Slumdog Millionaire

This weekend I was watching an old Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach. I wanted to see Tilda Swinton in an earlier role, who I was very much impressed with in the movie Michael Clayton. I fast forwarded through The Beach because I couldn't’ wait for it to end. It was really bad but I was surprised to see that the movie was directed by Danny Boyle. Danny also directed Slumdog Millionaire.
One of my friends in the industry advised me not to see Slumdog, he said it does not live up to its hype. He is usually right and I usually don’t believe him. Slumdog is a good movie however my friend was right again, it does NOT live up to its hype.
If you believe in reincarnation you better pray you are not reborn in the slums represented in this movie. The film centers around 3 kids from the slums and their involvement in various adventures and relationships with nefarious characters. One of the boys, Jamal, ends up on the UK version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
The director Danny Boyle’s talents have matured over the years since The Beach. He also directed 28 Days Later which was an excellent update on Dawn of the Dead. With Slumdog Danny gives viewers a visual treat and a movie that has great performances from the younger cast in their portrayal of the main characters. Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, as the youngest Jamal, is captivating and pretty much steals the movie. M.I.A.'s hit hip hop song Paper Planes tracks brilliantly in one of the scenes in the movie.

Verdict: Worth seeing. If it’s not at the top of your list then see it when it’s released on Blue Ray for its visuals.