Cranky Jennie ;-p

* Spoiler Alert - I will be mentioning parts of the movie in this blog, so if you haven’t seen it, don’t read my post!!!

Also, I may keep adding to this post because I’m not sure I’m getting down everything I want to say.  Like a college paper, I can only improve it each time I re-edit!

Recently, I went to see “Slumdog Millionaire” with a girlfriend.  I wanted to see what all of the hype was about.  Well, for once, the hype was right!  What a great movie.

Movies are supposed to be about telling a story, right?  Well, this movie returned to that premise.  From the start, you didn’t care if Jamal cheated to win.  You just wanted him to win (and not just the money).  There is a kindness and thoughtfulness in his eyes that promise the viewer that he’s not guilty.  This gift is delivered to the viewer through the soulful portrayal of the protagonist by actor Dev Patel.  He has a charm about him that is hard to describe, but nevertheless felt throughout the movie.

The viewer roots for Jamal from the beginning, when he jumps into the pile of excrement (TOTALLY DISGUSTING).  You cringe, you gasp, you cry — you EMOTE, which is the sign of a great flick!  Great movies, or books for that matter, deal with love, loss, persecution and redemption.  They guide you through the formative path of the main character, and if you’re lucky, multiple characters.  Few movies actually accomplish this.

Part of what makes a movie watchable is when there is a character the viewer wants to champion.  In “Slumdog Millionaire”, you want Jamal  to succeed because he exudes optimism.  Optimism is contagious and carries you through the movie and all of Jamal’s trials and tribulations.  His faith in himself and his path is indestructible.  No matter what happens to him, he is singularly focused.   You know (or at least, sincerely HOPE), that he will succeed, even against the worst odds.

Early on, you know that Salim, his brother, is his foil.  He is the ying to Jamal’s yang (or however that goes).  He is pessimistic and seemingly selfish, but in the end, even he is swayed by his brother’s optimism.  He ultimately sacrifices his life for the sake of his brother.  Although Salim seems to be selfish and narcissistic, he makes choices in the movie that clue you in to his inner turmoil.

I think the multi-layered characterizations are part of what makes this movie so great.  Sure, there are other movies where the actors become their characters and give a stellar performance.   However, in “Slumdog Millionaire” there’s that extra special SOMETHING.

That something is Jamal and his driving notion that he and Latika are meant to be together.  He doesn’t allow misfortune or tragedy to get in his way.  His path is clearly written, as far as he is concerned.  Wouldn’t life be great if we all felt that strongly?

When a movie capitalizes on the indomitable human spirit, how can you not become enraptured?  The pessimist in the movie, Latika, is eventually won over by Jamal’s resolve as well (and with some help from Salim).  She spent much of the movie just accepting whatever hardships were thrown in her way.  She didn’t fight or question.  She was the tragic and weakest character to me.   She was the victim who would continue to be victimized.  I felt pity for her, but also couldn’t refrain from having hope for her too.  Jamal inspired that hope.

If Hollywood would generate more movies like this one, I would be happy to spend my $25 (tickets and food) to see it.  A movie that “speaks” to you like this one did to me, truly is a rare thing.  I think this one may be my new favorite of all time.