Slumdog Millionaire ***1/2

Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor
Director: Danny Boyle
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Jamal Malik (Patel) is a “slumdog” – a poor boy – from the streets of Mumbai. And yet, when he ends up on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, he answers enough questions correctly to get to the final round. He wins 10 million rupees before time runs out for the episode. He will need to come back the next day for the final question, but as he is leaving the studio, the police take him in for questioning. They are sure that he has cheated, given his roots. After a torture session, he begins to recount how he has come to know the answers to the questions. This involves a flashback tour of his life that includes two other significant players: his brother Salim (Mittal) and the girl he loves, Latika (Pinto).

“Slumdog Millionaire” is a well told story of a boy’s attempt to make it from the slums of India and find the girl of his dreams. Despite its early gloominess, it is surprisingly uplifting. Crossing genres, this film is a romance, mystery, and thriller all at once. The framing of the story around the questions of the game show adds to its uniqueness. The actors, while not grizzled veterans, embody their characters and are thoroughly likeable. “Slumdog Millionaire” is very much worth checking out. It is the Oscar favorite for best picture, and I would not be surprised if it walks away with the trophy.