Slumdog Millionaire

Virtually the textbook definition of a crowd-pleaser, Slumdog Millionaire follows an impoverished young man (Dev Patel’s Jamal) as he finds himself forced to battle accusations of cheating following a successful run on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Director Danny Boyle, working from Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay, has infused the film with an incredibly vivid visual sensibility that’s certainly reflected in the briskly-paced storyline, with the ingenious use of flashbacks filling in the traumatic childhood of the central character. There’s subsequently little doubt that it becomes increasingly difficult not to sympathize with Jamal’s plight, as we slowly-but-surely learn of the almost tragic hardships that have driven him to this point (his Millionaire appearance is, perhaps inevitably, fueled by his desire to win over a girl). Patel’s superb performance certainly proves effective in ensuring the viewer’s rooting interest in his success, while the supporting cast, comprised, with the exception of Irfan Khan, largely of unknowns, adds a fair amount of color to the proceedings. The propulsive narrative culminates with a predictably upbeat yet undeniably enthralling finale, and it’s ultimately hard to envision a more entertaining, flat-out enjoyable effort unspooling at this year’s festival.

***1/2 out of ****