Slumdog Millionaire Earns “Bank” in the Year of the Ox
Posted on | January 26, 2009 | No Comments
Happy New Year … again!
Today is the first day of the Year of the Ox, according to the lunar calendar, and just want to wish everyone all the best — and that’s no bull. Ok, bad jokes aside, I did give me and my girlfriend an early New Year’s gift. We watched Slumdog Millionaire last night and I have to say that it was damn good movie. Damn good.
Who knew one could make such an emotionally compelling movie based on such a simple premise: A teen from a Mumbai ghetto gets a chance to reunite with his childhood love by going on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but is accused of cheating?
Well, it most definitely starts with the script, which was written by Simon Beaufoy and based on a novel by Vikas Swarup. Obviously, the directing by Danny Boyle and the acting by this cast of unknowns are on another plane of cinematic excellence, but the magic truly starts with the printed words.
The screenplay explodes with vibrantly flawed characters, heart-wrenching plot points, brief but intense “action” scenes, and some touching humor -– all balanced on a great script spine (AKA structure) that interjects flashbacks with the through-line, which is centered on one question: Did our hero (Jamal) really cheat on this widely popular game show?
If you missed Slumdog Millionaire when it opened in 2008, check it out in the Year of the Ox. It’s one foreign film that anyone with a heart can relate to.
Tags: Danny Boyle > Screenwriting > Simon Beaufoy > Slumdog Millionaire > Who Wants to be a Millionaire > Year of the Ox
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