Slumdog Millionaire

Mr. Boyle goes to Bollywood? Not quite…

Of all the plot devices that have been used to lead audiences through a character’s life story, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire is at least a novel one. But it could have made this rags-to-potential-riches tale rather artificial and sentimental as ‘chai-wallah’(full-time tea boy) Jamal explains how he could answer his way to the final question on the Indian version of the quiz show.

Good job Danny Boyle is at the helm of this adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s novel Q & A then. Boyle dispels any fears that he’s gone soft in the first few minutes, and just about manages to balance sentiment and realism throughout, delivering an old-fashioned feel-good film that doesn’t stick in the throat.

There is a lot of triumph-over-adversity, but then there’s a lot of adversity in Jamal, brother Amin and love interest Latika’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again from the slums. Boyle (assisted by Indian co-director Loveleen Tandan) deploys all his visual flair and deft pacing- backed by a pulsing Hindi hip-hop soundtrack- to capture India’s fabled squalor and chaos as well as its vibrant, exuberant spirit.

The performances are never less than convincing; Dev Patel underplays it nicely as the older Jamal, and Anil Kapoor makes his preening host more than just another example of the corrupting power of wealth. The quiz itself is never allowed to intrude into the narrative too much, as the answers are central to more and more important parts of Jamal’s life, and at times it’s easy to forget about the quiz altogether.

Slumdog isn’t without its flaws- the unfortunate lack of chemistry between Jamal and Latika (charming as they both are) makes all the talk of destiny seem a bit far-fetched. But it’s easy to forgive this touch of Bollywood in a film that convincingly portrays India as a country where anything can- and does- happen.

IN SHORT
Trainspotting it ain’t, but even the most hardened cynic will find it difficult not to be carried away by the sheer charm of this pacy, uplifting fable. Danny’s done it again.