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Slumdog Millionaire

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

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Reviews Counted:210

Fresh:196

Rotten:14

Average Rating:8.2/10

Consensus: Visually dazzling and emotionally resonant, Slumdog Millionaire is a film that's both entertaining and powerful.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:09-01-2009

Synopsis: British director Danny Boyle takes another intriguing career turn with this heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed an appearance on India's... British director Danny Boyle takes another intriguing career turn with this heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed an appearance on India's version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a tightly woven story that has been expertly edited into shape. The contrast between Jamal's upbringing and his chance of escaping it on the show are adeptly juxtaposed. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending succession of challenging situations. But the way Boyle ties together Jamal's life experiences with his answers on the show is quite brilliant, and the film really does run the full gamut of emotions as we see him growing up, falling in love, coming close to death, and teetering on the brink of escaping from his terrible predicament. The film belongs to Boyle's cast, who are mostly unknown outside of India. Patel, in particular, gives a startlingly mature performance that audiences are likely to remember long after the credits role on this affecting feature. [More]

Starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal

Starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto

Director: Danny Boyle

Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy
Producer: Christian Colson
Composer: A.R. Rahman
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Slumdog Millionaire

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
4/6

Dave Calhoun

Slumdog Millionaire’, a film so upbeat and colourful that, by the time you’re relaying its infectious air of optimism to friends, you could forget that it features orphans, slaughter, organised crime, poverty, enslavement and police brutality.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Jan., 09 2009 04:47 AM

Time Out

tomato
5/5

A spirited underdog fable marinated in modern India's melting pot. Danny Boyle's still the master of spices.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 04:36 AM

Channel 4 Film

tomato
4/5

James Christopher

Mumbai’s brand new skyscrapers sprout out of patches of mud; Jamal’s old-fashioned principles will forever be out of synch with the slick, nightclub world that his older brother Salim inhabits. And so it goes. The romance? Fear not. It’s fabulous icing.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 04:16 AM

Times [UK]

tomato
3/5

Peter Bradshaw

Despite being overpraised - it arrives garlanded with the kind of reviews that must have come out after the opening night of King Lear - this is still very effective entertainment.

Full Review Source: | comment 4 Comments | Jan., 09 2009 04:05 AM

Guardian [UK]

tomato
5/5

Sukhdev Sandhu

Slumdog Millionaire is as acerbic as it is clear-eyed about the brutal power dynamics in modern-day Mumbai. But, at the same time, what makes it so warming and what has been inspiring audiences all across the world to cheer at its rousing ending.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 03:50 AM

Daily Telegraph

tomato
4/5

Rob Daniel

Hard hearts may balk at the unashamed sentiment, black and white morality, and question-flashback contrivances, but let them eat pie and mash: this is a tangy banquet of smile-on-the-face feel good.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 03:32 AM

Sky Movies

tomato
4/5

Vivid, moving and breathlessly exciting, this enthralling mingling of fable, travelogue and social commentary sees Danny Boyle at the top of his game. Phone a friend and tell them not to miss it.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 03:17 AM

Total Film

tomato
5/5

Ian Nathan

Danny Boyle’s finest since Trainspotting. In fact, it’s the best British/Indian gameshow-based romance of the millennium.

Full Review Source: | comment 2 Comments | Jan., 09 2009 03:15 AM

Empire Magazine

tomato
4/5

Christopher Tookey

Is it a great movie? For me, it falls well short. But I don't see how anyone could deny that Slumdog Millionaire is terrific, exhilarating, inspirational entertainment.

Full Review Source: | comment 6 Comments | Jan., 09 2009 03:09 AM

Daily Mail [UK]

tomato
3/5

David Edwards

I have the uneasy feeling I may be the only critic on planet Earth who isn’t going to be sprinkling stars over Slumdog like confetti, but I bet you £1m we’ll see better this year.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 02:58 AM

Daily Mirror [UK]

tomato
5/5

Slumdog offers a million other reasons to enjoy an escapist trip to the cinema, well away from the credit crunch.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 02:51 AM

Sun Online

tomato

Nigel Andrews

Don’t worry about suspending disbelief: for an hour or so Boyle will do it for you. The film’s visual panache is strong enough to ambush doubters, whose scepticism will stumble into hidden nets and be hoisted high into the firmament.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 02:39 AM

Financial Times

tomato
4/5

Anthony Quinn

I'm not sure it's a great movie, but it's certainly a great audience movie.

Full Review Source: | comment 7 Comments | Jan., 09 2009 02:34 AM

This is London

tomato
4/5

Derek Malcolm

It’s a fantasy with realist stud marks, full of energy, colour and, frankly, cliché.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 02:20 AM

This is London

tomato
5/5

Matthew Turner

Hugely enjoyable and bursting with energy, this is a superbly directed, brilliantly written and beautifully acted drama that packs a powerful emotional punch.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 02:07 AM

ViewLondon

tomato
5/5

Rich Cline

A blast of raw, colourful energy elevates this gritty tale into one of the most enjoyable films of the year

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 09 2009 01:59 AM

Shadows on the Wall

tomato
5/5

Victor Olliver

Despite the poverty, the reek of saffron and excrement evoked by vivid shanty town scenes, Doyle has captured the life force of his characters.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 08 2009 05:25 AM

Teletext

N/R

Matt Soergel

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 18 2009 03:15 AM

Florida Times-Union

tomato
3.5/4

Sonny Bunch

Slumdog Millionaire immerses the audience in an alien landscape and shows it through the eyes of a young man fighting against history and his own culture's expectations.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 30 2009 04:05 PM

Washington Times

splat

Fernando F. Croce

Shows how a critic-pleasing film can be every bit as overbearing as a crowd-pleasing one

Full Review Source: | comment 3 Comments | Aug., 26 2009 11:58 AM

CinePassion

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Slumdog Millionaire

June 09, 2009: Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy Move to Maximum City Opens in new window
Danny Boyle will be staying in Bombay -- and reuniting with "Slumdog Millionaire" writer Simon Beaufoy -- for his next project, an adaptation of the non-fiction book "Maximum... More...

May 05, 2009: 2009 MTV Movie Awards Nominations Announced Opens in new window
The nominations for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards have been announced, with "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Twilight" each earning nominations in six categories. More...

March 31, 2009: Five Favorite Films with Slumdog Millionaire's Anil Kapoor
Slumdog Millionaire's American audiences were enticed to watch by the name of director Danny Boyle or the movie's kinetic exploration of an exotic, far-away underbelly. In... More...

March 30, 2009: RT on DVD: Exclusive Slumdog Millionaire Clip, Seven Pounds, and The Matrix 10th Anniversary Blu-ray
Jai Ho it up with the DVD debut of Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire! It's also your week to catch films you might have missed in theaters, from... More...

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