SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best picture. Final answer.

Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle's surprising new film, is one of the best I've seen in a long time.

The movie focuses on an impoverished boy living in the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? and advances to the top-dollar question.

In short, it's the story of my life, except for the part about being an impoverished boy living in the slums of Mumbai and advancing to the top-dollar question.

While it's an unabashedly feel-good, romantic, Dickensian Hollywood fantasy, Slumdog beautifully and painfully captures the deep poverty of India in a way like no other.

The cinematography alone makes the film a must-see. Boyle collaborated with an Indian co-director, Loveleen Tandan, who, shamefully, doesn't get much billing. Tandan's knowledge of how to film India from an insider's perspective with Boyle's frenetic style make for a strong pairing. With M.I.A., bhangra beats, and a booming tabla lacing the soundtrack, the movie is an audio-visual feast.

Stay for the closing credits.

The trailer:

Thanks, Zahir, for the recommendation!

--Junichi