Slumdog Millionaire

We don’t get to go to the movies much anymore so when we do we try to make it worthwhile.  I’ve been disappointed at the last few movies I’ve seen in a theater like Burn after Reading.  I just did not get that whole thing.  Brad Pitt acting like a moron for 2 hours – I don’t understand.

When I heard about the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I had to admit it sounded some like gangster movie with Mark Wahlberg or perhaps Al Pacino.  After reading about it  I was pretty eager to go see it even though I hadn’t read the book.  What a refreshing movie.  I loved that it showed that side of India, which many Americans don’t know about – the corruption, the mafia like culture, exploitation of children, etc.  Yes, still in 2008.  The way the whole movie was tied into an episode of the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” was creative and unique.

What people may not know is that Anil Kapoor is a  Bollywood star.  Bollywood movies are fun to watch and all contain one or more of these elements: dancing, romance, betrayal, long lost love, and just basically a lot of melodrama.  I was happy to see them in this film where they could show a different kind of their acting skill.

The music in the film was M.I.A., one of my favorite artists, which suited the theme perfectly.

It’s nice to see good Indian actors in a movie about Indian people in India.  I’m still a little disappointed when I remember  Ben Kingsley and Amy Irving with dark makeup on their faces.  There are so many stories and truths that need to be heard from India and many talented people there that can do it.