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Slumdog Wowser
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is "a huge crowd pleaser," a friend in Telluride wrote me late last night. "The ending pays off big time. The audience went wild. It reminded me of the audience reaction to Juno here last year." Are you getting this, John Horn?
Fox Searchlight will open Slumdog Millionaire, which is based on Vikas Swarup's novel "Q & A," on 11.28. The film is slated to show at the soon-to-begin Toronto Film Festival on 11.28.
A Fox Searchlight synopsis reads as follows: "Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
"But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much?
"Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions.
"Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded police inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show?
"When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the inspector and 60 million viewers are about to find out."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 31, 2008 at 5:51 AM
comment #1
ZacharyTF
says ...
20 million rupees? Isn't that about $5 U.S.? ;)
Posted by ZacharyTF
at August 31, 2008 7:49 AM
comment #2
Richardson
says ...
I'm not surprised. Danny Boyle hit huge with 'Trainspotting', then fell apart pretty quickly, but very few people seem to notice that he's quietly become one of the most interesting and underrated filmmakers of the new millennium.
'28 days later...' - pretty good
'Millions' - great
'Sunshine' - great, though some people dislike the third act
I am beginning to always look forward to Danny Boyle.
Posted by Richardson
at August 31, 2008 11:28 AM
comment #3
The Winchester
says ...
Even Boyle's failures are far more interesting films than 80% of Hollywood successes.
(Full disclosure, though, I don't find Life Less Ordinary a failure at all, but I would call The Beach one)
Posted by The Winchester
at August 31, 2008 3:56 PM
comment #4
JD
says ...
Sunshine and Millions are both terrific. Boyle has actually managed to suppress the shortcomings that were present in even his best early work (ie. Trainspotting) and emerged as a rare filmmaker who combines insight, humanism and virtuoso visual flair in his films. Judging from everything I've heard so far, Slumdog Millionaire sounds like another gem.
Posted by JD
at August 31, 2008 4:55 PM
comment #5
calraigh
says ...
Not to mention Shallow Grave , one of the best dèbuts by a director, ever made! Christopher Ecclestone was incredible in that movie.
Posted by calraigh
at August 31, 2008 5:41 PM
comment #6
Richardson
says ...
Winch - I was a 'Life Less Ordinary' fan for a long time, but I think I watched it once too often and its shortcomings became too strong. For me, it's too much of a Coen brothers riff, and doesn't bring enough new into the stew. But, boy, it sure has its moments.
I still haven't watched 'The Beach'. I want to, but I kind of dread it at the same time, because Boyle has built up so much good will from me recently.
cal - I kind of prefer 'Shallow Grave' to 'Trainspotting', actually. Or did at the time -- haven't seen either one in a while.
Posted by Richardson
at September 1, 2008 11:08 AM
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