Slumdog Millionaire (2008) (Blu Ray) - 10/10

Checked out Slumdog Millionaire on Blu Ray this morning and even though I've seen it a couple times already, I was amazed at how much I got into pulled the story all over again. I don't know if it's the combination of catchy music, fast paced editing, or just learning about a foreign culture's gameshow with those cool moving subtitles but I really was impressed with how entertaining it is, definitely the most unique and rightly deserving winner of last year's crop. The unknown child actors throughout the film really give it a sense of randomness and realism to growing up in the slums of Mumbai so even when they use a yellow filter to show off the atmospheric production design, it really makes it seem as if this could be a real story. Danny Boyle did a wonderful job of switching between handheld close ups like when the kids are chased or running towards the train but balances it with overhead crane and tracking shots that give it that sweeping professional look that lets you focus on the background as well.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of fate and the saying that everything happens for a reason so whenever I see this movie, I find it easy to identify with the man character whose distrubing events of childhood survival eventually give him the answers to the questions on the show like "it was written". Something about the way that it starts in the present when he is arrested and the way it gives us the questions one at a time really lets the movie breath and get a buildup of excitement so when he gets to the end, we have been on this journey and understand the stakes even more. I liked how the music really sets the tone of some scenes so when looking back at how he got an answer, the pace quickened to really make me care about what happenes. Slumdog was definitely the way to be introduced to Bollywood as it's always fun to watch these feel-good fairy tale type movies that when using both english and subtitles to convey a bridge of cultures, you can't help but be swept along in it's energy. This is a movie that I don't feel bad for saying I love and I hope everyone get's to see it looking this good.