THE CRITIC-AL LIST
Reviews by Alan Jones
5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH

Salt
The Expendables
The Last Airbender
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Inception
Predators
The Twilight Saga:Eclipse
Toy Story 3
Hot Tub Time Machine
Iron Man 2
Repo Men
The Collector
Clash of the Titans
Shelter
How To Train Your Dragon
Kick-Ass
Shutter Island
Alice In Wonderland
The Crazies
Case 39
The Wolfman
Legion
The Lovely Bones
Black Death
Daybreakers
Avatar
Ninja Assassin
The Descent: Part 2
Amer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Box
2012
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Horseman
Solomon Kane
Pandorum
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
District 9
An Education
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
Orphan
A Perfect Getaway
The Imaginarium Of
Doctor Parnassus
Up
Harry Potter
And The Half-Blood Prince
The Taking of Pelham 123
Transformers
The Revenge Of The Fallen
Antichrist
Terminator Salvation
Last House On The Left
Inglorious Basterds
Angels & Demons
Adventureland
Star Trek
Crank: High Voltage
Coraline
Dragonball Evolution
Let The Right One In
Drag Me To Hell
Race to Witch Mountain
Knowing
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Not Quite Hollywood
Lesbian Vampire Killers
Martyrs
The Children
Surveillance
Watchmen
The Unborn
The International
Friday The 13th
Franklyn
Push
Punisher:War Zone
The Good The Bad And
The Weird
Hush
Underworld
The Rise OF The Lycans
My Bloody Valentine
Bolt
Slumdog Millionaire

Directed by Danny Boyle. Staring Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Ittal and Freida Pinto. Drama, UK, 121 min. Web site

Easily Danny Boyle’s finest and mature masterpiece since his ground breaking TRAINSPOTTING, the rich emotional texture and life-affirming splendour of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE epitomizes the description crowd-pleaser. Coupled with Simon (THE FULL MONTY) Beaufoy’s pitch perfect and audaciously clever scripting, bravura storytelling technique and superlative filmmaking expertise elevates this dazzling delight to extraordinarily resonant and entertaining heights. Infused with the shimmering sights and sounds of modern India for a stunning sensory overload that further motors its propulsive power, Boyle’s romantic thriller is justly getting the award recognition it deserves.

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from Mumbai’s slums, is just one question away from winning 20 million rupees on India’s version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ Arrested on suspicion of cheating, local police thugs try forcing him to confess having an accomplice in the TV studio audience. But as they listen to his colourful life story it becomes clear his survival experiences have taught him everything needed to legitimately know the answers. Each question signals a flashback to Jamal’s earlier traumatic life where he gained that key knowledge. Like falling prey to criminals maiming orphans to make more money street begging, pretending to be Taj Mahal tourist guides, or the schism caused by his brother turning gangster. But it’s not those tragic hardships that made him want to be a winning contestant; it’s his desire to find Latika (Frieda Pinto), the girl he loved and lost in arranged marriage to a violent husband. A vivid visual sensibility, scorching soundtrack (by genius A R Rahman) and superb all-round performances - Patel and Pinto together are heart-breaking - keep suspense high and the flights of romance higher. Plus the inspired Bollywood finale will have you exiting dancing on air.

As much an incisive social commentary on contemporary India as a delicious feel-good fairytale, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE makes you laugh out loud, wince in horror, feel the pain of rejection and cry buckets while always remaining a solidly grounded moving testimony to the human spirit. Ask the audience, phone a friend, even go 50/50, but don’t miss it!

Alan Jones

© London FrightFest Ltd. 2000-2009
__________________________________________________________