"Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire" by Chandrawattie Kadar

Movie Review:
Slumdog Millionaire

by Chandrawattie Kadar

Slumdog Millionaire is a British film directed by Danny Boyle in 2008. Slumdog Millionaire was written by Simon Beaufoy and cofirected in India by Loveleen Tandan. This movie travelled from the slum to the big screen to the red carpet. Slumdog was nominated for ten 2008 Academy Awards and won eight--the most for any film this year, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director." Slumdog Millionaire also won five Critic's Choice Awards, four Golden Globes and seven BAFTA Awards, including "Best Film."

Even with all its success and fame, Slumdog Millionaire was and is a film that is a portrait of India. Slumdog Millionaire is a very heartfelt story that portrays the love that two people can share over time, but it also shows the everyday life of kids in India and the problems that they have to face each day, living in the slums. Can you imagine living in a tent, where there is no running water or electricity or anything of that sort? After watching Slumdog Millionaire, you would want to take back all the bad things you have ever said about your life. You would consider yourself lucky to have all the privileges you have.

Slumdog's Plot

Slumdog Millionaire is about an 18-year-old boy named Jamal Malik. Jamal is an orphan from the slums of Mumbai. Every day for him is a struggle until the day arrives when he makes his appearance on the popular TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" With the whole nation watching, Jamal is one question away from winning an astonishing 20 million rupees. But things get fishy when the show breaks for the night, and the police become suspicious that Jamal might be cheating. I mean, how could a kid from the slums know all the answers to the questions, right? Wrong! Maybe Jamal wasn't cheating. Maybe his experiences and the things he has witnessed have led him to know the answers to the questions being asked. Jamal is now desperate to prove he is innocent, so he tells his story about growing up in the slums with his brother, Salim, and the girl he loved and lost, Latika. The inspector gets interested in Jamal's story and wonders what a young man with no desire for riches is doing on a show like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" But when the final day arrives, the Inspector and the sixty million viewers will find out the real reason Jamal went on the show.

About the Actors

Who on earth is Dev Patel? That's the question hundreds of people are asking. Well, guys, Dev Patel plays one of the main characters in the BEST movie of 2008: Slumdog Millionaire. Dev Patel is an 18-year-old Britich film and television actor, as well as a martial artist. He was born on April 23rd, 1990. Dev is best known for his performances on British television, such as the role of Anwar Kharral in the the teen drama series "Skins" and many more. Dev is a martial artist and is a black belt in Taekwondo. He was even a bronze medalist at the 2004 AIMAA World Championships in Dublin.

Frieda Pinto was born on October 18th, 1984 in Mumbai, India. Frieda was one of two daughters born to bank manager Frederick Pinto and his wife Sylvia, a school principal. Her sister Sharon recently became an associate producer for the NDTV news channel. Pinto always dreamt of becoming and actress. Her dream started to come true after she graduated from St. Xavier College in Mumbai. Frieda worked as a popular model on the Indian circuit. Now Frieda has gone from model to Oscar-winner. Ms. Pinto decided to make her acting dream a reality in 2006 when she auditioned for the heroine-role of Latika, an orphan living in the slums in Slumdog Millionaire. She trained for six months with an acting coach, and the coaching seems to have paid off.