A different look at the Globes big winner

As a big fan of the movie Slumdog Millionaire it surprised me to come across the name of the film with the words "poverty porn" next to its title, in a Times Online article that was a review from one of their critics. The critic continues to try to bring down the film for the mere purpose of saying that it tries to make an entertaining picture out of the suffering of a Third World Country inhabitants and mainly children.

I normally keep my posts lighthearted, however here I cannot help but argue that I felt that Danny Boyle, the director, and the producers of the film did not have the thought of lightning the situation in any way. It is quite possible to make good film, great art, and really move people while portraying truly sad and desperate times and images. Often these are the greatest of pictures. Yes, there are moments of comic relief in the movie but the underlying "good feeling" quality that the critic seems to be judging is that of hope. That is where I believe that she is wrong. Ultimately the reason why I left the theater feeling happy after watching a film with some very graphic and disturbing murder and torture scenes was because the key qualities that the main characters in the film possessed were love and hope.

I can see how its classification in the comedy genre in Britain could be off putting to her as a critic, however the cynicism in the rest of the review was quite unsettling and it seemed to try to paint a murky picture of what the film was actually about.

In all Slumdog has done incredibly well with Critics Awards, and at the Globes, and I'm sure it will also fare well at the Academy Awards. Below is the link to the article posted on the Times website. Although I do not agree with the review, it does spark discussion which is always a great thing!

Times Review