quality - 4/5
Extras on Disc - 3/5
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Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Binding: DVD
EAN: 5060002836439
Format: Anamorphic, PAL
Label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Region Code: 2
Release Date: 2009-06-01
Running Time: 116
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 2008 |
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