Review of Slumdog Millionaire (2008) by Aaron A — 09 Jun 2014

"So are you ready for the final question for 20 million rupees?".

After coming within one question of winning it all on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," Mumbai "slumdog" Jamal Malik is arrested on suspicion that he cheated his way to the top.

Slumdon millionaire is many things, it's a romance film in the vain of romeo and juliet, it's an underdog story in the vain of the Karate Kid, its a foreign film, an academy-award winning blockbuster, a tearjerker, and a feel-good film all rolled into one package, and also one of the best pictures of 2008.

Slumdog Millionaire also has a lot of style, stemming from Danny Boyle directorial efforts, which will help keep many people from wrongfully walking away from a viewing of this film because of it being partially in a different language and completely void of any hollywood actors.

While Danny Boyle's direction shines in this picture, the screenplay is what makes this picture what it is. It's an arresting work that is clever enough to take the strengths of such a widespread phenomenon as "Who wants to be a millionaire?" and turn them into genuinely flavorful cinematic elements.

Slumdog Millionaire is a heartfelt romantic journey that ranks as one of the best films (and most profitable) of 2008, and it accomplishes this without any hollywood actors and a script partially written in another language.