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Slumdog Millionaire

The plot of Slumdog needs little introduction at this point. After debuting in limited release at the end of 2008, the movie ended up being one of the top grosser of 2009; it parlayed an outstanding platform run into Oscar gold and a final domestic gross of $141 million and a whopping worldwide total of $377 million. With a measly production budget of $15 million, Slumdog Millionaire mirrored the financial success of Jamal, its protagonist and Millionaire show contestant, on its way to being a big earner.

Actually the story of Slumdog Millionaire's box office success was equally unlikely as that of Jamal in the film. Warner Independent Pictures originally acquired the film, but when the indie distributor shut down, Warner Bros. proper wasn't convinced of the movie's commercial appeal and nearly took it straight to a home entertainment release. Ultimately they sold the domestic rights to Fox Searchlight, who deftly handled the distribution.

After becoming the big winner of 2009's Oscar season, taking home Best Picture and Best Director among others awards, Slumdog Millionaire started to receive some publicity for the wrong reasons. Controversy stirred regarding the use of the Hindu God Rama in a particular scene, the derogatory connotations of the word "slumdog," and, more than anything else, the compensation for its child actors who were still living in the slums of Mumbai. Boyle and his backers paid to have the children attend an English school for eight years, along with providing a monthly stipends for books, and a lump sum amount of money that the children can retrieve on their 18th birthdays. The father of one of the several young actors in the film went to the press demanding higher compensation – ethical questions were raised because the film had become such a massive worldwide hit and this particular family was still living in the slums while the father battled tuberculosis. Ultimately, the filmmakers provided the family with a new home outside of the slums and more payment.

It is also worth noting that, while vastly different in tone and contextualization, Slumdog Millionare and the similarly titled Millions do share a common thematic thread. Slumdog explores the innocence of youth and how it can be corrupted in the search for material gain. Alternatively, Millions explores how, no matter how your intentions, that corruption can still take place after that wealth is achieved.

As in his other features, Slumdog Millionaire has showy visuals made on a bare bones budget. The plot, while contrived and, on the surface, gimmicky, is woven together with such sublime energy that Boyle challenges the viewer not to be charmed by his rags-to-riches story. Told primarily through flashbacks, the movie tracks the young trio of Jamal, Salim, and Latika as they both overcome and succumb to life's various hardships. A summary of some of the plot points can hardly do the film's tone justice, and would probably make it sound like a depressing night at the movies. Somehow, though, Boyle infuses Jamal's journey with such pure, unadulterated energy and wonderment that it is hard not to love going along for the ride. Even as he must endure the loss of his mother, a betrayal from his older brother, and the capture of the love of his young life by a local crime lord, Jamal's life seems like an absolute adventure. It sounds insensitive, but against all odds, when it's over, it's easy to wonder what kind of exciting exploits you yourself might have experienced had you been raised in the lively Mumbai slums. At the very least you might want to dance in the aisles when the Bollywood-style dance number plays over the films closing credits.

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