Slumdoggin'

Yep, I watched - along with my dorm basement - Slumdog Millionaire on Sunday night. Since I have nothing better to write about, here we are.

I guess I have to write about the poverty first - being poor is a shitty experience, clearly. The young kids (not actors, they were genuine poor kids) were absolutely brilliant at portraying Jamal, Salim, and Latika. Images make poverty seem much more real. You can read about poverty, and you know intellectually it sucks, but the images are the gut-punch. And from what I hear, the poverty situation is actually worse than depicted. Yes, gangsters really do blind beggars and all of that.

My parents watched Who Wants to be a Millionaire quite a bit back in the day. The host of Who Wants to be a Crorepati sure was an asshole. Regis never was an asshole. He always made the contestant feel good. And he didn't know the answers either. (Also, the show was taped.)

What pissed me off the most was the camera work. Everything was so ADD. Whatever happened to nice long leisurely scenes where nothing much happens, like the UK Office? I hate all these rapid jump cuts. Sadly, no one will ever realize that I am always right about movies. Oh well, the story sure was good, and quite original, I think. For instance - on the penultimate question, Jamal got it right because he learned how to read people as a slumdog. Not sure if that was ever made explicit, but that's how I read the scene.

Oh yeah, complaints - love story! I dislike love stories where the lovers are always apart. On the Office, Jim and Pam had the amazing chemistry and tension because we saw them together a great deal. And so we felt (or I felt, anyway) strongly about them. Never could muster up too much feeling for the twu wuv of Jamal and Latika.

Something else that bugged me - Mumbai's pretty big. Just saying. Sure, chance meetings can happen there. But it's a big city.

Might as well mention the best part: A good Indian movie needs two things: a big dance number and Shahrukh Khan. And this film had one of 'em! I wonder if Sir SRK will ever appear in an American film - he totally should.

Oh yeah, random other tangential Office connection: Jamal stole sandals from the Taj Mahal, and that kinda reminded me of the scene in Diwali where Angela watched over the footwear to make sure no one stole any. I assume the real Taj Mahal employs Angela or her Indian equivalent.

I see I've spent most of this entry complaining - I actually really enjoyed the movie. It's just easier to complain. :) I would recommend it to anyone.