Comments | plumeriandeity: OK more of my two cents on Slumdog Millionaire's critics

plumeriandeity

OK more of my two cents on Slumdog Millionaire's critics

Jan 14, 2009 13:34

I was reading up on Slumdog Millionaire stuff on Wikipedia and I saw the criticisms the movie has received from critics and whoever. I just wanted to put my two cents to anyone who cares.

( Somewhat spoiler-y Rant )

slumdog millionaire, movies, india

Comments 5

roh_wyn January 14 2009, 19:38:05 UTC

All very good points, but let me be Devil's advocate a bit here.

Doesn't it bother you that every movie made by a Western director for primarily Western consumption focuses mostly on the griminess, the abject poverty, the Third Worldliness of it all? Just once, wouldn't you like to see India the way we see it...with the dirt just a sort of everpresent footnote to the human interest story that you can tell instead?

I much prefer Bollywood's anesthetized view of life in India. It may not be realistic, but I go to the movies to get away from the grime on the street, not to come away caked in it. I think that was AB's point too, by the way.

plumeriandeity January 14 2009, 21:15:38 UTC

Yes, that is true. And I suppose one could argue that the reason Western directors focus on the griminess and Third Worldliness is to 'preach' to Westerners that look how these people live and isn't it a shame? And I do wish that there would be a film that just focuses on the every day life of an average Indian person. There have been a few of those made within India but it's sad that the middle ground is rarely reached by filmmakers and we either see too much of the bad or too much of the escapist.

roh_wyn January 14 2009, 21:54:09 UTC

Actually, I think some Tamil movies are a bit more "real" that way. You get to see the protagonists living in very ordinary houses, riding buses, etc...and in the background of those shots is the everpresent griminess of it all.

I'll have to get back to you with some concrete examples!

plumeriandeity January 15 2009, 03:09:29 UTC

I definitely do agree with that. I thought of that Kamal Hassan film we watched over Xmas, which I thought showed a more "realist" view of a normal person's life. And there have been Bollywood films that are more 'realist' but so much of it is so shallow and over-the-top. I guess I'm of the type that just can't take that stuff seriously and I get all critical about it. It's a full circle, I know.

Who cares! It's a great movie! molysaccharine January 17 2009, 20:37:40 UTC

Hahaha, nice post! I agree with you for the most part. Sure, I guess people in India look up to the typical Bollywood genre because it allows them to see something other than their routine lives. A kind of escape from reality. I think Western Hollywood cinema attempts to do the same (i.e. all those superhero movies that have been out lately!) especially when the economy is in shambles and people are looking out for heroism or something that'll make it all better quickly. But I think that's besides the point when it comes to Slumdog. It's a good story. The actors are good (especially the children!!!...the adult actors were pretty bad!) And most importantly, it's somewhat original! (This is directed toward the Hollywood and Bollywood, which both attempt to recycle or remake stuff that's been done before). I just thought that from the storyline to the acting to the cinema, it was well done and just...different! People like that. Similarly, I guess that's why I liked a bunch of Amir Khan's films and other movies like Kal Ho ( ... )