For those of you who saw Slumdog Millionaire, what did you think?

I enjoyed it, but something doesn’t sit right with me. It’s weird. The structure and style of it is very unique, but something falls flat after we catch up to the present. Also, I don’t think that the introductory scenes were effective in aligning the viewer with the protagonist, but that could have been by choice. The game show’s host was interesting but ignored, and Salim’s story wasn’t followed up. Overall, it was a fun movie that showed a lot of promise but failed to deliver the depth it seemed to be building towards.

What disappointed you, Gail?

I didn’t find it very believable, the plot was fairly predictable, and the character development bothered me, but overall I liked it. The lighting was pretty amazing, all the acting was wonderful, and I found myself very entertained.

@gail It was pretty loud and fast. I think depending on the viewing situation that could ruin it for you. I felt a sensory overload a couple of times.

I loved it. No complaints.

@PnL
Me too. Fantastic, fantastic movie. It wasn’t the most believable story ever told, but also not outside the realm of possibility. Great acting, soundtrack, story, cinematography, etc.

Great! 20 millan Rupees!

I found the movie charming and enjoyable, even as it dealt with extraordinarily traumatic events. That’s a difficult line to walk, and the movie managed it gracefully. It’s hard to imagine an American movie pulling off that combination without playing up the drama and losing the sense of fun and excitement that runs throughout.

I was surprised to see Slumdog nominated for so many awards, and I don’t think it was as well-crafted a movie as, say, The Dark Knight, but it’s nice to see this style of movie get some acclaim. Though I also think the hype hurts the actual experience of watching this sort of movie.

I liked it just fine… but I was on what, my third date with a woman? She was having huge emotional reaction to the film, so I found myself as much caught up in her reactions as the movie. I wouldn’t put it in the same realm as the power of The Dark Knight. Still, a very good movie.

slumdog million-meh.

At least it had a premise and a plotline that concluded in an orderly way. I can’t believe anyone found anything to like in Dark Knight besides the Great Heath Ledger. What a mess.
So hilarious to criticize Slumdog for not being “believable”. Give me a break.

I thought the cinematography and the vignettes of Indian poverty were dynamic, but the storyline implausable and the characters uncompelling. Danny Boyle’s movies tend to favor style over substance, although I really loved his film of a few years ago, “Millions.” I had read the book before seeing the movie and it is flawed also, but does give a more cogent reason for the torture of the contestent. the plot of the book is even more episodic than the movie, but you do get a clearer sense of where the main character is coming from. (His name in the book is not Jamal so I am not referring to him that way.) Let me know what you think if you read the book, Gail.

As far as enjoyment goes, I liked Gran Torino and Frost/Nixon much better.

@janbb – Well said. I’ll have to read the book, too.

The problem I had with the movie was that there were a dozen movie plots crammed into 125 minutes, including several documentaries.

I found the story line confusing and the horrific leaps from child maiming and prostitution and police brutality to comedy (the filling of bottled water in the restaurant kitchen) more distracting than helpful. I thought the early scenes with the little kids were moving and beautifully cast, however.

The story would have worked better as a 12 hour Masterpiece Theater, IMO.

But I am going to read the book, entitled Q and A. An extraordinary novel about India is A FINE BALANCE, by Rohington Mistry. It covers many of the same issues (religious and caste intolerance, corrupt police, the mutilation of children, the socioeconomic turmoil) but during 1975–1977 only.