Slumdog Millionaire
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: November 12, 2008
7.8
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Generally favorable reviews based on 829 Ratings
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Mixed:
102
Negative:
69
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4
YourOtherMotherFeb 1, 2015
I don't know why this got so much critical acclaim. It's boring as hell. The story jumps all over the place, and I get it's meant to be flashbacks or whatever but still, I barely even knew what was happening. And it got boring pretty quick.
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5
JosephASowellJun 5, 2015
It's not a very entertaining movie. The plot is distorted, the characters are likable, however, and the acting is fine, but it's just not my cup of tea.
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10
hanneguacamoleJul 9, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Jamal isn't a genius. He's a millionaire. A Slumdog Millionaire. Through a series of flashbacks and alternate shots, we gain a glimpse into a life of hardship fueled by love and loyalty. His goal wasn't to be a contestant on this game show, it was to find his long lost/taken away soulmate.

Being raised in the slums cannot be easy by any sense of the word, and each of these answers were painstakingly fought for, like everything Jamal has. There are two important relationships in his life. His brother, Salim, and his childhood friend, Latika. I never got the sense that Salim was really a good brother despite the times he bailed out Jamal from getting blinded or killed, but I almost felt like those were acts of self-preservation, not done for his brother, but so he could live with himself. Their relationship is vanquished once greed takes over and forces Jamal out. There isn't room for the both of them anymore, despite all they've been through together.

Discrimination puts Jamal in this place of not being trusted. How could a guy from the slums get so many questions correct? It is written. "When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer." His demeanor is strikingly opposite than that of his brother. The light force contrasting with darkness. Even the host of the game show is another adversity to overcome. There can't be another millionaire from the slums! Ultimately, the reunion of Jamal and Latika is a perfect storm of overcoming the obstacles of their pasts. Slumdog Millioinaire was able to show us utter despair with a light at the end of the tunnel. I hurt for Jamal. I hurt for Latika. I even hurt for Salim. But most of all I'm amazed by the journey; the complexity of the romance.… Expand
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9
CineAutoctonoAug 1, 2015
Oscar winner and acclaimed by the public , it is , confirms a film like Slumdog Milionaire , a great story that identifies a young man who knew everything that the past helped overcome the most incredible program as ' ' Who Wants to be aOscar winner and acclaimed by the public , it is , confirms a film like Slumdog Milionaire , a great story that identifies a young man who knew everything that the past helped overcome the most incredible program as ' ' Who Wants to be a Milionaire ' ' , and we saw a lifetime of India, its people culltura and undoubtedly a great story with fascinating looks.… Expand
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9
kyle20ellisMar 12, 2022
Slumdog Millionaire was so much better than I expected, after reading mixed reviews in general. The very talented director Danny Boyle directs with a very sharp focus, that made the film as clever and engaging as it was. The film also allowsSlumdog Millionaire was so much better than I expected, after reading mixed reviews in general. The very talented director Danny Boyle directs with a very sharp focus, that made the film as clever and engaging as it was. The film also allows an insight into the fully fleshed-out characters, that we do empathise with, and has very relevant themes presented throughout. The story for the film was a fantastic and very original one, and was beautifully constructed. The script was well crafted, and the excellent performances from all involved brought it across fine. Though I must say, the real star is the city of Mumbai itself, captured perfectly on cameras, thanks to the superb cinematography. My only minor criticism was that I wasn't sure what the dance at the end was all about;apart from that the acting, direction and scripting were all top notch, and made it the wonderful film that it actually is. 9/10 Bethany Cox… Expand
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8
aadityamudharApr 6, 2016
Slumdog millionaire does suffer from some silly dialogue, but the film is beautifully filmed, mighty, wondrous, romantic and just fantastically acted. It deserves its Oscar. I give this film 82%.
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9
johnslegersJan 3, 2016
After seeing "Shallow Grave", "Trainspotting", "The Beach" and "28 Days Later..." I was curious to see the latest film by Danny Boyle since it was praised by regular movie fans and critics alike. I wasn't quite fond of "The Beach", but theAfter seeing "Shallow Grave", "Trainspotting", "The Beach" and "28 Days Later..." I was curious to see the latest film by Danny Boyle since it was praised by regular movie fans and critics alike. I wasn't quite fond of "The Beach", but the other 3 Danny Boyle films I'd seen were all incredibly original, compelling and in some way disturbing.

I didn't have any idea what to expect of "Slumdog Millionaire" except that it was about a slum dog who became a millionaire on a TV game show and that's not really much. But man, it blew me away. The soundtrack was simply amazing and due to its mixture of Indian and Western influence I'm sure it sounds somewhat exotic to anyone listening it regardless of cultural origin. Boyle's smooth editing, excellent sense for soundtrack and cynical world view make this disturbing film a rare gem among anything coming out on film these days.

If you asked me to describe "Slumdog Millionaire" in one sentence, I would say it's a mixture of "Citade de Deus" (Eng: City of God) and a classic romance story, but that would not do this film any justice. Mr Boyle, it seems you pulled another "Trainspotting" on us viewers. I didn't know you still had it in you.… Expand
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4
JumpmanJan 4, 2016
The moview was ultra boring and more surreal than it should have been. Music was cool though, M.I.A. always comes through with the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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9
MovieMasterEddyApr 3, 2016
"Slumdog Millionaire" is driven by fantastic energy and a torrent of vivid images of India.

Surging with colors, music, the ever-present swarming multitudes and the vitality of its youthful characters, the pic begins disturbingly with the"Slumdog Millionaire" is driven by fantastic energy and a torrent of vivid images of India.

Surging with colors, music, the ever-present swarming multitudes and the vitality of its youthful characters, the pic begins disturbingly with the sight of police torturing a young man to make him confess how he’s been able to make a run up to the ultimate prize of 20 million rupees on the nation’s most popular quizshow. “I knew the answers,” the sullen fellow insists, and Simon Beaufoy’s intricate and cleverly structured script illustrates how that came to be.

Spurred by intermittent interludes devoted to 18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) correctly answering the multiple-choice questions posed by “Millionaire” host Prem (Indian superstar Anil Kapoor) in front of a boisterous live studio audience, flashbacks slashingly present the devastatingly difficult but opportunistic childhoods of Jamal and his brother, Salim. Living in Mumbai’s most squalid slum, they lose their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Forced to forage and live by their wits as they commit petty crimes, the boys make their lives more interesting when they accept a new partner, the adorable Latika, who smites 7-year-old Jamal to the quick.

The street kids learn more smarts from a **** operator who runs a sort of criminal orphanage in a remote area, sending his charges into the city for dishonest days’ work. When it seems Jamal is about to have his eyes gouged out to make him a higher-earning beggar, the three make a desperate run for it. The boys manage to jump on a speeding train, but not Latika.

As these and many other stories of tragedy and exhilaration play out, it becomes clear that each one has taught Jamal something that directly informs his success on “Millionaire.” This device could have seemed contrived, but Boyle and Beaufoy, working from a novel by Vikas Swarup, uninsistently make the case that the most useful intelligence, in all its forms, comes from life experience.

Granted, the two brothers, once into their teens, don’t end up on the same road. In the film’s lightest and most amusing passage, they become self-appointed tour guides at the Taj Mahal, giving visitors funny misinformation and pulling little scams in sequences that effectively present touristic India from the p.o.v. of mischievous local youths. Shortly, however, their criminal enterprises become more serious, forcing them to scram back to Mumbai, where they find Latika in dubious circumstances.

Jamal takes small-time jobs and forlornly carries the torch for Latika while Salim rises in the criminal ranks, and the pic’s final stretch provides stunning views of enormous bad-taste skyscrapers rising from the very ground where the boys so insignificantly began their lives. The build-up to Jamal’s climactic appearances on “Millionaire” are milked for all they’re worth, as the entire country hangs on his every answer.

The tough look at poverty and crime at all levels of society shoves the occasional coincidences and questionable plot developments firmly to the side, and the rush Boyle manifestly got from shooting such an intense story on these locations is fully felt in the film. The logistic considerations alone must have been mind-boggling, as a majority of scenes include what seem like hundreds of bystanders. Lenser Anthony Dod Mantle’s camera is often on the prowl or the run, and it sometimes dashes through jammed streets and shantytown alleys at the speed of the sprinting kids themselves. Images are stunning sans arty posturing, and Chris Dickens’ editing is breathless without being exhausting.

Mostly nonpro kids in the main roles are entirely credible and segue without confusion as three thesps assume each of the principals at different ages. Kapoor is perfect as the preening, melodramatic and devious gameshow host, and vet Irrfan Khan invests the interrogating officer with varied shades as matters proceed.

As drama and as a look at a country increasingly entering the world spotlight, “Slumdog Millionaire” is a vital piece of work by an outsider who’s clearly connected with the place. Musical elements provide a major kick, as does a rousing and unexpected end-credits dance number at a train station.… Expand
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8
AproxxAug 4, 2018
"This movie felt like they were trying to make us know all the things that happen ""normally"" in India. I felt that way. So a ton of crap happens to our protagonists. Probably too much to be realistic. And yet is just so well done that I"This movie felt like they were trying to make us know all the things that happen ""normally"" in India. I felt that way. So a ton of crap happens to our protagonists. Probably too much to be realistic. And yet is just so well done that I don't mind. The pacing (and editing) is so ridiculously good that you can wait to see what's going to happen next.

In the end. It might not be the most refined movie ever, but is hard to be belive that you wont enjoyed, at least, and loved it at most"… Expand
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9
alejandro970Feb 23, 2020
When Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 days after) met Bollywood. The viewer shall pay attention for get and find the clues about how a Mumbai backstreet boy could became millionaire in a quiz show. The movie that put Mumbai, Dev Patel andWhen Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 days after) met Bollywood. The viewer shall pay attention for get and find the clues about how a Mumbai backstreet boy could became millionaire in a quiz show. The movie that put Mumbai, Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto in the spotlight.… Expand
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6
BroyaxFeb 12, 2020
Ah l'exotisme de l'Inde, ses ratonnades, ses bouteilles d'eau (là, c'est carrément flippant...) ses toilettes à ciel ouvert, son fleuve magnifique qui charrie les ordures (et bien d'autres choses...) ses bidons-villes, ses trafics deAh l'exotisme de l'Inde, ses ratonnades, ses bouteilles d'eau (là, c'est carrément flippant...) ses toilettes à ciel ouvert, son fleuve magnifique qui charrie les ordures (et bien d'autres choses...) ses bidons-villes, ses trafics de mendiants, ses trafics d'enfants (des enfants mendiants je crois...) ses décharges à ciel ouvert, ses interrogatoires de suspects dans la déontologie et le respect...

Et ses trains bondés, ses vols à l'étalage et à la roulotte et... sa mafia et sa prostitution... enfin tout ça, quoi, ça donne envie d'aller voir et de visiter ! merci Danny Boyle ! en tout cas, ça reste assez drôle, du genre drôlement ironique bien sûr et assez bien réalisé même si Danny agite parfois un peu trop la caméra. Mais il est vrai que c'est co-réalisé avec un Indien, alors don't act...

Très bon rythme par ailleurs dans cette histoire menée décidément sans temps mort... mais beaucoup d'incohérences et d'invraisemblances également sont à déplorer... une façon polie de dire qu'on nous prend quand même un peu trop pour des jambons ! le prétexte romantique est bien joli mais on ne veut pas voir de bollywooderies et autres conneries du même genre, non, non, je vous assure...

Un brin nunuche et concon donc tout cela... mais étonnamment divertissant quand même ! un étrange et dépaysant mélange quoi qu'il en soit.… Expand
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9
Dragonfly44Oct 11, 2018
It’s an amazing feel good love story that it sure to blow you away. Rating - 94%
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7
amheretojudgeAug 7, 2018
a dulcet tone that never hurts..

Slumdog Millionaire 3 And A Half Out Of 5 Slumdog Millionaire is a plot driven dramatic feature about an aspiring kid from slum who seeks his destiny through his good-will nature "with all odds". Boyle'sa dulcet tone that never hurts..

Slumdog Millionaire

3 And A Half Out Of 5

Slumdog Millionaire is a plot driven dramatic feature about an aspiring kid from slum who seeks his destiny through his good-will nature "with all odds". Boyle's world in here is rugged and darker than it anticipated to be but fortunately since it ends on a higher ideal and a mellow note than any of the projected ones in the feature, it lands safe and sound.

The jump-starter of the feature is of course its smart concept but often the ingenious idea fades away among multiple characters with their individual sub-plots but in here with the help an amazing editing by Dickens the spine of the feature never turns jelly. It is beautifully shot with amazing camera work and mesmerizing visuals and on the other hand it also consists some sinister ideology; especially in its first half, that is utterly inedible to encounter. It is rich on technical aspects like stunning cinematography, up beating background score and smarter costume design than one usually gets (the lead actress is often wearing a shade of yellow; a slick move). The adapted screenplay is gripping, bold and filled with electrifying sequences that shakes the audience and demands attention throughout the course of it; the run-time flows like a high current. At the end of it, it always will be Boyle's imaginative world that is brimmed with almost too much colors and yet respects each aspect of it to give enough space and range to factor in effectively. The performance is appreciative if not stellar, especially by Patel, Khan, Kapoor and Pinto. Cunning and finely detailed script, excellent execution and plethora of emotions that the thrilling ride offers are the high points of the feature. Slumdog Millionaire is actually a dulcet tone that never hurts where the makers are playing it safe but with bigger guns than ever.… Expand
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3
FilipeNetoMar 18, 2018
This film features a less tourist and romantic side of India: a society where traditional social castes are still subject to discrimination, where the immensely rich are very few, and the absolutely miserable are millions. I'm not in India toThis film features a less tourist and romantic side of India: a society where traditional social castes are still subject to discrimination, where the immensely rich are very few, and the absolutely miserable are millions. I'm not in India to see if this film shows the reality, in these issue, but it might be close. The two main characters are played by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto (a possible descendant of Portuguese, judging by the family name), and we can say that both are quite reasonable, given the circumstances. However, this film is just that good.

To begin, credibility is not the big point of this film, especially for those who do not believe in coincidences. Otherwise, we would never be able to believe in the possibility of a person without instruction win a general culture contest thanks to answers are things that these person was memorizing lifelong, by chance. Nor would believe that one contest normally transmitted deferred would be broadcast live, or that such a popular winner could walk in public immediately after the contest without anyone looking at him more than twice. None of this makes sense, only serves melodramatic purposes, but this is the basis of the film and the script, written by Simon Beaufoy, based on a book I've never read, by Vikas Swarup. This lack of logic fatally victim the main character, despite Patel's efforts to look convincing. His romantic couple seems more consistent, but never ceases to be a highly secondary character.

Far-fetched and unrealistic from the beginning to the end, this film is a failure. The way was thinking is too imaginative and bet too much on coincidences. This works with some, but not all audiences. This film does not have the value that most critics gave him, nor deserve Oscars who won. If there is overrated films, this is one.… Expand
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10
NinsreynethApr 1, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Slumdog Millionaire The movie is about the Slumdog Millionaire. The character of the movie is the boy have brave and clever. His name is Jamal. uneducation, met a lot of struggle in his life but he is the lucky boy because he get a millionaires from quiz on the TV show.
The story begins in Mumbai have a small poor family. In this family have only one mother and two sons. The first son name is Salim and second son name is Jamal. After that in mumbai have many war that why can made salim and Jamal got lost and their mother was death. As Jamal was 18 years old he joined the competition at the India version of Who Want to Be a Millionaire. At that time when jamal was trying to answer the questions suddenly his brother shouted his name that why Salim knew his brother because his brother was lost when their was a child. And then when Jamal was walking on the street suddenly he met with his girlfriend. At that time can made Jamal feel excited because he got lost her for a long time. Finally Jamal is the person have uneducated, get pushes and have a lot struggle in his life but he is clever and brave. One day he got a millionaire from quiz on the TV show in India and he met his girlfriend and they live together for a long time and get a happiness.… Expand
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10
RollinSep 6, 2019
Amazing story being told by different memories. Very unique film that exceutes on all levels. Warning: extremely sad
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9
loremMar 29, 2020
A movie with impeccable cinematography and a traumatic retrospective story about the terrible "sin" of being poor in a world that still wants you that way
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9
GoobisJul 9, 2020
An all around solid film that explores the main character's life in an interesting and engaging way. It's really worth a watch. It has some very tense moments and makes you really emapthize with and understand the main character.
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8
geewahAug 9, 2021
An uplifting tale that at times can be overly sentimental but on the whole is a well directed movie by Danny Boyle.
It's a shame the movie doesn't really kick into gear until the final 1/3 though.
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8
Farhan41Dec 16, 2020
Obviously it's a good movie.Maybe the best adapted movie from Indian movie industry
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10
YearRoundBrownApr 12, 2021
The only reason I'm posting this, this long after the movies release is that there are way too many bad reviews of this film. Even if the overall production was horrible, which it isn't, Danny Boyle does phenomenal with the shots needed forThe only reason I'm posting this, this long after the movies release is that there are way too many bad reviews of this film. Even if the overall production was horrible, which it isn't, Danny Boyle does phenomenal with the shots needed for the editing room which he does on almost every film he makes. needed to edit a movie of his which happens with every thing he touches. His editor doesn't get enough credit because every movie he makes is it perfectly cut and he always gets the best of his actors as far as direction goes. Now that I'm thinking of it, the only actor to ever have a bad scene/take in a Danny Boyle film is Seth Rogen in Steve Jobs, but other than that, I think I can honestly say that there isn't a bad take shot by Danny Boyle. And this is made after the reboot of Aladdin. Which he wrote and shot as good as a reboot of Aladdin could've been.… Expand
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7
DunkaccinoMar 20, 2023
In the end, I found myself at the edge of my seat—as I imagine many people did, and realized that I do care for these characters a great deal.
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9
Tommy2005Feb 15, 2022
SLumdog Millionair made me sweaty when watching it for the first time. With compelling characters and meaningful story with amazing soundtrack, it deserves to be one the best film from Danny Boyle
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8
royalguy07Jan 30, 2023
Salim was an undercover great movie villain, the M.I.A. Paper Planes needle drop was wild in this movie. Thought it was pretty good.
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8
VirtualnerdMay 31, 2023
This movie is an emotional rollercoaster. It has some of the lowest lows and the highest highs in movie history. Highly recommend.
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10
Maxisgoat1717Apr 9, 2023
Why it rocks: The story is very clean, simple, and easy to follow and the graphics are really good looking. The cast did a great job, and the direction is really well done, plus there’s a nice hint of romance. It won an Oscar for pretty muchWhy it rocks: The story is very clean, simple, and easy to follow and the graphics are really good looking. The cast did a great job, and the direction is really well done, plus there’s a nice hint of romance. It won an Oscar for pretty much anything it could have, and for a good reason.… Expand
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10
Manucci555Aug 18, 2023
A personal favorite of mine, I used to love this film so dearly when I was much younger. I could go on but I think it requires no explanation. Its a wonderful film.
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