*****
‘’When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.’’
This is a great film and for many reasons. It starts off with what seems to be an innocent Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire but before you know it you are hurled into an intense story of torture, corruption and deprivation. Having only read ‘the feel good film of the year’ marketing tagline, I for one, was caught completely off guard. The brilliance of the film, however, lies in the careful balance between gritty realism and fairytale storytelling for what unfolds is the journey of a helpless orphan emerging from the slums of Mumbai as a true hero who ensures good triumphs over evil.
The screenplay, cinematography and sound track are also very good as is the subtle vein of humour running all the way through the film. As for the acting, Dev Patel gives a great debut performance and holds his own against such seasoned actors as Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan who are also excellent in their roles. But the real stars of this film are the children – particularly the first round of them. It is very rare to see children act so well that for moments you actually forget they are acting. My only real disappointment with this film is that the first three children didn’t match the adults they supposedly grow up to become – and we need them to because these are the characters that we get to know at the start and these are the ones we are rooting for. Understandably, this is a tough job for the casting director but how satisfying it would have been to see the real woman that Latika becomes rather than a perfect looking model who has clearly come from anything but a slum. But this aside, Danny Boyle and his creative team tell a beautiful story very well and the Bollywood style tongue-in-cheek end credits are inspired.
E Bowe, ASAD Graduate, www.asad.org.uk
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