This is topic Slumdog Millionaire (2008) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 11-08-2008, 05:50 PM:
What a fantastic movie! A friend asked me if I wanted to go, I took a quick look at IMDB and said Sure. If I had noticed that this was the upcoming Danny Boyle picture, I might not have gone.
Boyle was very creative in using Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as the impetus to learn about the main character's life. He's 18 now, and we see him beginning at about age 6. The actors are all excellent, living their roles, not acting. We see how India has changed over the last decade-plus and how that affects the lives of these Muslim children born into poverty.
My friend and I were thoroughly engrossed, and after the movie, the buzz was positive. Stay through the end titles for the Bollywood musical number!
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-06-2008, 12:50 AM:
This week the National Board of Review gave Slumdog Millionaire its 2008 Best Picture Award.
Posted by Alex Rolfe (Member # 1648) on 12-13-2008, 11:02 AM:
The mixing of past and present action was neat and well done. Much of story, especially the WWBM part, pushes the bounds of plausibility, but that gives it a feeling like a gritty fairytale. Overall, 7/10.
The song at the beginning of the credits doesn't really qualify as a Bollywood song since
- it only used one location instead of ten
- it only used one change of costume for the lead actor and actress instead of fifteen
- they weren't lip-syncing the words
Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 12-14-2008, 07:35 PM:
This movie is extraordinarily cheesy and contrived. It has plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. I found the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire stuff to be way more interesting than the flashbacks, and yet it wasn't nearly as compelling as an actual episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And I don't even watch that show.
Here's a question. Why do people consider the photography in this thing to be good?
And maybe this has something to do with the fact that I drank a large Coke Zero while watching the movie, and had to pee really bad during the last half hour, but it seemed to go on forever. I was, like, two reels ahead of this movie every step of the way, and I just wanted them to get on with it so that I could go to the bathroom. And then it keeps going through the credits! (which, admittedly was the best part)
Every time Boyle comes out with a movie, there's some "friend" of mine that say, "Oh, man, it's awesome! You have to see it!" And then I do, and it sucks, and I swear I'll never see another one of his movies again. Someday, I'll learn...
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-14-2008, 08:40 PM:
Okay...so I was at the AFI/Silver on Saturday on other business and this film happened to be playing...it had been doing well so I decided to take a peek...
Slumdog Millionare tells the story, in flashback, of a kid born in poverty, in India, that finds himself in an Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionare?"
We learn how this young adult is doing well on the show, despite his obvious lack of scholarly upbringing. As some have noted, the story is contrived in a Forest Gump sort of way. His life experiences just happen to fit the questions being asked of him. The story is told in flash-back.
For me the story was pretty poor...the acting was pretty darn good, the photography was incompetent and the sound, while clean, was uninspired...though the music was good.
I'm guessing that film was used, sparingly, in the photography as the grains are uber-bolder sized and there are horizontal steaks, like scan lines, in all dark portions of any frame, so video was in there somewhere. I can not state enough just how piss-poor the quality of image is on this movie. I'm amazed that it was released in "scope." There wasn't enough data on the image to fill the screen.
I'll give the movie about a 2/5...mostly for the acting...again superb.
Steve
Posted by Paul Burt (Member # 3743) on 12-15-2008, 02:03 AM:
My favorite film at September's Telluride Film Festival. Smart fast-paced colorful semi-fantasy with touches of Bollywood and a thriller edge. Loads of fun if you let yourself go with it and don't haver to pee too badly. 4.5/5
Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 01-28-2009, 11:13 AM:
Once I caught on in the first few minutes that the game show was a vehicle with which to explore the character's life, I found myself just wanting to find out the next question to see if I knew the answer. I was quite bored throughout - never caring about any of the characters. It was like they were all plucked from other good movies. The music was good. I truly do not understand how this is winning/getting nominated for so many awards. I didn't think it was terrible, just not nearly as good as some are making it out to be.
Posted by Louis Belloisy (Member # 3836) on 01-28-2009, 02:59 PM:
I don't understand the hype over this film. I had to watch it after I put it together. I looked at my watch each and every 10 minutes, waiting for it to be over.
First of all, the cinematography is terrible, acting is horrible, especially the game host. The academy has its head buried up their collective butts.
I have been a professional photographer for 30 years, and i think i know good photography when i see it. this stinks.
Again, as i stated in a post last week, its all about the bottom line. Most of the patrons who come to see this film are of the artsy type. It has been our experience that when we have a film that appeals to the artsy crowd, we don't sell concession. Artsy people = cheap.
Louis
Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 01-28-2009, 03:45 PM:
We opened this film in mid-November on 2 screens. After several weeks, it dropped down to 1 screen. Then after the Golden Globes and Oscars, a 2nd print came back and we're now running this on our two largest screens for 7 shows a day.
I saw the film after building our new 2nd print. I'll agree about the comments regarding the photography. And while the film was okay for me, it certainly isn't 'best picture' material. But then again, I've not agreed with the adademy for years...
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-25-2009, 10:36 PM:
YUK!
2 outta 5
Posted by Sally Ann Burgess (Member # 4746) on 02-26-2009, 08:46 PM:
There is NO WAY that in real life, a question on Millionaire would be asked on this show, and for then to be a break.
My favourite part was the song at the end. I enjoyed this movie but didn't think it deserved Best Picture. TDK was better than this but then what do I know?
Posted by Justin Gorka (Member # 3727) on 02-27-2009, 07:12 PM:
Boring
Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 2038) on 03-03-2009, 07:50 AM:
We're still running it, 5th week for us, interest is now waning. I thought it was okay, not Best Picture tho. As we keep running it, those high-pitched screechy voices are getting on my nerves more and more.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-19-2009, 02:00 PM:
We just wrapped it up.
Crowds - crappy except 1 night (Saturday). Not a small-town picture, apparently.
Film condition - Dog-shit.
Audience reaction - Several teen walkouts, some loved it though. One 50-ish guy said it was "horrible." Ladies seemed to like it more than men.
I watched bits and pieces here and there but couldn't bring myself to watch more than a few seconds due to the amazingly bad condition of the film. Thanks, Fox and Deluxe!
Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 03-19-2009, 04:20 PM:
Were in our 12th week with this one. The more I look at it the more I like it but it would have been better if it did not revolve around the game show. Those scenes ruin it.
Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 03-19-2009, 11:10 PM:
The right film at the right time. It just crosses over to a lot of different demographics. Even our town kids liked it.
We played it for three weeks in Feb, unheard of in our resort town of 3000-4000. (Last film we played for three weeks was SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.) Because we committed for two weeks we got a new print. We had our best Feb ever in the past 25 years thanks to SLUMDOG.
I can't wait for Danny Boyle's next film. He constantly surprises.
Posted by Andy Frodsham (Member # 4061) on 03-24-2009, 05:47 PM:
Average overall, but considerably over-rated.
Ethnic Oscar fodder!
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 01-30-2014, 12:45 AM:
It has been 1772 days since the last post.
Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 01-30-2014, 12:45 AM:
I remember watching Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 on its first viewing and it was very good, Oscar worthy. The second viewing which I watched tonight was not as good or did not have as much of an impact as it did when I first watched it. It does not make a very good movie for repeat viewing.