Slumdog Millionaire

I don't know why Indian films consistently show the crap parts of their country- but they do. And they don't mince words. This film shows horrible poverty, the grim results of a caste system, religious discrimination, police brutality, and a disregard for children and childhood. But perhaps we Americans romanticize childhood long past its usefulness anyway. The people in this film are survivors. They have lived brutal lives, but it is the power of a consistent and unrelenting love that smooths the edges. It is a 4 star film for the wonderful performances and for the inventive and well written plot (adapted from a novel). It is grueling to watch the torture sequences, and painful to think we have humans who exploit children with such cruelty, but it explains the people and events in the film. With the backdrop of the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire- a life story unfolds. It is a powerful and moving film that ends in a way it should. Go see it.