My wife and I finally saw this wonderful tale…
Now I can see why this film rose above the other nominees during this year’s numerous award ceremonies. Granted the competition was pretty bland for films in 2008, but this one was truly a triumph of spirit. It’s nice to leave the theater with a smile on your face.
How well this will stand the test of time is another story...
Some may think the use of the specific “… Millionaire” questions to be a forced story convention but I found it to be a nice way to break up the story into chapters and firmly bind the past with the present.
I’ve spent some time in Kibera (Africa’s largest slum) in Nairobi and certain parts of Mumbai remind me of Kibera as well as what I’ve seen in films and photos of Soweto in South Africa and the slums of Rio de Janeiro. What amazes me about these places is how children everywhere are able to find happiness, no matter their circumstances. There’s something to be said for childlike naivety. They’re only made aware of their circumstances as they age and begin to compare themselves to others while all around them the media and advertisers constantly remind them of what they don't have…
And this reminds me of a fantastic documentary from a few years ago, Born Into Brothels, where the filmmaker, a still photographer, went into the red light district of Calcutta and made a distinct difference in the lives of many of these children. But at the end of the day many of the children returned to their broken homes because their mothers needed their helping hands thus hindering the child's opportunity for a free education in a boarding school far from the slums and streets of Calcutta...
There are no easy answers...
