Slumdog Millionaire

**** Stars

Stop reading for a second.

Go see Slumdog Millionaire.

Now continue.

I haven't seen a truly great movie in a while (and I really didn't see that coming in the middle of November). This is the time of year where I should be celebrating cinema. After Bond failed on almost every level, I was entering Slumdog Millionaire as a desperate man wanting to be reminded why I still go to the movies. Slumdog Millionaire: You answered my prayers as the best film I have seen so far this year, and I am so glad that a possible Best Picture Nomination is in its future. Director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Trainspotting) has made his best film yet. It unfolds as a sublimely told love story wrapped inside a poetic tale of human existence. 

Jamal Malik is an 18 year-old orphan from the streets of Mumbai who wins $20 million on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" How did he do it the film asks?

A.) He cheated

B.) He's lucky.

C.) He's a genius 

D.) It is written.

Don't worry, I'm not giving anything away. We discover this in the introduction. The real secret is how Jamal has come to learn the answers of the each question. The plot shifts from the game show to his past, where we learn about his desperate journey to reunite with the love of his life, Latika. 

Latika is all Jamal cares about. When he is suspected of cheating on the show, he is arrested for questioning. Jamal explains his innocence, as he tells the officers he still looks for Latika around every corner. Question by question, the maturity of both the characters and the story is an enthralling piece of cinema, one that will erupt the passions out of your heart and explode them into an emotional existence.

Every line of dialogue poetic, every camera shot a stunner, and every action monumental, Slumdog Millionaire jumps out of the ordinary and into a stage that will stand the test of time. When Jamal is one question away from winning the $20 million, the entire world is watching. In this rare case, television unites people to believe in the unbelievable. Is Latika watching the show? Will Jamal ever find his destiny? How can moviegoers experience such magic?

D.) It is written.

And it's called Slumdog Millionaire.