Slumdog Millionaire

A new film by Danny Boyle is always a cause for celebration. Alongside Michael Winterbottom, he's Britain's best and most adventurous director. He might not be as prolific as his compatriot (let's face it, who is?), but Danny Boyle shares his determination to be diverse. For that alone, both should be treasured. Black comedy, fantasy, fairytale, horror, sci-fi: Boyle can do them all. After the headspinning sci-fi and awesome beauty of Sunshine, he now turns to the vibrancy and chaos of Mumbai. For once it doesn't feel like a Third World backdrop to the adventures of privileged Westerners. The focus is firmly on Mumbai and its inhabitants. It might be a fairytale but it doesn't shy away from poverty and violence.
The film is structured via Jamal's interrogation by the police, his backstory interweaving with events in the present, form and content inextricably intertwined. It's inconceivable that a mere "slumdog" could possibly be one question away from winning 20 million rupees (although the opening titles wittily point to both the game show setting and the role of destiny) It does require a certain suspension of disbelief as each flashback to Jamal's past provides the key to the next answer. It could all feel horribly contrived but the backstory is so enthralling that it isn't.
Boyle is never heavy-handed in his portrayal of the slums (they are very useful labyrinths for dodging irate policeman, where noone, including dozing mutts, bats an eyelid at a chase) or poverty (the children come up with ingenious money-making schemes and are indefatigably energetic) We might be shown the Taj Mahal but only as another opportunity for the brothers to get some cash, this time from gullible tourists.
While a lot of this is very funny indeed, there are also a ripe selection of villains. The host of the TV show is a smarmy, patronising narcissist, jealous of losing the limelight for a single second. A seemingly benign philanthropist is in reality a vicious modern-day Fagin, perfectly willing to blind small children with good singing voices as they earn more money. Jamal's older brother is worldly and selfish, prepared to do just about anything to make money, even commit murder. The "bad" brother maybe but there's always the sense that he might be able to redeem himself, whereas his gangster boss is brutal, heartless and totally ruthless. He might rule the slum but he's long since lost his soul. At it's heart though, the film is a love story. Jamal never stops loving Latika, no matter how long he's parted from her or how desperate the situation appears. Even his appearance on the show is motivated by his need to be seen by her once more. Ultimately, the money he could win is less important than knowing that she's safe. If you think this sounds like it's going to be heratwarming, you're correct. And it finishes on a gloriously grin-inducing Bollywood riff. Like I said, only Danny Boyle ...