Paragraph Movie Reviews: Slumdog Millionaire

Boy howdy, this wasn't just an awesome movie, it was an incredible feat. It's been some time where I walked away from a film marveling at not necessarily a performance or a scene, but how well constructed it all was and my hat is off to Danny Boyle for one of the best directing jobs I think I've ever seen. This movie is like a perfect stew or a well-assembled machine in the way it takes so many disparate moving parts and matches them up into a final product that just takes your breath away. I haven't seen much praise for any of the individual actors, but that's not because they're not good, it's because they give stellar but unselfish turns and allow themselves to be as much a part of the process as the music or the scenery, but without overwhelming it. The framing sequence and the use of flashbacks is so well thought-out and expertly managed by Boyle and his crew as well as the writers that my eyes never wandered from this remarkably compelling story being told to me both on an intimate human level and a larger scope of a people's plight. The drama, the comedy, the family story, the love story and the cerebral "how did it all work" aspects mesh perfectly. The child actors are phenomenal--among the best I've ever seen. The use of music to complement action sequences and create a mood is not something I usually take note of, but it's impossible not to here, as the score and song choice is top notch. The panoramic view of Mumbai takes your breath away. I have a great deal of difficulty putting my finger on the exact things that makes this movie so standout, but I know I walked away impressed beyond belief, and there's not much higher praise I can give than that. This truly felt like something special.