The Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire The British Academy Awards gave me a clear indication of my next-to-watch-film. Watching movies, going to the theatre and to the cinema are a great passion of mine. I deeply believe that apart from entertainment, movies can be a useful tool to learn and mature. Movies take me to another world, another life, another culture. Making me feel part of the story, movies tickle my emotions giving me a boost for the real thing: life itself. The cinema can be a magnificent classroom, giving me a chance to see different characters with different lives and learning from the way they act towards their situations. I usually crave to watch a film, but the problem normally is that I don’t know which is the best one! Watching the Oscars on E Entertainment helped me decide which film to choose. This was the film: Slumdog Millionaire. Having ten nominations and winning 8 Oscars was more than enough to convince me. This film plunged me in a new, unknown culture: The Indian Culture. Danny Boyle, the director, chooses the heart wrenching tale of an impoverished teenager appearing on the Indian version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ To be honest at the beginning, the story was a bit confusing but then everything quickly fell into its place and it was clear to understand. This technique reflects the great ability of a director who taps in the creativity of the audience to create suspense and arouse curiosity. Jamal, a slum kid, has everything he ever loved taken away from him, only to try with everything that he has to regain his true love and gain more than he could ever hope. His circumstances, belief and destiny all intertwined and brought him to where he is. This film shows the world of the hardships that are common in India and the mystique and fantasy that is also present in this sub continent. The movie has frequent flashbacks in order to give Jamal the opportunity to find his answers in his past. The rich and multicolored Indian culture left a permanent impression on me and made me more conscious of the diversity that exists in the world. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a truly inspirational movie with great values and a story that kept me at the edge of my seat at all times. I could almost feel myself running, jumping and soaring through the streets along with the kids. At the end of the film with tears rolling down my cheek, the first word that came out of my mouth was “WOW”. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ really showed me that you don’t have to be a genius to succeed in life. The most important thing is to learn from your experiences. The answer lies in your whole being, you as a person with all your past and experiences, you as a person in the present, with a future still unforeseen.