Slumdog Millionaire

ElPandaRoyal · January 31, 2009, 09:19:53 AM

SPOILERS!!

I can't compare it to the wrestler because it hasn't come out in Portugal yet so I haven't seen it. And I didn't have any problems with Slumdog before I saw it: I like some Danny Boyle stuff, and contrary to what happens in the US, early reviews around here (it only opens theatrically next week) aren't being very good. So I didn't want it to fail or anything. I just didn't like it.

It's not the cliché in itself that's bad, it's the way it's presented to the viewer. As I said before, I liked some of the characters, like the guy who kidnapped children, because he was genuinely scary, and Jamal's brother, who was really complex. And I don't think the acting was bad, but most of the characters were very badly written (I mean, the host was very one-dimentional, and the cop who interrogated Jamal was a laugh: first, I electrocute you, then I don't believe that you know the name of the most famous indian actor, then I believe when you tell me a story about how you went across the whole country and know stuff like who is on the 100 dollar bill or the name of the guy who invented the revolver - by the way, at the moment I can't even remember in what scene he does know that last information). I kind of liked the point The God Trumpet made about Jamal and Latika's relationship, but I just couldn't care about watching the movie. I also have problems with that whole destiny situation. It's overplayed, it's always talked mentioned, and even if it's a part of the indian culture, it doesn't work dramatically. And by the time the movie ended, and we all got the point, the words "D) It was written" come in to hammer us a little bit more with that idea.

EDIT: I thought it was better to put a Spoiler warning, because the ending is talked about, even though we know how it end in the first seconds.

©brad · January 31, 2009, 10:28:04 AM

Quote from: Gamblour. on January 31, 2009, 09:09:46 AMpic and others have done a good job of enumerating their complaints, none of which include the fact that the film is simply popular.

agreed. my beef wasn't aimed at them. i said pic's and some other critiques had merit and i even agreed with some of them. i was speaking about stupid comments like this:

Quote from: private witt on January 30, 2009, 08:43:53 PMThis is exactly what I predicted I would take from this film if I sat through it. Thanks for taking one for the team and giving me all the warning I need to never watch this melodrama.

and for the record, i wasn't saying that slumdog was better than the wrestler. the wrestler remains my favorite film of the year. i could have been wrong, but it seemed like some ppl were attacking slumdog for being cliche without any substantiation but had no problem with the wrestler's undeniably cliched story. we've already covered why the wrestler is great anyway so we need not go there again.

anyway, let the loving/hating continue.

Kal · January 31, 2009, 10:55:10 AM

I'm sick of this fucking Wrestler comparisons, they are two complete different films in every way. There is no comparison. You don't have to like one or the other. They are both wonderful films in their own way.

It's like saying that you hate Lost because you love 30 Rock. What the fuck!

last days of gerry the elephant · January 31, 2009, 11:17:34 AM

Jamal tried his entire life to find Lakita, so what I don't understand is that wouldn't it be logical for him to finally achieve what he had been meaning to do his entire life? Especially when it's something like appearing on her favorite television show? The movie even goes further to tell us that Jamal knew exactly when to call the show's hotline so he can connect to the receptionists.

Allow me to draw your attention to the poster for this film:

What does it take to find a lost love?

A. Money
B. Luck
C. Smarts
D. Destiny

Ummm... how about: Perseverance? Because if there was anything I got from this film, it's just that. Not with just Jamal continuously trying to get hold of Lakita, but also with his brother. As one of you mentioned; his brother was interested in money and power, but he also went to great lengths to achieve those goals. There was nothing written about that, he made his choices as clear as they were and that's why he ended his life the way he did.

The only thing that was "written" was Jamal being asked (yes, in chronological order...) questions on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' that were conveniently "no-so-apparent" in his own life. Oh and of course, his miraculous answer to the last question on the show (who was the third Musketeer) which he never knew at all, even though it proves itself to be the one question he SHOULD have had the answer to. And by "not-so-apparent" I mean what ElPandaRoyal briefly mentioned about the revolver. Or another would be God Rama holding the bow. The film readily puts us in this onslaught of Muslims with Jamal suddenly stopping to see a figure holding a bow with his right hand. It doesn't go to explain a logical means of how he even knew it was God Rama. Much like the scenario of the gun. Or the poem they kept reciting as beggars. The only logical explanation to these events would be that he either hit a library after each encounter to the events or an internet cafe to Google.

I'm quite lazy, I don't like to go into details about why I don't like a movie especially when those details have been brought up already. There wasn't much I thought I could bring in to justify why this was a shallow film full of ridiculousness then topped off with Danny Boyle's gritty and fast paced stylistic fart.

Stefen · January 31, 2009, 11:25:23 AM

It's been awhile since we've had such a dividing film.

last days of gerry the elephant · January 31, 2009, 11:38:26 AM

Fuck, was the bitches name Latika or Lakita? I thought it was Latika but I spelt it Lakita because I didn't think The Gold Trumpet would get that wrong. Though I do think he happens to be rambling about nothingness in regards to this film.

Gold Trumpet · January 31, 2009, 11:50:53 AM

Quote from: omuy on January 31, 2009, 11:38:26 AM
Fuck, was the bitches name Latika or Lakita? I thought it was Latika but I spelt it Lakita because I didn't think The Gold Trumpet would get that wrong. Though I do think he happens to be rambling about nothingness in regards to this film.

I was just copying how others in the thread were spelling it. I wasn't sure myself.

Quote from: ElPandaRoyal on January 31, 2009, 09:19:53 AM
I just couldn't care about watching the movie. I also have problems with that whole destiny situation. It's overplayed, it's always talked mentioned, and even if it's a part of the indian culture, it doesn't work dramatically. And by the time the movie ended, and we all got the point, the words "D) It was written" come in to hammer us a little bit more with that idea.

I think that sums up the difference of opinion with the film. I don't think the filmmakers intended for the themes to be overbearing and nauseating, but people who don't believe in the interest of the characters will feel that way as a story likes this elevates and starts to become more serious and emotional. I didn't find the themes ever to be too much, but I was also sucked into the heartstrings of the film immediately.

private witt · January 31, 2009, 08:42:06 PM

Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 10:55:10 AM
It's like saying that you hate Lost because you love 30 Rock.

Good point. There are so many better reasons to hate 'Lost'.

Kal · January 31, 2009, 08:49:37 PM

Quote from: private witt on January 31, 2009, 08:42:06 PM
Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 10:55:10 AM
It's like saying that you hate Lost because you love 30 Rock.

Good point. There are so many better reasons to hate 'Lost'.

Ok brother now you are really starting to piss me off.

SiliasRuby · January 31, 2009, 09:12:51 PM

Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 08:49:37 PM
Quote from: private witt on January 31, 2009, 08:42:06 PM
Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 10:55:10 AM
It's like saying that you hate Lost because you love 30 Rock.

Good point. There are so many better reasons to hate 'Lost'.

Ok brother now you are really starting to piss me off.

Maybe this guy is Pubrick then.

private witt · January 31, 2009, 09:16:16 PM

Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 08:49:37 PM
Good point. There are so many better reasons to hate 'Lost'.

Ok brother now you are really starting to piss me off.
[/quote]

Why, because I don't like the exact same things you like? You must get pissed off at a lot of people here then.

Stefen · February 01, 2009, 12:53:51 AM

Quote from: kal on January 31, 2009, 10:55:10 AM
It's like saying that you hate Lost because you love 30 Rock. What the fuck!

Worst analogy ever.

abuck1220 · February 16, 2009, 09:38:36 AM

this was nothing mind-blowing, but it was really good. i don't get the complaints about the acting and the cliches given that most of you loved the dark knight, which was terribly acted (outside of ledger) and featured the most ridiculous scene in what is considered a good movie maybe ever (the two boat bullshit).

i think more of you would be just indifferent to it if it wasn't getting all these rave reviews/awards.

Stefen · February 16, 2009, 09:54:31 AM

Quote from: abuck1220 on February 16, 2009, 09:38:36 AM

i think more of you would be just indifferent to it if it wasn't getting all these rave reviews/awards.

I don't think that's even debatable. I know I'd like it a lot more if it wasn't being heralded as the best movie of the year. Granted, it was a shitty year, but there were still better things that came out than Slumdog.

Kal · February 16, 2009, 11:35:50 AM

Well, in my defense, I was the first one here to love this and it was before the frenzy started. Take that, Stefen