1/19/2009 3:28 AM
posted awhile ago
Re:Please Explain to Me Why Slumdog Millionaire Does Not Suck
I went to go see this with Mandy tonight and I thought I would give a crack at explaining why I enjoyed it even though I'm not totally sure what I think. Perhaps while writing it will come to me that the movie DID suck.
Things I liked: the camera work, the soundtrack, and the young actors. I also REALLY like movies where good things happen. I think its way too depressing to always have terrible things happen just because its like "real life." When I go to the movies, sometimes I just want to be super happy for the characters. YAY! GOOD THINGS HAPPEN SOMETIMES IN REAL LIFE TOO!
Anyway, I also liked the cycles within the film. I know that is one of the things you disliked, but the repetative structure worked for me. The cycle of question and memory was not so rigid that it didnt still feel like a fluid story to me. And the cycle of betrayal and redemption between the two brothers was probably my favorite part of the film. I know you thought that Salim's reform was "inexplicable" but I saw it as the last part in a cycle.
Stuff I didnt like: the flatness of the adult characters and the odd mix of debauchery within a tale about the absurd. You spoke pretty adeptly about the adult actors so I wont go into it. But I continue to be bothered by how strangely the movie works in regards to its mix of light and dark material. It shows the slums as beautiful with sweeping camera shots and orchestral music as kids playfully scamper away from security guards. But then we see how those kids might be treated if they were caught when Jamal is tortured later in the film by the police. Or when the men from the "Orphanage" come and take the kids to create maximum profit beggars by making them blind or lame.
I guess in the end, this is a film that is more deceptive than it appears. Its fun to watch, the ending is happy, and everyone can leave knowing that two more slum kids will have mega bucks and love to keep them warm at night. But in reality thats pretty slippery ground to end the movie on. In retrospect it smacks a bit of exploitation and Hollywood sweets. What about the rest of the orphan kids? What about the terrifying corruption and evil we witnessed throughout the rest of the film? Maybe I'm thinking about it too much, but I am starting to wonder if other people are not thinking about it enough.
I dont know. Some films are not meant for some people. My aunt didnt like the Dark Knight because it was . . . . .TOO DARK. Well, fair enough. Maybe you didnt like this movie because you hate love? Fortunately, I doubt that. So, back to the question at hand: Did this movie "suck?" No, it didnt. But it wasn't great either.
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