Survival, destiny, love, and money

The story of "Slumdog Millionaire" revolves around Jamal Malik, a young man whose entire life was built upon survival. Born in the slums of Mumbai, India, Jamal's journey through life is filled with excitement, fear, love, and loneliness. He has one determination throughout the story, to fulfill his destiny of being with Latika, a girl he meets shortly after the death of his mother. He finds Latika at multiple occasions in his life, only to repeatedly lose her to unfair circumstances, often caused by his companion and older brother, Salim. This determination eventually leads to Jamal becoming a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", in hopes that he may find his lost love again.

The film is a masterpiece of multiple genres. It is mostly a terrific film about love, revolving around Jamal's devotion to being with Latika. But it is also a drama, with crime and gangsters and betrayals.

The storyline manages to be both linear and complex at the same time. All the flashbacks are shown in chronological order, but each shows how each character has evolved at that point in time. For example, at times, Salim is incredibly thoughtful and protective of his younger brother. And at other times, when circumstances have changed, and he sees a selfish opportunity to success, he is willing to completely crush Jamal's feelings.

There is also a lot of comedy in the film, thanks to an excellent screenplay. Strange circumstances and clever wordplay lead the audience to laughter in a way that is usually unheard of in films of this type.

Perhaps the greatest element of the film, however, is the soundtrack. A.R. Rahman creates a mix of classic Indian music and strong percussion to create a fitting score for the film. Every important part of the movie, whether it be a chase scene or one of romance, is enhanced by overwhelmingly perfect music. "O...Saya", which was composed and performed by A.R. Rahman and popular artist M.I.A., and "Latika's Theme" are two particularly great examples of how the music has an enormous impact on the tones of certain scenes. In the later parts of the film, where the acting slowly starts to lose its charm, the music is one of the only elements that makes the audience smile or tear up.

Director Danny Boyle also does an incredible job at portraying both slum life and city-life in a modern India. There are scenes where the camera positioning and zoom are sharply changed - something that would normally be annoying in most films - but it is done so well in touch with the music that it is almost indiscernible.

If there is one weakness in the film, it is lead actor Dev Patel. Throughout the film, his facial expressions are incredibly bland. The only way to see what emotions his character might be going through is through the dialog. His face at his happiest moment is the same as at his saddest: wide-eyed and a slightly open mouth.

It is truly a shame for Patel's acting to be the weak link in the film, considering that Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, who played the young Jamal Malik, turned out to be an incredible actor. His portrayal of a boy whose only worry is survival is incredible. One particularly memorable scene occurs in which Jamal walks along with his older brother, in hopes that his singing abilities will pave a way for his future. In a truly childlike joyful manner he says, "Aaj hamara time badalgaya, bhai" (Subtitled:"The good life, here we come"). That one line is so incredibly believable that it invokes memories within audience members of times when they were young and things were going well for them.

Overall, the film is easily one of the best of the year. The poor acting by the lead actor is greatly overcome by the strong script, cinematography, and soundtrack.

Rating: 5/5