I didn’t go with high expectations, to ensure that I wasn’t disappointed, but I was. In fact I’m angry. Oh for christ’s sake not angry at the potrayal of India’s poverty and all the criticism revolving it.
We have the slums, the filth, the dirt that also makes this city which the privledged section amongst us conveniently chooses to ignore , deny, "they are not one of us"...... In fact thought the potrayal was quite accurate... of a world within, of a large sub culture amongst us... and this was displayed with some exceptional cinematography along with some very good background score. The scenes shots around the slums I though had moments of cinematic brillance.
So that’s a reality check "the poverty complaining audience" needs. The other reality check is for the audience that loved it. Standalone the film is okay to say the least.
The Plot is interesting and even refreshing. About how this slum dweller Jamal through various life experiences right from the riots, the begger mafia to working for "dollar bills" and at the call center knows the answers to the questions at KBC.
Performances are excellent. Irfan does his usual intense stuff followed nicley by Anil Kapoor who does his arrogant host act quite well.
There are moments that yes touch your heart. Especially the ones where Jamal, the lead character of the film endures through to meet his love interest, Lathika. And the ones where he as a kid tries to escape being forefully blinded. I found the moment where Lathika is forced into prostituion and where she quitely accepts to succumb to Jamal’s elder brothers peverted desires quite moving. You then ask yourself how it would have been for those unfortunate many that share the same fate as kids of being forced into a world we thank we were never a part of.
But when kids from the slums speak english with such aplomb(not that I think they can’t and I’m not being classist here) just to communicate the story to an english audience, the film loses it’s realism.
After you’ve watched the film you wonder what the heck got this movie to the Oscars and even bag the best picture at the Golden Globes. And that’s when your grudge starts. You can’t help but compare it. You know why the movie "Crash" or Schindler’s List won the oscars. You know why Lagaan was nominated.
I would have passed this film as a nice feel good movie. But why 10 Oscar nominations is something I still wonder. And then you realise that is film is a paid visual tour for the western /audience to a city’s underbelly they wouldn’t venture into ever. Period. A.R. Rehman, the genius has given way better music. He should’ve won ten oscars by now if this one was Oscar worthy.
It’s a new world for them and for those who have’nt had the immense pleasure of watching people do their thing early morning on our very clean streets. Never travelled to the heritage sites just outside Bandra -East station or Mahim and our very own Dharavi this film excites you. Mumbai has always been the city with Antillia(Ambani 60 storey house) co exist with the world largest slum.
I guess it’s this image that suddenly the western audience found endearing. To sum it up, in the movie Traffic signal there was a scene where a "Gora" was surprised to see a cow in the middle of the road. I guess its the same reaction the Oscar jury had after watching this one. Watch it but don’t expect some Oscar worthy kinda film.