Movie Night: Slumdog Millionaire

It isn't hard to imagine what my opinion of this movie was. I'm with the 94% on Rotten Tomatoes that thought it was excellent. I was captivated by the way the story shows all sides of India and that so much of the background is true. I'm sure that many of the people who live in India were upset at this film. It shows the gritty underbelly and if they wanted a pristine image of the country to be presented to the world, this was not the movie for India. However, it shows how resilient and resourceful their people are and I think that speaks volumes more than a series of pretty pictures. I have a feeling that more people will be intrigued by the idea of India as a place to visit than will be discouraged from it after seeing this film.

What was most striking to me was the way in which this movie conveys the information that you would find in a heartbreaking documentary about a child's life in the slums of Mumbai, but at the same time it is uplifting, funny and heartwarming. Amazing. The careful balance of pain and pleasure that makes this movie not only one that that you should see but one that you will want to see again and again.