Teen Ink

When acclaimed director Danny Boyle wandered into the slums of Mumbai, ­India, with a relatively unknown group of actors, it was hard to imagine what the ­filmmaker was doing so far from home. However, with the release of “Slumdog Millionaire,” it’s apparent that Boyle doesn’t need to be on familiar ground to make excellent movies.

A film like “Slumdog ­Millionaire” doesn’t come along very often. But when it does, we end up falling in love. Initially the plot appears formulaic: a teen from the slums of Mumbai ­rises from rags to ­riches by ­appearing on a popular gameshow. But rest assured, “formulaic” definitely has no place amidst the numerous ­adjectives that can be used to describe this film.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is so realistic and moving that you find yourself gripped by the artistry with which it was made. The cinematography has a rawness that creates a ­visually spectacular film, and Boyle’s team captures on camera, with a success shared by perhaps no other foreign director, the sights and sounds of the Indian subcontinent.

What truly sets “Slumdog Millionaire” apart, however, is the plot. Protagonist Jamal ­Malik (played by talented ­newcomer Dev Patel) is an 18-year-old chai-walla (tea seller) from the slums who ­appears on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with the hope that the love of his life, Latika (played by the stunning Freida Pinto), will be watching. What results is a story that grabs us and preaches the beauty of destiny and love.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is rounded out by a strong supporting cast and soundtrack by famed Indian music director A.R. Rahman. The soundtrack is almost impossible to ignore, integrating Western music and tunes familiar to Bollywood lovers into a film that is very different from either mainstream convention.

With our busy lives, it’s hard to sit back and genuinely appreciate a film. But in the midst of all that madness, if I were to point to one movie that will move you and force you to think, it would be “Slumdog Millionaire.”