Slumdog Millionaire

[pjthompson]

Fabulous, just fabulous.  Difficult to watch in parts because it is set is some of the poorest slums in India, but worth the journey, and not all doom and gloom.

Original and amazing.  A romance-thriller-coming of age-comedy-drama-gangster-quest-Rocky-social commentary movie.  Yeah, that's what it is.

And I'll say no more because that would just spoil the view for youse all.

ETA: Yes, the marketing has been somewhat misleading, calling this a "feel good" movie. This is a movie about crushing poverty, the brutality it causes, and the difficult decisions people have to make to survive. But it's also about never giving up, staying true to yourself, and staying focused on what's important. That's something to feel good about. It also raises the consciousness about the appalling conditions some people are forced to live in. Not a bad thing, especially in the glib West.

Comments

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

man, I want to see that movie!

[pjthompson]

obviously, I highly recommend. :-)

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

Tis the only reason I do anything, I confess! Because you declaire it to be so!

[hominysnark.livejournal.com]

Isn't that the reason for pretty much everything?

[pjthompson]

I'm glad you girls see the light.

[hominysnark.livejournal.com]

We hear and obey.

[pjthompson]

I've added an ETA for your dining and dancing pleasure.

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

shhh! I don't want to give it away!

[pjthompson]

Good. I'm glad you've got your head on straight.

[pjthompson]

Dude, you may want to read my ETA.

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

please, I saw Born In Brothels.

[pjthompson]

lol--well, I was referred to a review by some pretentious British bint who called it "poverty porn." PUH-leeze.

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

I saw. Clearly the revier is conservatist.

[pjthompson]

As evidence by the "ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist" line of her argument.

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

sort of like how I view spelling

[julia-reynolds.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it yet, but wonder if you agree with this op-ed I read. The author sees the film as exploitive "poverty porn." What is your reaction to this?

[julia-reynolds.livejournal.com]

Er, the link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/alice_miles/article5511650.ece

[pjthompson]

p.s. Did you read all the comments? She got several things wrong in her review.

[pjthompson]

I think she called it on herself: she's shallow--and a stupid bint to boot. ;-) I will not downgrade the violence and the poverty, but I won't look away from it, either. She seems to suggest that anyone who wants to face up to it is indulging some kind of fetish, which is just bullshit. Even so, the worst of the violence and degradation is implied, not shown graphically. And the spirit of Jamal, the hero, refuses to be crushed.

The story is about survival and the ways in which children are forced to choose: some walk a straight path, some a crooked path. I will agree with her that the marketing left something to be desired by pitching "feel good." This isn't Bollywood, yet ultimately, there is a sense of satisfaction in what happens, and an intentional homage to Bollywood. It isn't poverty porn.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

I agree -- anyone who advertises that as a happy movie is setting some people with queasy stomachs up for a rough go.

[pjthompson]

Ann, who went with me, had a rough time. For the first half hour, she kept saying, "I'm going to kill Paula" (the lady who recommended it to her so cryptically. Ultimately, though, she said it was worth the journey and she's glad she saw it.

Mind you, Ann has been to India and seen some of this first hand, though not the brutality.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Wow...

[pjthompson]

She said the beggar scenes were particularly well done. She also got a huge laugh over the bottled water scene (when they worked in the restaurant) because although they never drank anything but bottled water they still got sick--and they speculated about just such an occurrence as happened in the movie.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's one of those things that made me laugh, and yet... I don't think I'll be buying bottled water and restaurants like that anymore.

[pjthompson]

lol

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing good things about that movie. I'll have to see it soon. :)

[pjthompson]

It's an eye-opener.