One of the most unexpected Best Picture winners in the history of the Oscars, Slumdog Millionaire went from being a small, $15 million movie from Danny Boyle, to becoming the novel movie on everyone's lips at the end of 2008. This is a charming story about a young man, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), who plays the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and manages to exceed expectations, causing the local police to assume that he has somehow cheated. Through flashbacks, we learn how his hard life in the slums of Mumbai gave him all the knowledge he needed to answer every question correctly. Boyle's movie riffs gently on the nature of fate, but smartly doesn't force it down our throats, making it immensely enjoyable whether you subscribe to its musings or not. It is Boyle's directorial energy above all else that makes the film such a breeze to watch, combined with Patel's sure leading appeal, making him a character audiences can effortlessly root for. Trust a director of Danny Boyle's caliber to take a potentially niche story and turn it into one of the best films of 2008, and a colossal box office success.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
