everybody loves a rags-to-riches story. who doesn't? moisturize with romance, it makes an even flawless texture. but wait there's more, spice it up with some bollywood-style movie making, you have a frenzy.
jamal is a mess. add another musketeer, his brother salim makes it twice the mess. worse, they're at the bottom pit of india's stratified society. orphaned when their mother was violently bludgeoned to death during a hindu-muslim conflict. adopted by a notorious syndicate that deploys children to the streets. even blinding them as these blind kiddie beggars singing india's novelty are a boon to his business. salim couldn't take this anymore and escaped with his brother leaving their third musketeer, latika, jamal's one true love, at the whims of their loathed foster father-slash-slumdog master. life has changed since and getting latika back safely became jamal's mission. the primary reason he joined the worldwide phenom game show, 'who wants to be a millionaire?'. and yeah, the indian version.
to be nonchalant about it, he aced his way to 20 million rupees, the game show's top prize. ooops, spoiler! =P but the more thrilling about his winning are the impressing references to the highlights of his destitute yet colorful life to each game's question. incredibly unbelievable, you may say. you will ponder its believability after you watch the movie. but it's a visual feast and a fine cinematic experience, nevertheless. hats off to danny boyle and co-director loveleen tandan. boyle's last pride was trainspotting which was eons ago.
what's more striking about the movie is its inference of india to the world, bollywood to the world to be exact. although, they have already gained quite a following outside india, me included**, this movie will cause a stir to world cinema. hollywood can't beat the largest film producer in the world. best if they collaborate. and that infusion of both production powerhouses is imminent in this movie.
notably though, despite the economic boom in india, it hardly blemishes the decrepit condition of its poor, the movie is very successful in presenting their appalling situation. brutal and survival of the fittest. another note is its striking parallelism to filipino poverty, except that they're more in india. above all, love is a central theme to most of bollywood movies i have seen. love despite strife and struggle on life's challenges. in the end, love prevails. with a dance number.
but did he find his one true love?
D. it is written.
will this movie merit an oscar?
E. my take, no. but oscar will, perhaps.
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