Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup, telling the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel as Jamal, and filmed in India, the film was directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and produced by Christian Colson, with Loveleen Tandan credited as co-director.

After its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and later screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival, Slumdog Millionaire had a nationwide release in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2009, in India on 23 January 2009, and in the United States on 25 December 2008.

Plot
As 18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) answers questions on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," flashbacks show how he got there. Part of a stable of young thieves after their mother dies, Jamal and his brother, Salim, survive on the streets of Mumbai. Salim finds the life of crime agreeable, but Jamal scrapes by with small jobs until landing a spot on the game show.

Why It's a Millionaire

 * 1) The film concludes with a song, called "Jai Ho". This is one the best ending moments in history.
 * 2) The soundtrack by A.R. Rahman became an international hit, and also won an Oscar for the Best Original Score, making A.R. Rahman the first Indian to win an Oscar.
 * 3) Danny Boyle's directing is amazing, considering how he won an Oscar for the Best Director.
 * 4) The acting is really impressive, such as Dev Patel, who sounds better.
 * 5) Very unpredictable storyline that doesn't steals elements of other movies.
 * 6) It follows faithfully for the adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup.
 * 7) Jamal and Latika are likeable characters that we want to see end up together.
 * 8) Great use of Dutch angles.
 * 9) Great way to show how Jamal knew the answers with flashbacks to his past, building up to the present.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The Indian version wasn't that good.
 * 2) *Speaking of which, it was panned in India primarily because of depicting the country as a poverty-ridden area, even though the film and novel were supposed to be based around poverty.

Reception
Regarded as a sleeper hit, Slumdog Millionaire was widely acclaimed, being praised for its plot, soundtrack, cinematography, editing, direction, and performances (especially Patel's). The film holds a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 282 reviews, with an average score of 8.36/10. The consensus reads, "Visually dazzling and emotionally resonant, Slumdog Millionaire is a film that's both entertaining and powerful." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating using reviews from mainstream critics, the film has an average score of 86 out of 100, based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".