Why "Slumdog" Sucks -- (It's True, Someone Didn't Like It...)

By all accounts, "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of the best movies of the year—or ever. It’s the “feel-good fairytale” that the world’s critics can’t stop rhapsodizing about. And every time I visit Facebook, another acquaintance, coworker, or cousin has posted some new paean to the film’s life-changing effects.

It’s “Slumdog Millionaire.” And I didn’t like it. While the world is toasting “Slumdog” as a “celebration of life, love, and hope,” I can only smile weakly and mumble in half-hearted agreement—because disliking “Slumdog” apparently makes me a horrible, incorrigibly cynical curmudgeon. And I’m not. I swear I’m not.

To be fair, I didn’t hate the film. Visually, it was thrilling. The actors were appealing. And no one can deny that Danny Boyle is an exceptionally skilled director (if anything, he’s too slick).

But I distrust the film’s motives and messages—and, packaged as well as they are by Boyle (et al.), I worry that they obscure some important but hard-to-face truths, not only about the reality of life in third-world slums but also about the nature of romantic love, the power of hope, and “fate.”

False notions about how romantic love works—ideas of destiny and “love at first sight”—are fed to us in a constant stream of movies and TV shows. And I think that many of us are overdosing on them, to the point where we’re crippled in our real-world relationships. When real life doesn’t measure up to the epic love stories we see in movies like “Slumdog,” we label our relationships as failures and seek out new, more “epic” romances. (As recently reported in “Time” magazine, a study conducted at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh found that problems typically reported by couples in relationship counseling often reflect misconceptions about love and romance—misconceptions that are due to the influence of Hollywood films.)

Fairy tales are great—but let’s be clear: plucky courage isn’t enough to propel an orphan out of an Indian slum, and true love really doesn’t conquer all. 

I thought that the “these two people are destined to be together” storyline in “Slumdog” was repellently (and cheaply) manipulative. It’s all too easy for a filmmaker to put a lump in our throats by showing us this old Cinderella story in a beautiful package like “Slumdog Millionaire”—and I really hope that viewers aren’t measuring their own love stories by this impossible standard.

I know, I know. Movies are often about escapism. And this sort of thing is nothing new—a friend recently pointed out “Slumdog” could’ve been written by a modern-day Dickens. Well, for that matter, I don’t much care for Dickens’s simplistic morality, either.

Maybe I <em>am</em> an incorrigibly cynical curmudgeon, after all.

[Editor's note: "Slumdog Millionaire" is available on DVD March 31st.  You can pre-order it by clicking here.].

(Images courtesy of Fox Searchlight)

Comments

[dontmiss]

i agree 150% with you and i have not seen this film yet. i just have seen the trailer. i understand exactly what you mean. this fairy tail is just an escapism from the real world problems and what make me more discussed is the bollywood shit used to make it. india need a reality check. they need to get out of their denial. they have so much problem with its infrastructures and other problems like human rights. and they are making money somehow,some of then somehow. but the gap between rich and poor, in india is beyond our comprehension. it so sad to see a country like that with so many intelligent people to succumb in a poverty not only material but mental. good that there is people like you that can make this critic public. films like "slum dog millionaire" is not going to help instead just keep them like that.

[Mike]

I thought it was one of the year's best films. I have to disagree with you. "Milk" & "Doubt" were better, but "Slumdog" was certainly the most original, well-told, and engaging. I loved it...

[niki]

If you didn't like the film it might be because you have not seen any other Bollywood movies. They all have the same star-crossed lovers type of storyline about a boy and a girl fated to be together. Yes, it is hopelessly romantic. That's the point. It's an escape. Although Slumdog is not a traditional Bollywood film, it does pay homage to those movies. Note the dance sequence added at the end; nearly every Bollywood movie is a musical. India and many other countries love Bollywood films because it offers an (obviously unrealistic) escape from the everyday drudgery of their lives. Remember the heyday of musicals in the US was during the Great Depression?

[Cameron]

(First of all...spoiler alert. If you don't want to know details, don't read.)

I think I must have been watching a different movie than everyone else...(and please, before you start agreeing or disagreeing with anyone on here (yes, you, dontmiss) watch the damned film or shut the hell up).

All of the reviews led me to believe that I was going to see an Indian "Strictly Ballroom"...a feel good movie about plucky losers who triumph that you like in spite of yourself (and I did and do love that silly movie...).

But from the opening scene, I was shocked and delighted that Slumdog was so much more. For the life of me, I can't understand the depictions (by supporters nor detractors) of this film being a feckless romantic epic. It had more to say about the truth of poverty affecting the lives of children than any film I can remember. It spoke to the brutality of the caste system, religious bigotry, and the grinding effects of poverty.

The relationship between Jamal and Latika is not some ridiculous H(B)ollywood reduction of "love at first sight." They meet as children, and their relationship begins with Jamal showing her compassion. They spend years together. They become a family long before there is anything sexual or romantic about the relationship.

Jamal's later obsession with Latika is a natural extension of his character. While his brother is ruthless and hard and sees Jamal as weak and in need of protection, Jamal himself finds his strength...his purpose...in his need to protect Latika.

This isn't puppy love. It's a complicated mesh...part messiah complex, part selfish need, part true longing for family, part attachment to first sexual longing. In the storm of poverty and desperation in which he lives, he makes Latika a beacon...a symbol...which keeps him going.

For her part, Latika is nowhere near as naive. Though she loves him, at no point does it seem as if she has made of him a similar symbol. She has not spent the years pining for her lost love. She has hardened herself as needed to survive.

In the character of Prem Kumar, the weaselly game show host, the film depicts an all too common truth, as Kumar, a self-proclaimed escapee of the slums, actively seeks, with shocking viciousness, to keep another similarly oppressed person down. Prop 8, anyone?

When finally, (not much of a spoiler) Jamal and Latika are united at the end, it is only at the cost of blood and scars, both physical and emotional.

I left the theater contemplating their future. Could the money keep them safe from the revenge of the gangsters? Probably not. Would Jamal, having attained the object of his driving obsession, be able to deal with Latika as a true flesh-and-blood flawed human being? Would Latika, the victim of years and years of abuse, be able to truly accept Jamal's unquestioning, unconditional love?

So the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" storytelling was gimmicky. It was a brilliant damned gimmick.

Perhaps it's because I could not shake the horror of the mid-film depiction of monsters willing to blind children for the sake of making them more effective beggars that the "love story" retreated to the background as I watched this film.

Happily ever after? Probably not. But however naive and simplistic, I can't help but hope so.

[joel]

how about watching 'revolutionary road' for a dose of reality?

[TruthHurts]

I loved the movie and disagree with C. Wade, but we all have our opinion. Dontmiss though is pretty retarded for agreeing witout seeing the movie. When they show people in abject poverty hustling to eat and people murdered over religion it isn't ignoring anything.

[burns]

why is anyone even talking about this film in relation to reality? it is a representation and there are cultural signifiers that are unavailable to western viewers that seem way over the top. rather than judge how closely this film reflects reality, perhaps it would be more helpful and informative to question what this film is saying about reality, and what it is not. instead of dismissing the many strongly positive responses to this film, perhaps it would be most helpful to explore what it is in this film that is stimulating those responses. the world is not stupid. if everyone is having positive responses to this film it is an important cultural artifact. geez!

[Nero]

no offense, but it sounds like you just didn't like the movie because of your own personal history/feelings toawrd romance. While most that saw the movie were captivated by the culture, story-telling, and the characters, it seems like you couldn't get over the fact that you can't have what the main characters are pining for? And, please tell me, how does this relate to your blog? please make your next post relevant instead of just a forum to rant about anything you want. thanks!

[Carynn]

The thing that bothers me is that this movie is marketed at a feel good movie and it opens with a graphic torture scene that was horrifying, What the hell is this was my reaction. The torture, violence, abuse....?? I liked the story, the use of Millionaire, the direction, acting. But this is no Bollywood comedy.

[Josh]

wow How sad to write an article just to bash this wonderful movie. I loved it! it will probably win best picture come oscar time.

[K]

To begin with, I've never seen "Slumdog Millionaire", so if you want to read a post that is about that movie, feel free to skip this.
A few posts above someone said, "Remember the heyday of musicals in the US was during the Great Depression?" and how romance in the movies was seen as a way to make people forget about their problems. Good movies in the thirties and forties never saw romance as a cure for an unhappy life. Good musicals in the thirties and forties were never simplistic about love and never saw love as the be all and end all of life. Comedies and film noirs like "Laura", "Bringing Up Baby", "Now Voyager" and "Mildred Pierce" were acerbic commentaries on society's expectations of love, marriage and the role women played in heterosexual romance. And in "Now Voyager", Bette Davis doesn't even end up married. For queer audiences, directors like Howard Hawks reversed the gender expectations that the audience had in the thirties and forties.
Finding a soul mate, seeing love as a cure all for whatever makes someone unhappy, these all seem to be simplistic ways of finding, what?, happiness and fulfillment in a society that is materialistic and sees happiness as having a $200,000 house in the right part of the suburbs with the right details and the right SUV. (Although in the contemporary economic situation, I'm not sure this is even realistic.) I do want a long term relationship but I also balance that out with the propaganda I see to live an assimilated, upper middle class life.
For a good movie about romance, rent out "La Ronde" by Max Ophuls from 1950. It was remade as "Eyes Wide Shut" with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise.

[DREW]

WHY WAS THIS FILM BAD ??? OH IT WAS NOT AMERICAN....GET REAL !! AND STOP THE RACISM!!!

THIS WAS A FABULOUS FILM

P.S RACISM the ugly sore of American Society!!!

[pete]

never buy the crap about the golden globe award. its a group of old people who decide who are the winners..not us the viewers! i doubt these people even have seen the winners' movies. who knew what's going on behind this foreign press assoc crap!

[Jomga]

Lighten up. Don't take it serious, it's only a movie.

[alex]

cynical people often hide behind the idea that they are being realistic. they do not understand that their overly negative view of the world is just another kind of illusion, much like the overly positive. cinderella happens, and sometimes it doesn't. it depends on who's ready and who's not. that's the reality. :)

[Jonathan]

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is an incredible film. The editing, the color scheme, the music, the performances, the camera work...it's a fast-paced ride that is full of raw, scary, invigorating and life affirming moments.

Though there's a love story, there's a lot more to it!

See it for yourself and don't let this article detour you.

[crankyd]

re: DREW

UNFOUNDED AND UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM!!!

TYPING IN ALL CAPS!!!

MISUSE AND OVERUSE OF EXCLAMATION POINTS THAT RENDER IT A USELESS BIT OF PUNCTUATION!!!

By all means, DO get a grip.

[Tito]

You've got to be kidding. I think this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Who in their right frame of mind would dislike film. It was full of drama, adventure, mistrust, greed, hope, humor, love, luck, danger and joy. I couldn't help shedding a tear in the ending. A must see. This has to beat my what was my all time favorite movie Lagaan. The movie is set in the Victorian period of the British Raj, and revolves around the peasants from a barren village who are oppressed by high taxes imposed by the British. When the peasants attempt to persuade the officers to reduce the taxes, the officers put forth a proposition to the peasants. One senior officer offers them to cancel their taxes for three years if their village team beats them at cricket. After accepting this proposition, the villagers face the arduous task of learning the game and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny. Check out both these movies.

[almost anybody]

Well, the story lined is a typical Bollywood movie. Nothing more was expected of it. I believe this movie was pretty well thought out and well done. Very few flaws, and reality is harsh. I am Indian, and I've seen the slums of India. The slums of India are no different than the ghettos of America. India's population surpasses America's greatly and that's why it is more common to see kids grow up in the slums. And as far as this film goes, what movie is really meant to change/influence people's opinions on a certain subject when the film isn't a documentary. That is like expecting Star Wars to change the way society treats eachother today.

[anjali noronha]

I disagree with you. You obviously don't know much about Indian culture. I am from India. Yes i agree with you that real love is not like they portray it to be in hollywood films but slum dog millionaire was much more so than about a love story. It is very common in Indian films to portray love in that way,perhaps you should watch bollywood films and Indians believe in destiny, the caste system determines a persons place in life.

[anjali noronha]

my dad was born and raised near the slum portrayed in the movie. I have lived in India for years and visited the slums. My aunts and uncles do social work in the slums and my aunt made several documentaries that are well known about the slum.

[sean]

"I wanted to show that knowledge is not the preserve of the educated elite and that even a 'street-kid' can possess the wisdom."

So says the author of Q&A, Vikas Swarup,
who penned the novel that was transformed into what we've grown to love (or hate, in some peoples case.)

The only obscurity in regard to this film is based within the context of this review.

For those of us that do have a head on our shoulders, who do understand the difference between real life and any form of media, this story goes way beyond the initial "love story" and offers insight into many issues that are faced worldwide: poverty, oppression and education.

[Jay]

Having worked abroad, and specifically working for an extended period of time in Mumbai's slum's, the movie doesnt shy away from showing realties of daily living in the slums. And of course the love story is fictional and escapism, that's what the masses in India look for in film -living daily in abject poverty and misery - films are a way these individuals escape, even if only for a short period of time, from their troubles and worries - what's wrong with that? we all do that in one way or another.

The film doesn't pretend to portray a true story or necessarily a true reality - however the harshness of some of the scenes are unfortunately only too real.

And the "monsters" that do create blind children, and swarms of begger children for the purpose of income generation - it's all very much a reality. But if the film wasn't a feel good movie - I'm sure it wouldnt be getting the responses that it does.

So perhaps rather than criticizing the film - do something constructive - there are numerous NGOs that work in the slums in poverty elimination programs and working to get street children off the streets into safe-houses and schools.

[carlos]

OK...I really really wanted to see this movie. I love independent film and I love Bollywood( I ve been to India and enjoy the culture as well). So...a friend and I went to the movies to see this film. I bought a large popcorn, a packet of milk duds and a a large diet coke. We got through the 13 minutes of commercials and then the film started. After 20 minutes, we walked out. I am sure it is an excellnet film and everyone seems to love it. All I would say is that one has to endure the first 20 minutes of child torture scenes before it gets going. I simply didnt want to see that- so I left.Yes I know "Its just a movie, it isnt real" I might add I am truley not a whimp (Im the kinda guy who will be backpacking, on my own through Bangladesh next month, been shot at in the jungle in Panama and have survived a riot in Jakarta- dont ask )Any way,,, The reviews are great so go for it. As for me- I simply chose not to endure any more violence.

[Tina Foyd]

Slumdog Millionaire isn't a romantic film.

It's told quite well.

It's an excellent movie. I loved it.

ps, the writer of this article is definitely a racist.

[blorbon]

India needs a reality check? India isn't the only one who's making movies. The article was also about how movies in general were too romantic and unrealistic, thus destroying people's ideas of how to be in a real relationship and ALSO, not by any means to shadow your point about India's ignoring its poverty, but it's not like America doesn't have thousands and thousands of people living on the streets.

[James]

To the comments above, for my money the most astute is Jay's, and his appeal to support NGOs is a good, worthy point. To Carlos who walked out of the film: Good luck to you in Bangladesh. You're going to see a lot worse and it won't be two-dimensional, it will be in your face. To Almost Anybody, the slums of America are nothing like the slums of India; as my mother always said, two wrongs don't make a right. You know perfectly well that India needs to be changed from within, beginning with its cultural prejudices, rigid social mores and backward superstitions. There is a lot of work to do, so get out there and do as Jay says. The New India needs more than just business, it needs change.

Overall, I don't agree with the main article for many reasons. For example, to have someone ranting about false notions of love next to a banner ad flashing "loveandpride" rings that capitalize on the gay marriage issue to the point of vulgar exploitation borders on hypocritical on the part of gay.com, which cannot be seen as a fountainhead of unbiased journalism so as to warrant a claim of separation between editorial and advertising. While the film has flaws (for someone like me with an in-depth knowledge of India, it so goes too far beyond the realm of plausibility for me to buy into it 100%, even if I allow that it is a just a film), its merits so greatly outweigh its drawbacks that it can only be seen as one thing: Boyle's masterpiece.

[Alejandro]

Although I agree with some of your comments about the movie, I have to say that with all the shit that is happening out there today not only worldwide but in our personal lives, a lot of us go to the movies to find stories that would give us hope an that may be even a little unreal so that for 2 hours or as long as the movie is, our minds can get away from reality.

On the other hand, if people are failing at relationships because of Hollywood movies, then its their fault and not the movie's. I mean, am I gonna expect to have a baby who grows backwards because I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

Come on, get a clue!

This movie was awesome *****

[John Mark Rozendaal]

"Slumdog" is a very good, very conventional movie containing some original material. Fun, not to be sneezed at. And not a life-changing masterpiece.
C. Wade is not a curmudgeon (and certainly not a racist) for admitting that he was unsatisfied. But it is a little bit late in the day to start complaining that wide-distribution entertainments offer some sappy images of love and romance.

[HighStrungLoner]

Slumdog Millionaire's conceits about love and fate are utterly ridiculous but they are, like most fairy tales, exactly why it works as well as it does. I don't have to agree with a film/writer/director's point of view to be transported by it. Believe me, no one is more cynical than I am and I loved this film as I have loved all of Danny Boyle's previous films. It's about time he got some recognition.

[Anonymous]

I appeal to the greater humanitarian ideal of INDIVIDUALITY.
We all have different likes and dislikes because we find different things important.
We should acknowledge and honor our own likes and dislikes.
Can posters of this forum ask themselves "Can I honor the likes and dislikes of others without feeling as if I'm giving up my own?"

[Sammy]

I know a lot of people who think that if they haven't seen it, or if they don't know about it, it just doesn't exist. The writer of this article "C. Wade" falls in that category.

First of all Wade, you got it all wrong. Who says anything about "Love at first sight" in this movie? Jamal and Lathika meet as kids, Jamal is a Muslim and Lathika is Hindu. Despite the fact that he lost his mother due to the rift between the two religions, his innocence has compassion for a Hindu girl, coz probably it doesn't even cross his mind that she is Hindu. That's where it all begins. At an age where there is nothing sexual about helping her out (something you would never understand, when was the last time you did a guy a favor without noticing his crotch?)

Of course this movie is fiction, leaving everything aside, the odds of getting called at "Who wants to be Millionaire" and then be selected among the lot to be on the hot seat in itself is like winning a lottery. Even the most educated person would consider it sheer luck to make it thru all the questions and win the final prize.

We have movies like Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Constant Gardener, etc. that show the brutality in the African countries. Such movies create an awareness of reality, but do not make any promises of change. Take it or leave it.

A lot of countries that do not have basic human rights equally distributed have dreams to hold on to and this is what keeps them going. This movie thats why resonates what drives a lot of people, Jamal's obsession for Lathika and his utter refusal to give in to the gangsters should just melt any "normal" human being's heart.

This article not only shows your ignorance, it also like some people pointed out touches racism. And if you or anyone else depends on movies to make decisions or judgments about your own love life, I feel sorry for you.

[justme]

What's up with the racist accusations? So the writer didn't like the movie, and had very legitimate thought out reasons for not liking it, whether you agree with them or not. I don't understand how that makes him a racist, no matter what culture the movie depicts. We seriously need to get over being so easily offended everytime we disagree on something.

K

[djfox]

Mr. Wade, it seems like that you are objecting to is not so much the movie itself but the effect that a genre and an industry has on people's relationships. I think that you should dig a little bit deeper into your thoughts and opinions on things to find what is truly causing you to feel a certain way before you write about it. Because this negative review of Slumdog Millionaire seems to have very little to say about the movie itself.

I'd be interested to see what you thought of the movie itself. Please email me when you have an actual review written.

[chirag shah]

this was a great film but there is one perception in minds of the westerners that bothers me...Why do westerners think that India isn't doing anything and that we are in denial??? We just don't need the western world reminding us about the problems in out country and how "great" and "superior" western civilization is. India IS doing something to change the country but when people say we are in denial it is belittling and simply offensive. Problems don't just disappear. India has been struggling with poverty for years and no matter what the government does, it will take time. Things are improving fast. This film was about hope which symbolized changing India. Some people perceived and took this film the wrong way. Also, one other question. In a country where there are 350 million middle class, rich history, beautiful people, second fastest growing economy, improving and fast development, then WHY do westerners constantly concentrate on the negative aspects?

[chirag shah]

also....All bollywood films are not boy meets girl..That is a HORRIBLE stereotype in the minds of the western world....unfortunately about 70% of the things westerners THINK they know about India or Indians is a stereotype.

[Savio]

I havent seen the movie yet... but I plan to after reading all this that the people wrote. I am glad C. Wade wrote here also cos so many people could really help him get a reality check and tell him to wake up and smell the coffee for real.
I dont know anything about the movie but from what all you folks have written... Me, who is an Indian living in India and in Mumbai think its a real story already. Also, I dont say I may have gone through all that the movie may show... but my parents did have tough times when they were a kid. I see children on the streets even today and I am so sad that I cant do much to change anything and I simply end up giving them some money or food from what I have been eating.
I dont know if its wise to say that my country is rich or poor cos everyone has the right to earn thier living here. I also dont think we have all that much like the developed nations have... the other day a young boy who was begging was very thrilled to see me coming out of an ATM and asked me how did the money come from there - he said "Did the bank send the money for you when you pressed a button" and I explained what it really was. Information to you is avialble on the internet... and you say I cant use the computer... - My friend says that the American government has pampered its people so much that they dont know how to use anything and call for help... if you make a product in India there is no help you can get - its do it your self or sell it back cos you are dumb here... What I am sayin is that you have everthing you want and can see there which people here have never seen... so be happy and dont start how good or bad some scenes were... its reality here... its hyped for you cos you never may have seen such things. About me, I feel lucky to be living here... breathing. For you, you may be thinking of how you wished you had a new car. In India... a car is a lux... never say something you dont know.... not just about the movie...
About those who call my call center and say hey Hate Indians.... hope you see this movie and realise that we work here to help you and to feed and donate money for these children also... and that you have a life which many only dream in this country... its true and yet its reality... again only for us... but for you its a bollywood's feel good movie...

[Deepak]

I think you have written a biased article. Your favourite movie is probably Changeling right?

[Meme]

I agree totally. I agree with what you say and could even add to it via factual info and degrees in film, creative writing, and even cultural anthropology.

[Frank]

I loved the movie! I ditto what Cameron has posted...I couldn't have said what Cameron posted any better! This movie is like an updated version of Salaam Bombay...another fantastic movie about children growing up on the streets of India!

[Thom]

I SOO TOTALLY AGREE the original author! What an intelligent review. I agree that the craft of the piece is good, but the cultural message that a million bucks can bring two teenagers together when one has been tortured on screen and the other transformed into a whore off screen and then disfigured on camera is dangerous to young people who see this and think,"I can do it too." Have we learned nothing from Sarah Palin's daughter?? i also fin the gloss over of third world strife to be offensive and to call this a feel good film...what the hell is up with the foriegn press? Wonderful review! Thanks!

[faultolerant]

What's with all the Racist crap? You mean to say that if someone doesn't like the movie "Australia" then they're anti-Australian? What a bunch of bullshyte.

I saw this movie as well. Frankly, it was manipulative and disingenuous. None of the characters engaged me and the storyline was farcical. Does this mean I'm anti-Indian? (If you're asinine enough to believe that disliking a movie makes you a racist, you need to re-examine your value set)

The nitwit who suggested that disliking this piece of cinematic claptrap means one should volunteer for an NGO is seriously intellectually disconnected. If you LIKE this movie, THEN you should volunteer for the NGO. Of course, most NGO's are corrupt, political skanks, but that's another whole story.

Get a grip people - lots of folks don't like "Australia" (Me included) and that doesn't make them Aussie-haters. It IS, indeed, possible to dislike this movie and not dislike Indians.

[faultolerant]

Savio & Chirag:

Where do you get off "lecturing" others on how to behave? If your comments are anything to judge by, you're just as racist and intolerant as you admonish others for being.

Most of us really don't give a flying damn about the crap you discuss. We ALL have our own issues to deal with, and if all you think is that Americans are concerned with new cars, then you're as big a bigot as you accuse others of being.

There's an old saying: You can let others think you're an idiot, or open your mouth and prove them right. Well, you both certainly proved us right.

[Greg of San Diego]

The Author of This Article is Full of it & is tremendously lacking.
I didn't even see the Movie, but I can tell you that what it is basically about is that it is possible that even amongst the horrible circumstances of the world & the immediate world around us, there is still the possiblity of love.
Just because the Writer of this Fairy Tail Article's love life failed doen't mean that love stories like this one don't happen in real life.
If you can't at least Love yourself evidently for eveyone else to see & Smell, then you are going to miss out on a lot.

[Suissebird]

OMG, someone has told the truth! I consider myself a student of Brian Kenny school of thought, which tends to be cynical as hell, but one thing is for sure, being wrapped in a misconceived notion about how two unique individuals are suppose to act, in a personal, private, unique, and individual experiece is a lost of time and effort. Someone else's love is not the same for everyone (note to those who have forgotten about the continuing struggle for gays around the world to have the freedom to feel love). I have not seen the film, but I am glad someone who has had the cynical balls to read between the lines of a "love" proganda movie to warn me of the lurking shadow or the under handed disney flick being promoted. Yes, I tend to a mean critic.

[John Sebastian]

STart at Home,,,,,, the pages of this site ONLY picture the cream of the crop, ths handsome, big cock guys we all imagine we SHOULD be. If you are a realist not a romantic, so should Gay.com,,,, BE

[vers_nova]

It is a movie for crying outloud so what if a fairy tale or escapism

[Just another JC]

You and many others who watched this movie and disliked it might have missed a very important lesson. Most movies should be viewed as "a day in the life of" and not a reflection of the mass. There are over 9 billion people in the world, this is just another heart warming story with a happy ending. If this movie salvaged the hopes of just one person that was about to give in to the pressures of corruption then it was well worth the celluloid and monies invested. To me it was an inpsirational message that you learn from your experiences and not just the teachings from formal educators; about following your destiny and not abandoning it; it is about a day in the life of one of many. Yes, there is a message about love, destiny and beliefs, the bottom line is that it is just a movie destined to be copied by the brainless moguels of hollywood looking to cash in by adding an American twist. So watch for "Trailer-Trash Milloinaire", "Ghetto Millionaire", "Millionaire from the Hood" or some other brainless "Birdcage/ To Wong Foo" rip off titles... need I go on.

[SPURIOUS]

"LOVE CONQUERS ALL!" (except in real life)

"YOU CAN OVERCOME SOUL-SEARING MISERY!" (well, not really)

"YOUR SOULMATE IS WAITING FOR YOU!" (actually, she married a dentist 10 years ago and got fat)

Yeah, your version of the movie would do really well. Especially nowadays, when people need to be reminded that reality isn't that fun.

[Tom]

Film by definiation are "cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them.

Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating — or indoctrinating — citizens.

The visual elements of cinema gives motion pictures a universal power of communication."

Yes it is open to opinion and discussion in terms of the glorified notions of displacing the 'other' in an idealistic realm of surrealism and fairytale."

Film is purely an art form able to be interpreted by various individuals and their opinions.

Slumdog essentially is one persons opinion and artistic representation of a true story.

It is based on Q and A, the first novel by Vikas Swarup.

I ask what about the film Milk?

Will Gay.com not have a biased opinion of the Gay-activist Harvey Milk, and his autobiographical film?

Is Milk not a miss-representation of Homosexuals and the Queer-isms of a homogenous group of people?

Or a Fable/Fairytale of one person's pursuit of happiness and acceptance..

It has the same narrative elements as Slumdog Millionare, the only difference is the ' (Ethnic)Other' is now replaced by the '(gay)Other '.

In a world of brutal truths, they seek acceptance,triumphs and resolution.