SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE *****

When I walk into a movie I try to clear my mind of any previous critique I have read or heard. If I'm lucky I will have not been exposed to early reviews, but that can be hard. When I walk out of the movie I start creating my critique and how I will translate my thoughts into words. I like to rate movies by comparing them to other movies. Slumdog Millionaire is now the movie, all other movies will be compared to. I have been wanting a new number one movie on my comparison list, and Slumdog delivered.

Jamal Malik(Dev Patel) is a 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbia, who is sitting in the hot seat of India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. When the show takes a break in filming for the night, Jamel is arrested for suspicion of cheating. How did he know all these answers? As he sits in the police station he is forced to reveal why he is being so successful.

Over the course of the next two hours we will travel on Jamal's journey as he explains how each question coincides with events that happened to him as a child. Jamal shares his adventures with his brother Salim(Madhur Mattil ) as they fought to stay alive, make money and find shelter. Their encounter with Latika(Freida Pinto) , a young girl who disappears from Jamal and his brother, are brought together by fate years later, in very unfortunate circumstances.

As Jamal is finally released on the night of the final episode of the game show, he walks into the studio uncertain of how this night will change the way he has lived for so many years. As the lights go down, the music starts and the host says those famous words, "Is that your final answer?" You will be sitting at the edge of your seat, like the 60 million viewers who turned in all around India to witness this life-changing event.

This review has been one of the easiest for me to write because the story is so well constructed. I didn't need to reveal the events that take place in flashbacks becuase just the underlying message and concept is enough to hopefully get people into the theaters.

First and foremost the acting is superb. Basically all unknowns to American audiences, some actors were pulled from the slums of Mubai and others are actors in India's Bollywood. There are three portrayals of the main characters; young children, middle aged teens and then the adult versions. Each range of actors playing remarkable characters, bringing an emotional connection that translate from one scene to the next.

Slumdog is based on the book, Q and A. I haven't read the book, but I can only imagine it was adapted with perfection. When you watch this movie you can't help but wonder how director Danny Boyle was able to conquer the world of Mubai. The way he is able to expose the city, work with the locals, create the fast moving and exhilarating shots at such a consistent speed, is truly magical.

Before I saw Slumdog I was wondering how a movie could win best picture from almost all early season awards given out, without having any of it's actors winning awards? You automatically think that the acting has to carry a story, in the end makes a movie watchable. However, for the first time I realized why Slumdog was so successful without the acting accolades. The movie is such a wonderful package of casting, story, cinematography, sound, etc. that you don't need a cast to carry this movie, although they are remarkable, it's the first time a movie has blown me away from start to finish with never once questioning anything I saw on screen.