The Buzz Over SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Keeps Going & Going...

After wowing audiences at the Telluride Film Festival and earning notice from Variety, Reuters and The LA Times -- you can read our post covering those articles here -- the buzz over Danny Boyle's latest movie keeps growing!

SLUMDOG will celebrate its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend, and the 'Net won't stop talking about it. Check out what people are continuing to say about Danny Boyle's own "little film that could":

USA Today (print edition):

"A possible crowd-pleaser has emerged, if the reactions at Telluride can be trusted: 'Slumdog Millionaire,' the story of a teen orphan in India who wins the jackpot on a Hindi version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'"

USA Today's Pop Candy Blog:

"Movie of the week! If the buzz from the Telluride Film Festival is any indication, 'Slumdog Millionaire' is on its way to becoming a major hit."

Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeffrey Wells:

"SLUMDOG Wowser! Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' is 'a huge crowd pleaser,' a friend in Telluride wrote me late last night. 'The ending pays off big time. The audience went wild. It reminded me of the audience reaction to 'Juno' here last year.'

The Denver Post:

"Highlights of this year's Telluride festival include ... Danny Boyle's fleet, fantastic and hands-down audience fave, 'Slumdog Millionaire.'"

The Canadian Press:

"This year, the buzz is around 'Slumdog Millionaire,' an unlikely love story about a street kid in India who winds up appearing on a local version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'" The film debuted to strong reviews at the Telluride Film Festival last week in Colorado and is being touted as this year's 'Juno.'"

Defamer:

"And if there is a 'Juno'-esque revelation to emerge literally out of thin air, handicappers had an eye on 'Slumdog Millionaire,' Danny Boyle's chronicle of an Indian slum kid who wins on his country's version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'"

CNN.com:

"Telluride reviews for Danny Boyle's true-life fairy tale, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' have been little short of ecstatic."

FirstShowing.net:

"Do you believe in destiny? Last night I caught the world premiere at Telluride of Danny Boyle's latest film, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' and it was an absolute blast. I haven't been this thoroughly entertained at a film festival since I saw 'The Escapist' at Sundance in January. At its core, 'Slumdog' is a love story about a boy who just won't give up, but it's wrapped around his short life story about winning the Hindi version of the 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' game show. The film is a two hour lesson on Indian culture taught vividly by Danny Boyle and adorned by beautiful cinematography and an incredible music selection. However, it's still one of the most excitingly cultured mainstream films that's all about life, love, and destiny."

Slashfilm:

"Danny Boyle’s 'Slumdog Millionaire' is really clever... Featuring an electrifying score by AR Rehman, Boyle presents India as it has never been seen before, from the slums to the Taj Mahal. Vivid visuals combined with this 'City of God'-like tale of a few orphan kids trying to survive in a gang-infested city."

And that's not all! I'll let you find out for yourself at our ever-growing archive of reviews and reactions to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Opens
In Select Theatres November 19th

Visit the Film Page

It is one of the best films I've seen this year.

I attended the SF screening where Danny Boyle participated in a follow-on Q&A. (The date also happened to coincide with his b-day, but that wasn't revealed during the Q&A.)

The film is powerful and moving, with seamless performances by all three sets of actors who portray the three lead characters (Jamal, Latika and Selim). The performances of the first three, Hindi-only speaking children are amazing and the film never falls from the heights the first trio quickly establish.

Boyle has a deep cultural and artistic appreciation for Bombay/Mumbai & Bollywood's traditions, yet he respectuflly lenses the story with a decidedly Western eye. For those who have read it, Slumdog Millionaire will bring to mind Suketa Mehta's powerful book, Maximum City - Bombay Lost and Found.

Few people would suspect that Boyle is capable of capturing and conveying so "romantic" a story as this one. Well, not every "romantic" wears his heart on his sleeve. The crushing poverty and pervasive cruelty of Bombay/Mumbai put a knife's edge on the lovestory. Boyle's seething passion as a filmmaker infuses every frame. Dev Patel and Freida Pinto step up very nicely to make you believe, too.

The cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle is amazing, both for technical innovation (hand-held, pole-mounted camera lens, connected to a dry-ice cooled MacBook as DVR, worn as a backpack) and guerrilla style (using a Canon EOS in rapid still-frame mode *inside* the Taj Mahal). Unlike the "Bourne" films, when Mantle's camera shakes with the action, you can still plainly see what's going on.

Equal kudos goes to Lovleen Tandan (co-director & India casting).

I will definitely see it again.

Saw it last night during the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award screening and I must say it was a great film. I really hate talking so highly about a film because someone might go in with high expectations and be let down... but, really, this movie is so good it would be hard to be let down!

See my review of Slumdog Millionaire here:

Telluride Screens Slumdog Millionaire on Day Four

Thanks,
Michael

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