Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review

'Slumdog Millionaire' is every inch a Danny Boyle film.

'Slumdog Millionaire': Mast-watch!

Slumdog Millionaire Review

Hope within squalor, humour within violence - they’re all thematic trademarks of the British director of druggie drama 'Trainspotting' and zombie saga '28 Days Later'. This time, Boyle takes his wildly high-energy visual aesthetic and applies it to a story that, at its core, is rather sweet and traditionally crowd-pleasing.

Unassuming Dev Patel stars as slumdog underdog Jamal, an 18-year-old who comes from nothing but is on the verge of winning more money than anyone has ever won before on the Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'. The game show’s host (ideally smarmy and egotistical Anil Kapoor) grows unshakably suspicious as Jamal prepares to face one last question for the top prize of 20 million rupees and has him hauled in for police questioning (by ever-imposing Irrfan Khan).

Simon Beaufoy’s complex script, based loosely on Vikas Swarup’s novel 'Q&A', glides effortlessly among Jamal’s interrogation, his unlikely success in the television hot seat and his rough-and-tumble upbringing that provided the life lessons serving him so well now.

Jamal reflects upon the desperate times he shared with his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), after their mother was killed in a savage anti-Muslim attack. He remembers the cruelty of the Fagin-like figure who forced them and other orphans into slavery. And he recalls fondly the time he spent with Latika (stunning former model Freida Pinto), his first love who, as a scared child, became the brothers’ third Musketeer. (Loveleen Tandan, who cast the film - including the three sets of actors who play the main characters at various ages - did so much behind-the-scenes work, she gets a co-director credit.)

Maybe it’s a bit too clever that every question in the game show happens to have some connection to Jamal’s vividly Dickensian life, from his encounter with a blind child to the unfortunate reason he knows what a Colt .45 is. But that’s the point: witnessing the uplift of the charmed new life Jamal can now call his own.


Download Slumdog Millionaire


Slumdog Millionaire' won’t let him forget where he came from, though. Mad dashes through Bombay’s most cramped corners provide a dizzy thrill with their off-kilter camera angles, despite the dismal scenery (in that regard the film shares an inescapable bond with Fernando Meirelles’ equally unflinching 'City of God'). Occasionally, though, Boyle will take a moment to catch his breath - and let us catch ours - as he does in a striking overhead shot of the patchwork of tin roofs under which these children make their homes.

The cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle (who shot '28 Days Later') gives even the most depressing images an unexpected beauty, with Chris Dickens’ expert editing keeping the considerable action moving fluidly.

Then, in the third act, 'Slumdog Millionaire' takes a conventional turn when everything until then had felt so fresh and new. The mob bosses who rule Bombay, and with whom arrogant Salim has aligned himself, are depicted as snarling caricatures. And the relationship between Jamal and Latika, delicate as it is, reveals them to be little more than a familiar pair of star-crossed lovers trying to find their way back to each other. Nevertheless, realism permeates even that aspect of the film: She’s pragmatic, he’s romantic.

The ending is a joy, though, so make sure you stick around for it. After all the heavy, emotionally wrenching material that precedes it for two hours, it’s the perfect final answer

Delhi-6 Music Review

Rahman hits the bull's eye with 'Delhi-6'

Delhi-6 is a forthcoming Bollywood film to be directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra that will star Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni, and Divya Dutta. The movie is reportedly based on Mehra's growing up years in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. The film will be Mehra's third directorial venture after critically acclaimed Aks and the immensely successful Rang De Basanti, which was India's official entry to the Oscars.

Music Review

"Tumre Bhavan Mein" adds a touch of spirituality to the album. Short and soothing, the song that offers prayers, is very melodious. "Tumre Bhavan Mein" is backed by vocals from Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar.

Not many composers explore qawwali these days, but Rahman did that seamlessly with "Arziyan". Tabla, harmonium and the clapping sounds, supported by meaningful lyrics - all create a mesmerising listening experience. The Sufism-imbued notes of the song and its requisite poignancy are backed flawlessly by the two singers - Javed Ali and Kailash Kher.

Rahman has packed in a surprise in the form of "Bhor Bhaye" - it delves into Indian classical form and is a treat. With Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's rousing rendition and Shreya Ghoshal's honeyed voice, "Bhor bhaye" is an overwhelming experience, especially for those who crave for classics.

Next song, "Delhi-6", pays a tribute to the city. The funky song is contemporary from the word go and blends a dash of rock, rap and hip-hop. "Delhi-6", which is a ragged mélange of attitude and style, is sure to be hummed by every youngster. Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Blaze, Tanvi and Claire have crooned it.

With "Dil gira dafatan", Prasoon Joshi reaffirms what a good lyricist he is. To add to that, the melody and the simplistic arrangement of instruments are extremely soothing to the ear. Ash King is the lead singer while Chinmayee's backing creates some spell-binding moments.

"Genda phool", sung by Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar, is a teasing folk song. It starts as a purely rustic and rooted number, but soon western arrangements take over. Composer Rajat Dholakia and Rahman share the credit for the song, which is quite playful.

"Hey kaala bandar" is easily the poorest track in the album. The number in the hip-hop genre, with a few English lyrics, fails to create a mark. The song is sung by Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas and Bony Chakravarthy.

"Masakalli" is easily the best song on the soundtrack. A power packed and expressive number, it is crooned by Mohit Chauhan. A free flowing, addictive, fun number, "Masakalli" will be remembered for months to come owing to its mirthful, fluttering mood.

"Noor" is a small couplet recited by Amitabh Bachchan.

"Rehna tu" is meant to be a smoothly flowing, romantic number. But in spite of Rahman lending his voice to the song and Benny Dayal along with Tanvi doing well with backing vocals, the song doesn't really captivate.

Overall, the album is a robust mix of impressive tracks with some great and hummable lyrics, making it a sure hit among music lovers.


Download Delhi 6 Songs

Yes Man Movie Review

Yes Man

Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hrs. 44 min.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Sasha Alexander, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins,
Director: Peyton Reed
Producer: David Heyman, Richard D. Zanuck
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December 19, 2008
Writer: Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul, Nicholas Stoller

SYNOPSIS

'Yes Man' stars Jim Carrey as Carl Allen, a guy whose life is going nowhere--the operative word being 'no'--until he signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say 'yes' to everything...and anything. Unleashing the power of 'YES' begins to transform Carl's life in amazing and unexpected ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new But his willingness to embrace every opportunity might just become too much of a good thing.

Movie Reviews:

a movie review by: Linda Cook

I had to give this movie two ratings. One of the scenes is simply briliant. The rest%u2026isn't.

2 stars for most of the movie, except for one scene

If you've seen Jim Carrey in "Liar Liar," then you've pretty much seen Jim Carrey in "Yes Man."

In the 1997 movie, he played a guy who had to tell the truth all the time. Here he plays a guy who has to say "yes" all the time.

Carrey's Carl is a loan executive who has spent years saying "no." The love of his life dumped him, and he's been wallowing in isolation ever since. He turns down loans and party invitations with the same tone.

Then he meets an old friend who encourages him to attend a "Say Yes!" , where the guru of yes is played by Terence Stamp. Stamp tells his followers to take risks by saying "Yes" to every opportunity.

Carl ends up giving a homeless man a ride, full use of his telephone and all his money, all because the man asked for them. As Carl makes his way home from this encounter, he runs out of gas, and meets a pretty girl named Allison (Zooey Deschanel), who offers him a ride back to his car on her scooter. Carl says "yes" to everything Allison asks him.

In a tasteless and unnecessary scene, Carl also says "yes" to his elderly neighbor's advances (Fionnula Flanagan), to Korean lessons and every invitation he receives. He also, naturally, runs into his ex, who is astonished at this newly vibrant Carl.

Carrey remains one of my favorite actors %u2013 a guy who just hasn't received the kudos he deserves for being a true performer and not just one of those "funny guys." Carrey certainly does all he can to keep this average script afloat.

This is based on a real-life biography in which author Danny Wallace really did answer "yes" to questions and invitations. I wish it had been a instead.

3 ½ stars for about four minutes of the movie

Now, here's a gem of entertainment: Good-natured comedy based ona suicide.

I know, I know, it sounds terrible. But with Jim Carrey as the clever rescuer, Luis Guzman as the would-be jumper, and a song by Third Eye Blind, this is funny and heartfelt stuff.

No, I won't ruin it for you by telling you about it. It's a little island of wit in a so-so screenplay.