Slumdog

Yes, I saw it. It's good. It's vivid, it's incredibly well made, well scripted, well scored, well edited. Matter of fact, I don't have a technical criticism of it -- or maybe I do. I actually think that the two leads (in young adulthood), who are the ones most seen on red carpets and so forth, were not particularly subtle or scintillating actors. They weren't bad, mind you. Overall, the ensemble is solid.

As many reviews have noted, India is really the star of the film, or rather Mumbai, with hammer over the head glory!squalor!capitalism! invading every shot. I did enjoy the film, I'm glad I saw it, and I think Danny Boyle should win Best Director, but it didn't sock me in the gut the way I thought it was supposed to. I really do think that it might be a case of elevating the story by overwhelming with spectacle (more typical for a big-budget popcorn film, ironically), which is great in some ways, but it just won't work for everyone. What if this had been a story about a young black man from a U.S. city ghetto on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I'm not saying it would have turned into Get Rich or Die Tryin', but on the other hand, I doubt it would be showered with bouquets.