Is it luck or is it destiny?

When I put together my Top 10 Movies of 2008 list earlier this month, I still hadn't seen Slumdog Millionaire.  I had heard Wild Willie heap quite a bit of praise onto the film over New Years, and after it beat out heavyweights for the Best Dramatic Motion Picture award at the Golden Globes, I was even more intrigued to know what I had missed.  Well, I just might agree with Willie on this one--I'm revising my list and placing this at number one.  

Now I haven't tried to hide the fact that I'm a sucker for romance.  It's a genre that if done right, seems to hit a deep chord that moves me in ways that no other type of film can.  This seems like it should be a natural feeling about good romantic films in general, though.  After all, what gives us the most joy in life if not love?  In Slumdog Millionaire, director Danny Boyle takes us on a journey of love in a most unconventional way. 

The film opens with a young man named Jamal being tortured by the police as they try and figure out how he cheated to get to the penultimate round of India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Jamal is a "slumdog," a kid who grew up in the ghettos of Mumbai with the lowest social class of India's poor.  Most scientists, doctors, and lawyers couldn't even get past the 50,000 rupees stage, so how could a slumdog know so much if he didn't cheat?  Using the game show as a backdrop, Jamal tells his life story.  As a result, we learn how he came up with the correct answers and why he became a contestant on the show in the first place (hint: it wasn't for money).  

Relative newcomers Dev Patel (Jamal), Freida Pinto (Latika), and the rest of the supporting cast do a fine job in their roles.  However, this isn't a movie that relies on star power or heavy acting.  Instead, Danny Boyle keeps us riveted to the story and really is the one who makes us care about Jamal and his destiny.  Boyle is fast becoming one of the most versatile directors in the business and adept at mastering various genres of film. I've been amazed that a guy that first got noticed making such a dark movie like Trainspotting could go on to make a family-oriented film like Millions, sci-fi/horror like 28 Days Later, and now an uplifting romance picture like Slumdog Millionaire.  The original score by A.R. Rahman also has a prominent and vital role in providing a soul to the film.  The music never seems intrusive or over-the-top, yet invokes just the right amount of mood to let your own emotions take over.  I've often said in the movie reviews I write on this blog that memorable original music soundtracks are sorely missing in films these days.  Glad to see that someone remembered that great filmmaking needs great music, too.  

Now some could argue that Slumdog Millionaire, despite some of the harsh realities of Indian poverty portrayed in the film, isn't grounded in reality at all.  One might have to suspend some amount of disbelief to think that the questions posed to Jamal on the gameshow are in the exact same order as they pertain to events in his life.  One might complain that the bond between Jamal and Latika isn't properly developed.  And in some ways, I might agree with that.  Yet, the film's primary argument, that we all have a destiny, gives us the reason to believe what's going on.  This is the kind of film where I gladly buy into the central premise wholeheartedly, and check reality at the door.  In some sense, it is giving a glimpse of the true reality of the human condition, our despair and hope, anger and happiness, loss and love. It's a magical movie that can't be missed.  Maybe we do have a destiny waiting for us all.  Maybe it is written.