So I've reached #2 of 5 Best Picture nominees, and must say that, while it didn't quite live up to the hype it has built for itself, Slumdog is a good picture in a number of ways.
The movie starts out with the main characters as children living in the poorest parts of Mumbai, India. It is apparent early on that of the two brothers who the story follows, the older one is dominant and frankly an a-hole, and the younger is timid and, while cunning and self reliant at times, basically a submissive follower. When their hometown is pillaged, the two boys, and a young girl they help out, are left to run and fend for themselves. The girl and the younger brother develop a bond that continues throughout the movie. This sets the stage for a coming of age story of the three as they age from children, to adolescents, to young adults. 3 different actors for each of the 3 main characters are used, and actually look fairly similar to each other. I guess that's not too difficult when there are 1.2 billion people to choose from.
Anyway, the interesting part of the story, is the way it is told. The main character, Dev Patal, is on India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and because he's a bum and is doing well, they assume he is cheating. So, he goes through his life with the detective, ala The Usual Suspects, detailing how he knew each answer. **SPOILER ALERT** Dev does not end up being Keyser Sose. It was very convenient that the order he was asked the questions on the game show also corresponded directly with the timeline of his life...weird.
The obvious artistic liberties aside, Slumdog Millionaire really puts you in the shoes of lower class India and the horrible conditions people live in. It is a tragic yet heartwarming story, and one which I would definitely recommend.
Rankings of 2008 Movies I've Seen
1. Gran Torino
2. The Dark Knight
3. Slumdog Millionaire
4. The Wrestler
5. Tropic Thunder
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
7. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
8. Cloverfield
9. The Strangers
10. Quarantine
11. The Chronicles of Narnia: Price Caspian
12. Get Smart
13. The Reader
14. Definitely, Maybe
15. Wanted
16. The Other Boleyn Girl
17. Saw V
18. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Still a ton I want to see.
On a side note, "Taken" is an awesome use of 90 minutes. Thoroughly entertaining, especially if you are a Liam Neeson fan, which I emphatically am.
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Update: Just saw Iron Man last night. I read somewhere that it should be considered the top movie of 2008...I disagree. It was good, but nothing fantastic IMO. I would put it around #9 on my list for 2008.
All I can say is, thank God Terrance Howard isn't in the next 2 movies...he sucked.
I am just wondering how Indiana Jones IV was on the top 20?
Because I just listed every 2008 movie I've seen. It is an emphatic last.
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