Slumdog Millionaire

JRace · « **Reply #20 on:** 3 Feb 2009, 07:36 pm »

I kept saying...."just wait it gets better"..."this is from the same guy that brought us 28 days later..."

didn't help much!

dave_c · « **Reply #21 on:** 7 Feb 2009, 05:05 am »

The whole first half is a setup for what happens later. Just makes the feel good part feel that much better.

anthony a. · « **Reply #22 on:** 9 Feb 2009, 05:35 am »

i liked it a lot. great storyline and i liked the way it went back and forth to reveal character depth and history. sad, yet eye-opening to us sheltered kids. life is tough for many and it allows us to see why poverty brings forth crime. all in all, i thought it was brilliantly produced and acted.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 Feb 2009, 04:05 pm »

Congrats to the filmmakers/cast/crew for a well-deserved domination of the Academy Awards...

doug s. · « **Reply #24 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:41 am »

i thought it was a cute movie. but best pic of the year? ya gotta be kidding!?! were all the movies last year really that bad?

doug s.

zybar · « **Reply #25 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:44 am »

Quote from: doug s. on 24 Feb 2009, 03:41 am

i thought it was a cute movie. but best pic of the year? ya gotta be kidding!?! were all the movies last year really that bad?

doug s.

Ok "Ebert", what would you pick as the movie of the year for 2008?

George

satfrat · « **Reply #26 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 04:10 am »

Quote from: doug s. on 24 Feb 2009, 03:41 am

i thought it was a cute movie. but best pic of the year? ya gotta be kidding!?! were all the movies last year really that bad?

doug s.

Well what do you know Doug,, I'm in full agreement with ya on this one.

No way should that movie have dominated the Oscars the way it did.

Cheers,
Robin

launche · « **Reply #27 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 04:14 am »

I agree, I enjoyed the movie a lot but didn't see all this coming in terms of awards. Could be numerous reasons for that but I can't argue against it per se. I support the indie movies but this was one that I think they may have said lets run with this theme and lets do something's different.

The one big thing for me was I just didn't connect with any of the adult characters/actors, the kids were very good though. I understand that they were first time actors and in comparision to their co-actors it showed but the story telling and direction was able to deflect this. I will admit that I may have been a victim of unfair expectations (something I always warn against) that's why I like to see my movies when they first come out and before reading much review. I just simply did not walk out of the theater saying "WOW" or feeling a rush from the cinematic experience with this movie.

Jon L · « **Reply #28 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 05:00 am »

Quote from: JRace on 3 Feb 2009, 05:54 pm

Made it 30mins in before my wife made me shut it off.
Her and our good friend (pre-school teacher) couldn't stomach the reality of the child poverty over their.
I tried to get them to finish it knowing it would be worth it...

Damn emotional broads!

It must be a Western fascination to marvel at the unspeakable reality of poverty in the world, especially when it comes to children. I am already familiar with these realities, which is probaby why I have now tried to watch Slumdog twice but failed to finish it due to its utter predictability and boredom. If you guys promise the last half will be a *MUCH* better cinematic experience, I'll give it one last shot.

Personally, I think a good documentary about the subject would have been much more worthwhile...

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #29 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 05:31 am »

http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1235429905&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

PhilNYC · « **Reply #30 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 01:14 pm »

Quote from: Jon L on 24 Feb 2009, 05:00 am

Quote from: JRace on 3 Feb 2009, 05:54 pm
Made it 30mins in before my wife made me shut it off.
Her and our good friend (pre-school teacher) couldn't stomach the reality of the child poverty over their.
I tried to get them to finish it knowing it would be worth it...

Damn emotional broads!

It must be a Western fascination to marvel at the unspeakable reality of poverty in the world, especially when it comes to children. I am already familiar with these realities, which is probaby why I have now tried to watch Slumdog twice but failed to finish it due to its utter predictability and boredom. If you guys promise the last half will be a *MUCH* better cinematic experience, I'll give it one last shot.

Personally, I think a good documentary about the subject would have been much more worthwhile...

For me, it wasn't about "marveling at the unspeakable reality of poverty in the world". For me, it was a story of true love and people overcoming tremendous obstacles to be together...those obstacles were exterior (poverty, crime, law) as well as interior (greed, security, etc) to the characters.

doug s. · « **Reply #31 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 01:26 pm »

Quote from: Jon L on 24 Feb 2009, 05:00 am

It must be a Western fascination to marvel at the unspeakable reality of poverty in the world, especially when it comes to children. I am already familiar with these realities, which is probaby why I have now tried to watch Slumdog twice but failed to finish it due to its utter predictability and boredom. If you guys promise the last half will be a *MUCH* better cinematic experience, I'll give it one last shot.

Personally, I think a good documentary about the subject would have been much more worthwhile...

if this is your issue w/it, then don't bother - it's so beyond utterly predictable - if it were only utterly predictable, it might have been exciting.

doug s.

dave_c · « **Reply #32 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 02:48 pm »

Predictable? Yes. The real draw was that it made me forget about all the BS I have to deal with and just get enveloped in a fairy tale with a feel good happy ending. I wasn't so much "wow!" but just happy after the movie. If you're trying to watch it at home I highly suggest the theater. Soundtrack is great and really works in a big theater.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #33 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 07:00 pm »

Perhaps I missed a deeper meaning this film was trying to convey...and perhaps seeing it on a Singapore Air flight on a 7" screen buried in the seatback in front of me with sound coming from the headsets handed to us (Singapore Air has those wanker non-standard dbl jacks and I always forget to bring the adaptor that would allow me to use my Westone monitor canalphones) is not optimal.

It was a very good film.....and I don't know all of it's competition in 2008...but it wasn't Best Picture material for me.

Not at all a bad way to pass 2 hours of a nearly 15 hour flight...but, not superlative. I found 'A Flash of Genius' (Greg Kinnear starring as the guy that made the intermittent windshield wiper and had the idea stolen from The Detroit Big 3 in the 60's) was as good, if not more enjoyable on the same flight.

I do temper this with the following proviso...I've got a serious lovejones

for Lauren Graham (playing Kinnear's wife in the movie)

Brunettes for me, babee

(perhaps the only thing Arnold Schwarzenegger and I have in common)

John

martyo · « **Reply #34 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 07:27 pm »

Quote

I've got a serious lovejones for Lauren Graham (playing Kinnear's wife in the movie)

Right there with ya John.

CSI · « **Reply #35 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 07:28 pm »

I'd be curious how many of you who saw this also saw "Gran Torino"? I saw them both and thought Eastwood's film far superior. It, too, has a cast of mostly first time actors. It was fascinating to me that it got good reviews but was totally snubbed by Hollywood - not a single Oscar nomination. What is really gratifying is that, according to the LA Times, Gran Torino has grossed $142M and is still bringing people in. "Slumdog" seems to have legs too, but in spite of the Oscar and all the hype it doesn't look like it will catch up with Clint (or even Paul Blart: Mall Cop). The old man is squinting all the way to the bank.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #36 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 11:30 pm »

Quote from: CSI on 9 Mar 2009, 07:28 pm

I'd be curious how many of you who saw this also saw "Gran Torino"? I saw them both and thought Eastwood's film far superior.

Gran Torino was too contrived for my tastes. For me, Slumdog was a much better film.

satfrat · « **Reply #37 on:** 10 Mar 2009, 01:53 am »

Quote from: Wind Chaser on 9 Mar 2009, 11:30 pm

Quote from: CSI on 9 Mar 2009, 07:28 pm
I'd be curious how many of you who saw this also saw "Gran Torino"? I saw them both and thought Eastwood's film far superior.

Gran Torino was too contrived for my tastes. For me, Slumdog was a much better film.

I personally wholeheartly agree with CSI.

While I did really like both films, I was much more moved by Gran Torino on many more levels than Slumdog Millionaire but that's not to take anything away from that movie. My only beef is that Gran Torino was completely ignored by the Academy crew.

Cheers,
Robin

ajzepp · « **Reply #38 on:** 6 Apr 2009, 10:02 am »

Wow...I'm in awe of how good this film was. It's 6am on Monday morning and I just finished it. I was obviously aware of all the acclaim it's garnered, including the wins at the Oscars, but even with those credentials I was still blown away by it. This movie is a work of art, truly. What amazing direction, structure, and just overall....awesomeness!

This is what the movies are all about, in my opinion.

I give this one a 4.6/5...what a wonderful experience in my home theater!

painkiller · « **Reply #39 on:** 6 Apr 2009, 10:09 am »

This film was a huge disappointment for me. The great reviews, all the media coverage and the bunch of Oscar awards are just a hype. It's very politically correct to like this movie though. I thought the story was dull, there were a lot of pointless scenes, the acting was mediocre, the filming and cutting was absolutely awful.