My uncle has always been a fan of independent films and frequented the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station in Dallas before he and my aunt moved out to East Texas. He does not get to go to the movies much now, so I thought it would be neat to get out and have a movie day with him over the holidays.
We set up a good schedule to meet up at the new Angelika in Plano at the Shops at Legacy to catch Slumdog Millionaire at 11:00 AM and then have a few minutes turnaround before going to see Milk at 1:20 PM. While both flicks were really good with Sean Penn further cementing his place as an exceptional actor in the latter, Slumdog was the real winner for me.
To set up the plot for you (not a spoiler alert here), the story is set around a young man who is a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in Mumbai, India. The film begins with main character, Jamal answering a question to win 10 million rupees and being accused of being a cheat. As a guy from the slums with admittedly no education, an investigator questions him about his unbelievable knowledge. He shows the tape of the game throughout the investigation and has him justify his answers.
The genius of the story is that the knowledge needed to answer the trivia questions was accumulated through a series of wild events in his youth. The flashbacks and forwards are strategically placed as they show his upbringing and reveal the answers in a variety of ways.
Jamal grows up with his brother, Salim and childhood love Latika. An awesome score accompanies the flashbacks and the cinematography gives a fantastic account of both the slums and the high life in India. The camera angles put you right in the middle of his adventure as he recounts his youth as well.
There was never a dull moment, and I really was on edge ready to find out what would happen to him next. While this is a seriously bold statement for me, Slumdog Millionaire may have already vaulted into the top 5 all time movies for me. Go see it while it's in the theaters for sure because the score and the action make it well worth your money. With the Oscar buzz surrounding it, you may want to catch it quick because it may win Best Picture.
So, what are my top 5 movies, you ask?
In no particular order (due to this recent viewing)...
Slumdog Millionaire
Heat
Cinderella Man
Good Will Hunting
Requiem for a Dream
Just to be fair, Milk was really good, too, and will definitely be in the mix come Oscar time but if you only go see one movie in the next month or two, make Slumdog Millionaire your choice.
We set up a good schedule to meet up at the new Angelika in Plano at the Shops at Legacy to catch Slumdog Millionaire at 11:00 AM and then have a few minutes turnaround before going to see Milk at 1:20 PM. While both flicks were really good with Sean Penn further cementing his place as an exceptional actor in the latter, Slumdog was the real winner for me.
To set up the plot for you (not a spoiler alert here), the story is set around a young man who is a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in Mumbai, India. The film begins with main character, Jamal answering a question to win 10 million rupees and being accused of being a cheat. As a guy from the slums with admittedly no education, an investigator questions him about his unbelievable knowledge. He shows the tape of the game throughout the investigation and has him justify his answers.
The genius of the story is that the knowledge needed to answer the trivia questions was accumulated through a series of wild events in his youth. The flashbacks and forwards are strategically placed as they show his upbringing and reveal the answers in a variety of ways.
Jamal grows up with his brother, Salim and childhood love Latika. An awesome score accompanies the flashbacks and the cinematography gives a fantastic account of both the slums and the high life in India. The camera angles put you right in the middle of his adventure as he recounts his youth as well.
There was never a dull moment, and I really was on edge ready to find out what would happen to him next. While this is a seriously bold statement for me, Slumdog Millionaire may have already vaulted into the top 5 all time movies for me. Go see it while it's in the theaters for sure because the score and the action make it well worth your money. With the Oscar buzz surrounding it, you may want to catch it quick because it may win Best Picture.
So, what are my top 5 movies, you ask?
In no particular order (due to this recent viewing)...
Slumdog Millionaire
Heat
Cinderella Man
Good Will Hunting
Requiem for a Dream
Just to be fair, Milk was really good, too, and will definitely be in the mix come Oscar time but if you only go see one movie in the next month or two, make Slumdog Millionaire your choice.
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