Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire: An extraordinary motion picture from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting). The premise of the movie is one that will have want-to-be screenwriters asking “why didn’t I think of that”. The story centers around Jamal Malik an Indian teen that grew up in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay) India and now finds himself on the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The film is brilliantly structured. After each question that Jamal is asked on the show, the film cuts to a flashback of his rough childhood. In each circumstance we get an understanding of why Jamal knows the answer to the question being asked. The flashbacks also reveal more about Jamal’s life and his resilience to succumb to the evils around him while he pursues his true love, Latika. Latika was born in the same slum as Jamal, but circumstances separate them on more than one occasion. As Jamal answers more questions, the story completes itself by leading up to the 1 million dollar moment. The film is more than just rooting for the underdog, it is ultimately a salute to love and to the beauty of life itself. The cinematography, editing, and music have to be noted as they turn this remarkable story into a masterpiece. With the movie taking place in India over the span of roughly 15 years, it is easy to see the correlation between Jamal’s life and the progress the country made during that time. Simply put, this is one of the best films of 2008. It will make you want to cheer in the aisle. So if the question is: Ry, what should I go see at the theater this weekend? Slumdog Millionaire ......and that is my Final Answer.

Ry's Rating: A

If this movie had parents they would be: Born into Brothels & Quiz Show

With a runtimes of 118 minutes

This film is rated R

Religulous

Religulous: Bill Maher goes out on a ledge and dare I say - questions the validity of religion. He does so in a very Michael Moore kind of way, using tongue and cheek humor to prove his point. He opens up with a very strong statement – “Religion is a detriment to the progress of humanity”. This is a very fascinating point of view and one that most people are scared to touch, even with a ten foot poll. Over the next 90 minutes, he highlights how silly it is for people with any amount of intelligence to “literally” believe in some of the more bizarre stories of each religion. As I sat and watched him talk to people about various religions, I could not help but feel uncomfortable. I think that is fact enough that questioning the idea or truth of religion is taboo in our society. This is way too touchy of a subject for me to take sides on. I will just say that I am glad to see that someone finally had the guts to come out and make a film that will actually get people talking about the role religion should play in our day-to-day lives, politics/government, and humanity as a whole. This is in no way an attempt to smear a particular religion and favor another. Bill Maher is looking at the larger picture and questioning all religions and their motives. He also looks at those who profit in many cases from people who have strong faith. Not to be overlooked is the fact that this a very funny movie and this is coming from a guy who does not care for…..no, actually I should say hates Bill Maher. In the last 5 minutes of the film he gives his closing argument: so many religions speak of the Armageddon coming, but the fact is that the Armageddon may come as a result of people not being able to sort out their religious differences. This movie hopes to help people put everything into perspective…….lets pray it works.

Ry's Rating: B+

If this movie had parents they would be: The Passion of the Christ & Bowling for Columbine

With a runtime of 101 minutes

This film is rated R