slumdog millionaire

`Slumdog' rules Oscars with 8 prizes, best picture

By DAVID GERMAIN (AP Movie Writer)
From Associated Press
February 23, 2009 1:49 AM EST

LOS ANGELES - "Slumdog Millionaire" took the best-picture Academy Award and seven other Oscars, including director for Danny Boyle, whose ghetto-to-glory story paralleled the film's unlikely rise to Hollywood's summit.

A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, "Slumdog Millionaire" came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song).

"Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy," Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.

The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children the British director cast from the slums of Mumbai.

The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother's violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood.

Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India's version of the TV game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

British "Slumdog" writer Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the script from Indian Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A," said there are places he never could imagine being.

"For me, it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium, and here," Beaufoy said.

"Slumdog Millionaire" went into the evening after a run of prizes from earlier film honors.

The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film.

"Slumdog" composer A.R. Rahman, a dual Oscar winner for the score and song, said the movie was about "optimism and the power of hope."

"All my life, I've had a choice of hate and love," the Indian film composer said. "I chose love, and I'm here."

 

I loved, loved, loved this movie.

made me cry a little, made me laugh a lot, and I left inspired.

makes my favorite movies list for certain.

 

I can't understand the people on this thread who are complaining about this movie! It's not trying to be anything it isn't. It's not fake/corny. It's a great story w/ great actors, what more would you want from a movie?

 

While Slumdog Millionaire probably didn't make my top list, it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen in the last year. All 9 actors for the 3 main characters held up their part of the acting burden (with the possible exception of Salim's oldest incarnation). The older Jamal was definitely a highlight as the main-main character.
You can't write off story frameworks as broad as "guy loses girl, guy faces hardship, guy gets girl" for being stale in today's cinema, but I don't think a rehashed storyline was any problem for Slumdog. The characters stayed very dynamic over their decade of progression and their situation at any given point was sure to be emotionally captivating.
Given the importance of Salim in the storyline I thought he could have been more fleshed out. It obviously would have ruined the movie as it is to change it to a dual main character situation, but it would have done more justice to the internal antagonist who I thought needed more screen time.
I didn't find the film at all corny or obviously dramatized, especially after my exchange student roommate from Mumbai said it was hitting too close to home and left the room about half way through.

 

I felt it was very authentic, my mother was the same. She found her trip to Mumbai very difficult and watching the movie just brought it all back.
Obvioulsy though, it wasn't exactly like it is like to live in Mumbai as that is not the point of movies. These days though, however unfortunate it maybe everything is entertainment. At the moment there is a reality tv 'star' Jade Goody documenting her final months as she battles cancer. Even though she's been given only months to live she's still letting the camera's into her home. Personally I wouldn't ever do this and am not sure how I feel about it, though I have heard that smear tests ect. have soared. This is getting slightly ot, so sorry! Just trying to explain the power of tv and film. It's an amazing thing So whether or not you enjoyed the movie it has inspired many people to do some good and think of others. That in itself is a great great thing.

 

I still haven't seen the movie----I will, and I am sure I will enjoy it----so I cannot really comment on it except from what I have gathered from this conversation, and what little I have heard of the story line.

The picture that Neim posted is the same scene I have seen over and over in the Philippines and other places of South East Asia. I know of one shanty town in the Philippines that I have passed through numerous times that has been built up on both sides of train tracks. Everyday till late at night there is a market that fills up the empty space in the slum----i.e that stretches accross the train tracks, up and down the length of the shanty town. It looks much like the picture that Neim sent except that the sewer pipe the girl is running along and the ditch would be the train tracks, with probably a bit more space from one side to the other near the center of the market (which sits on a cross street). The vendors set up tables or blankets, or whatever they need to display the food, and wares that they are selling, and the market is filled with people shopping. Every hour a train comes rumbling down the tracks---and everyone rushes to move their stuff and/or get out of the way---in the nick of time. Often times people will lose a foot or an arm, and occaisionally their life---chopped into pieces under the train.

There is practically no way out of these slums. In recent years in the Philippines, it has become an almost daily struggle for most people that make up the middle class----and they are well above the life in these slums. So how do you think those in the slums manage. The current global economy is going to make that even worse. Where it is very hard for people in the slums, it is especially so for the street kids---the bottom rung of these neigborhoods. They are victimized by the squatters who atleast have a place to call home. They are victimized by gangs, by the police, by the government, older street kids, and on and on. Many of the lower economic rungs in these neighborhoods consist of people who live in pushcarts. But these are rented out and/or sold at exploitive rates by syndicates---and many street kids, without parents, would never be able to afford such a luxury. There are plenty of people who will give them food, or a few coins----but after that----their on their own.

But Salaam Bombay shows that pretty good, with a sad hopeless realisitic ending---do all movies have to have a sad or hopeless ending, just because that is the reality? Can't we have a rags to riches story to feel good about, or give us some hope that there is a way out? Can't we combine the sadness of the plight of these people with the some hope, and something to feel good about?

Most Americans and other people in 1st world socieities have never been exposed to the sad plight of these places, and it should be obvious to them that this story is not how it works there. I have tried to show Salaam Bombay to numerous people who didn't want to finish the movie because it was too sad for them---I can easily see these people watching, if for nothing else---the happy ending. Just think of what good that could do if even a small portion of these people are moved to do something to help such sad places. And what is wrong to give the street kids themselves, or those growing up in the slums a happy story to enjoy? Even possibly a little hope for them in their hopeless situation? Believe me, there are and will be people in these kind of communities who will be able to see this movie. And what about those who are also struggling in their economic situations but are not in such dire straights---could it not give a few them some hope too?

What is wrong with a happy ending?

 

there's been too many happy endings, they do nothing.

what kind of a person sees happiness in a single guy becoming millionaire? isn't this what's wrong with the world in the first place?

 

still sucks.

 

nuh, uh. they give us hope.

what kind of a person doesn't see happiness in a single guy who, all his life, faced the most overwhelming hardships with courage and steadfastness in making the right choices...become a millionaire?

isn't this good karma?

 

hope is what they use to fill up the lie ballon.

only a ignorant would consider money as a sign of good karma...

 

(Warning - Here, There Be Spoilers)

Happy Ending ...

But to get there a boy's eyes were gouged out, the brothers' mother was murdered, and Salim went out in a bloody gun battle suicide.

(Not to mention that shitty scene that was more gross than the Penn Station toilet/cell phone/chewing gum scene in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist)uke:

As mentioned in my blurb, I wasn't even planning to see this movie because it didn't appear to be my usual escapism. My cyberfriend in Wales convinced me to see it, and now I'm glad I did.

I watch and read the news. There are too many unhappy endings in reality. Which is why I like to go to feel-good movies and see some improbable, fictional happy endings.

The miserable real world will still be there for my angst after the two hours I escape it in a darkened room with a constructed alternate universe.

That's why we call it entertainment and why I pay my money for my momentary fix.

 

the people who are putting down this movie have no ground to stand on, things like 'still sucks'. If your going to come on a thread and put down something you need something to back it up. I haven't seen one decent reason as to why it's a bad movie because there are none! I mean, what are you trying to prove?

 

good point.

 

no they don't. no one needs to back up anything. people have opinions and don't have to justify them to anyone.

I haven't see the movie yet but will soon, probably today. I'm looking forward to it and will come back to post what I think... good or bad or somewhere in between.

 

why are you posting here if you haven't seen the movie yet? of course you don't have to do anything, we have free will and can do what we want. but there is no point coming into a thread just to say, 'it sucks'. These are discussion forums.

 

are you a control freak?

I happened to come here because I was interested in seeing the movie and wanted to see what people were saying about it. Not that I need a reason. LOLOL!!! I can post anywhere I want for no good reason. hahaha!

you're welcome to start your own thread called "Only post here if you agree with me". Good luck with that.

 

I agree with that. I get very irritated at ppl who just do a sound byte with no clarification or reason behind it.

Someone who just says "it sucks" about anything I always suspect they have real communication problems or lack the social graces of polite discussion.

They are likely too obtuse to realize that to everyone else, their "opinion" just sucks.

 

Now see, me on the other hand, I don't mind that they don't expand on their opinion. "It sucks" is good enough for me. I mean, it's nice if they expand on that, but not necessary. I prefer that people say exactly what they want to say exactly how they want to say it, within reason of say spam or such. Free speech is something I value tremendously. I know that sometimes it's hard for some people to put into words exactly why they feel as they do. We could ask them WHY they feel a certain way, instead of bashing them. Or not. LOL!

 

I hope you did not read my post right above this one. The one with the spoiler warning.

Anyhow, some of the spoiled stuff mentioned you could almost feel was gonna happen before it did. A sense of foreboding was set up. Still, it is nice to see even the obvious unfold without knowing the outcome to get its full impact.