Visually it was very good - excellent color throughout the film - great shots of Mumbai at night.
I definitely thought it was overhyped - it was enjoyable but, as stated by others, too intellectually lazy to deserve "best movie of the year" talk.
By the way, I actually had a kind of opposite experience from a lot of other people here. I really liked it throughout the beginning, and grew more and more dissatisfied towards the end.
I saw Milk & Frost/Nixon this weekend & liked both. I never heard of Harvey Milk before. Damn, what a sad story that he got killed that way. And that guy who served 5 years? That schitt is crazy.
Anyhow, as for the Slumdog movie, I think it's this years CRASH or Kiterunner. It's over hyped for sure, but I thought it was ok. It seems there is at least one film each year that allows a general audience to see something in a mainstream theatre that's not "fluff" or "deep", but it gets people all excited because they think they've seen some type of political or cultural message that is beyond most Hollywood offerings. The problem for me was the main actor (the kid from that show SKINS) just wasn't convincing at all. He acting was very thin, and I didn't have any emotional draw at all for his character. I think he ruined the film, but it seems like he's getting love in the press. Oh well, to each his own.
Just watched it. It was a very very very enjoyable watch. That's all i'll say and let you guys argue over the art and if was stimulating the brain etc.. lol.
I really liked the parts from when they were kids. The riding on top of train was like WHOA.
The only part that was kind of ehh now that i think about is i really didn't give two shits about the girl by the end of the movie.
the fact that there was a indian co-director on the flick is one of the things that keeps it from being crash.but yeah, it is one of those films like little miss sunshine that mainstram audiences champion each year because they don't watch any real foreign/independent films.i saw it and enjoyed it.
the fact that there was a indian co-director on the flick is one of the things that keeps it from being crash.but yeah, it is one of those films like little miss sunshine that mainstram audiences champion each year because they don't watch any real foreign/independent films.i saw it and enjoyed it.
gives people the sensation of having seen a Bollywood film w/o having to depart too far out of their comfort zones...
the fact that there was a indian co-director on the flick is one of the things that keeps it from being crash.but yeah, it is one of those films like little miss sunshine that mainstram audiences champion each year because they don't watch any real foreign/independent films.i saw it and enjoyed it.
gives people the sensation of having seen a Bollywood film w/o having to depart too far out of their comfort zones...
i know, i know, but like i said this is for mainstream audiences and it is good entertainment, it is not that real schitt but i enjoyed it just the same.
I saw this because of some film bizzness people friends of mine who hooked me up to attend a test screening. The film tested well. Most of the people in the audience that were polled said they liked it because of the romance element. One dude said "unrequited love gets requited" on his postcard thingee. lol. And then they gave us all free nan bread. This friday is Grand Torino. I wonder if that's gonna be any good. What are they gonna give out for that? Shot guns?
I saw this because of some film bizzness people friends of mine who hooked me up to attend a test screening. The film tested well. Most of the people in the audience that were polled said they liked it because of the romance element. One dude said "unrequited love gets requited" on his postcard thingee. lol. And then they gave us all free nan bread. This friday is Grand Torino. I wonder if that's gonna be any good. What are they gonna give out for that? Shot guns?
I saw this because of some film bizzness people friends of mine who hooked me up to attend a test screening. The film tested well. Most of the people in the audience that were polled said they liked it because of the romance element. One dude said "unrequited love gets requited" on his postcard thingee. lol. And then they gave us all free nan bread. This friday is Grand Torino. I wonder if that's gonna be any good. What are they gonna give out for that? Shot guns?
These joints:
I have no clue what that is!
I saw the preview for Grand Torino before Milk & it involves Asians & gangsters. I have no expectations. Clint Eastwood looks very old & carries a big ass gun.
the fact that there was a indian co-director on the flick is one of the things that keeps it from being crash.but yeah, it is one of those films like little miss sunshine that mainstram audiences champion each year because they don't watch any real foreign/independent films.i saw it and enjoyed it.
gives people the sensation of having seen a Bollywood film w/o having to depart too far out of their comfort zones...
i know, i know, but like i said this is for mainstream audiences and it is good entertainment, it is not that real schitt but i enjoyed it just the same.
in my own way i was agreeing with you -- i thought the film was a bit of a cop-out, and i wish larger numbers of people took to more challenging art-house fare, but my reservations aside (and overblown critical pants-shitting aside), i recognize its entertainment value.
I saw the movie and enjoyed it because it was generally entertaining. "Benjamin Button" was a little too cute and predictable, and "Doubt" left me unsatisfied.
I thought the little kids in "Slumdog" were and I enjoyed the portrayal of the slums. I've actually been to India and have been consistently frustrated by unrealistic portrayals in Bollywood films.
Adult Jamal and adult Latika's characters were a little undeveloped. I guess Latika was supposed to be a symbol of an objective; the light at the end of the tunnel. Adult Salim was good.
I should add: I'm really, really NOT trying to shit on people who enjoyed the film. But I'm genuinely befuddled over why this film has generated such a positive response. It's gone beyond "oh yeah, that was good" and is more like, "OMG, movie of the year!" That's not even directed at people here since there hasn't been much chatter about it but good friends of mine described it as "awesome" and now I'm thinking, "did we watch the same film?"
Some high eye-rolls in this movie. Saw it tonight. It reminded me of "City Of God" with a "Bend It Like Beckham" popular push. I am not a fan of fairy tales because I am a 30-year-old man. I would not call it an out-and-out bad movie, but just I wasn't feeling it/having it. To call it this year's "Crash" seems more than apt.
Should have seen "Frost/Nixon," "The Wrestler" or "Milk" instead, but was with others. I still can't believe that I haven't seen "Milk," but then I look at ticket prices these days. $10.50 at the AMC = bullshit.
"SM" is being sold as one of the best films of the year rather than some garden-variety feel-good flick. So my analysis of it is mostly in response to trying to understand what's so great about it.
I really enjoyed it. For a film sold as "the feel good film of the year" I think the tagline was totally inappropriate. there was much more "darkness" in there than i was expecting, like the blinding scene, electric torture and so forth. If anything the framing of the story within the millionaire gameshow felt a bit hackneyed at times - but the resultant twists towards the end made it work. Yes there is a bit of slush and maybe more redemption than some would like, but I think that's the tribute to bollywood element. Ultimately rags to riches and a nice happy dancing ending is a big part of bollywood narrative isn't it.
Manny, it's generally being hailed as "the film of the year" by people who don't watch very many films, or by critics who know they have tons of readers of that ilk who they need to please by steering them to this kind of crowdpleaser a few times a year.
it has all the right elements of that kind of hit: lovable third-world urchin whose story arc reinforces the American/capitalist dream, elements of a foreign culture made palatable for "western" moviegoing tastes, an epic narrative sweep with a predictable romance at its core, a tourist's-eye view of some famous locales, a mildly exotic soundtrack, etc etc.
I saw it. The audience rec'd it as a real crowd-pleaser, but I was non-plussed. It's basically Boyle's homage to Bollywood, but it's a very uneasy mixture of Bollywood and "Western" filmmaking and doesn't fully commit to the Bollywood thing until more than 1/2way through, so it felt very halfhearted to me.
basically the formula for this one is: City of God Lite + Modern Bollywood - Musical Numbers
At two hours it felt very long to me, I always felt about 15 minutes ahead of the plot, and the fact that it really is structured as one very long episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire interrupted by extended flashbacks didn't help too much.
I think there was an MIA jam in the beginning (or something that sounded like one) which got me thinking...then by the 3rd or 4th pop-song/kids-running-sequence I smiled to myself thinking of the Paper Planes song and how perfectly cliche and lame THAT would be.
Comments
Odd endorsement.
In any case, the movie's not based on a real story.
Visually it was very good - excellent color throughout the film - great shots of Mumbai at night.
I definitely thought it was overhyped - it was enjoyable but, as stated by others, too intellectually lazy to deserve "best movie of the year" talk.
By the way, I actually had a kind of opposite experience from a lot of other people here. I really liked it throughout the beginning, and grew more and more dissatisfied towards the end.
The ending?
The very end during the credits?
Just saw it last night....
Anyhow, as for the Slumdog movie, I think it's this years CRASH or Kiterunner. It's over hyped for sure, but I thought it was ok. It seems there is at least one film each year that allows a general audience to see something in a mainstream theatre that's not "fluff" or "deep", but it gets people all excited because they think they've seen some type of political or cultural message that is beyond most Hollywood offerings. The problem for me was the main actor (the kid from that show SKINS) just wasn't convincing at all. He acting was very thin, and I didn't have any emotional draw at all for his character. I think he ruined the film, but it seems like he's getting love in the press. Oh well, to each his own.
I really liked the parts from when they were kids. The riding on top of train was like WHOA.
The only part that was kind of ehh now that i think about is i really didn't give two shits about the girl by the end of the movie.
REAL SHIT.
gives people the sensation of having seen a Bollywood film w/o having to depart too far out of their comfort zones...
These joints:
I have no clue what that is!
I saw the preview for Grand Torino before Milk & it involves Asians & gangsters. I have no expectations. Clint Eastwood looks very old & carries a big ass gun.
I thought the little kids in "Slumdog" were
Adult Jamal and adult Latika's characters were a little undeveloped. I guess Latika was supposed to be a symbol of an objective; the light at the end of the tunnel. Adult Salim was good.
Some high eye-rolls in this movie. Saw it tonight. It reminded me of "City Of God" with a "Bend It Like Beckham" popular push. I am not a fan of fairy tales because I am a 30-year-old man. I would not call it an out-and-out bad movie, but just I wasn't feeling it/having it. To call it this year's "Crash" seems more than apt.
Should have seen "Frost/Nixon," "The Wrestler" or "Milk" instead, but was with others. I still can't believe that I haven't seen "Milk," but then I look at ticket prices these days. $10.50 at the AMC = bullshit.
Frieda Pinto = big fine, though.
Spot fucking on.
Only "at times"? That framing made the film irredeemably kitschy from jump.
Now I'm just waiting to see "Deal or No Deal" make it to the big screen.
it has all the right elements of that kind of hit: lovable third-world urchin whose story arc reinforces the American/capitalist dream, elements of a foreign culture made palatable for "western" moviegoing tastes, an epic narrative sweep with a predictable romance at its core, a tourist's-eye view of some famous locales, a mildly exotic soundtrack, etc etc.
100% on point.
(peeped this tonite.)
soulstrut: over analyzing life since 1999
It was the next song that played.
"over analyzing" is cut from the same cloth as accusing someone of being "politically correct."