Slumdog Millionaire

Excellent movie. It helped that I was craving something different, fresh, and cultural. I am amazed when people fuse and modify the traditional with the modern styles and do it well. This was seen in the style of the movie and the music accompanying it.

This movie appeals to American audiences. After being inundated with steroid-injected, action-packed movies, Americans were ready for something real and human. Slumdog Millionaire offered entertainment while offering a current, global perspective. I don't know how accurate the depiction of Mumbai is in the movie, but it still puts the audience face-to-face with domestic and economic battles so easily overlooked in daily life in the U.S. Considering the economic downturn the world is facing, I can't help but feel guilty for continuing life as usual with my main concern being how I'll entertain myself tomorrow or this weekend. It seems so selfish. In a far-fetched way, this movie made me feel better. It was entertainment, but it pointed out real problems. It made me think about the big problems again and how widespread they are.

Life is all about the moments, and this movie captures moments so well. Whether good or bad, moments are so dramatic that they become memorable and inescapable. Along the same theme of moments is the movie's focus. The characters had clear goals and motivations strung with complex obstacles. That made me wonder if my extensive list of goals actually prevents me from accomplishing any of them. With that said, I admired Jamal's determination to get what he wanted one step at a time. Jamal, the protagonist, was an easy character to empathize with and truly stole the show.