Danny Boyle’s movie Slumdog Millionaire has been sweeping away a lot of awards this season. And putting India in the spotlight with its heartbreaking yet exhilarating tale of an orphan who rises from rags to riches on the strength of his lively intelligence.

Just like the city Mumbai in which this story is set, the movie brims and overflows at a breathless pace telling the story of Jamal, a poor, bright-eyed, mischievous youth and his even more boisterous older brother, Salim. In a horrifying turn of events, the two youngsters’ lives change in front of their eyes when their mother is killed during a riot. Alone, they turn to the streets, becoming “slumdogs.? A ray of sunshine comes into their lives when they befriend another orphan, the feisty young girl Latika, and soon the three are inseparable. Adventure follows as the trio strives to survive the cutthroat life of contemporary India. But do they last together?

Years later we see Jamal appearing on India’s version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Amazingly, he finds himself winning more and more prize money as he answers the questions tumbling his way. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees, but when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating. How could a street kid know so much? How can a “slumdog? with no formal education know the answers to these questions? As suspicions are raised, Jamal realizes that this game show will be the biggest test of his life.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of Jamal’s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show’s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery – what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?

Slumdog Millionaire comes across as a very special movie for two unique treatments – one its ability to radiate hope even in the bleakest of moment. No matter how wretched Jamal’s situations, hope at all times is just a frame away. It flits into view throughout, buoyantly and luminously, and deftly threads its way though the narrative, never letting the viewer forget that it is still there.

The other brilliant aspect of Boyle’s direction is his ability to portray the two sides of India as it exists today. There is an India of Mother Teresa as the world knows it. People living in the streets. Men relieving themselves by the roadside. Children fighting greedily over leftovers. An India of pollution, poverty, corruption and crime. And on the other hand, is an India with the world’s largest middle class. An India of opulent “Monsoon Weddings?. C-class Mercedes Benz Exploding education. Booming IT segment. And a Bollywood to rival Hollywood. Boyle’s film smoothly bridges these two India’s by cutting between a world of poverty and the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

The movie combines rich narrative, brilliant cast, excellent cinematography, raw energy and masterfully weaved in multiple storylines to create a cinematic rollercoaster ride that will thrill and blow you away.

No wonder it has created history by getting nominated into the 81st Academy Awards this year in 10 different categories. With virtually no known faces, this movie has brought out some astounding performances and if it does win at the Oscars, it would really be a case of rags to riches story coming true!

Watching out fingers crossed!

Based on a true story and an adaptation of the 2005 book The Yes Man by British humourist Danny Wallace, the film Yes Man is the choice film to lift one’s spirits in the doom and gloom of the credit crunch. A sweet romantic comedy directed by Peyton Reed, ‘YES Man’ brings with it a lot of smiles and a feeling of positivity.

The movie sees ‘Liar Liar’ man Jim Carrey back in form playing Carl Allen, a pessimistic loan officer this time around. Carl Allen can’t connect to anyone. He constantly avoids friends and he lives his life in the shadows accepting his fate. He has gone through the majority of his life since his divorce saying “no” to virtually anything and everything in an effort to maintain solitude and avoid getting hurt again.

But when an old buddy shows up and sways him into attending a “YES” seminar, conducted by Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp in a scary, wacky self guru caricature), he reluctantly decides to take a chance. Carl decides to say “YES” to everything, no matter what it may be. And suddenly… his life begins to change for the better. Or so it seems.

Carl’s suddenly approving loans, learning Korean, taking up the guitar, learning to fly a plane. And even ends up finding the love of his life in the free spirited Alison (Zooey Deschanel) who, though a peculiar match for someone like Carl, brings out his adventurous side.

Embracing every opportunity that comes along transforms Carl’s life in unexpected and amazing ways, but it also forces him to wonder – Can you have too much of a good thing?

Yes Man tries to tell us something about how we live our lives. This film celebrates the unexpected, and shares the lesson that the moments in life only happen when you truly let yourself go and learn to say yes more. So with all the negative energy in the world, why not just say yes? To everything!

Ask yourself now – what are you the most afraid of doing?  And change it by saying yes to it!

To more know about this movie click here

Sounds eerie? Then trust me, it looks spookier when you see it ‘happening’– on screen!

From the director of ‘The Sixth Sense’ comes another heart pounding thriller, ‘The Happening’. The movie begins with no clear warning. It just starts off with a very disturbing, dark tone as a series of chilling events happens across major American cities. Within minutes unfolds episodes of strange shocking deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind as people take their own lives voluntarily and so casually that it sends a quick shiver down your spine. And no, the director has not minced (no pun intended) the graphic details or left much to imagination here!

An uneasy and unsettling atmosphere has been set, enough to intrigue the viewer on what’s going to happen next. What is causing this sudden, total breakdown of human behaviour? And how…? Is it some kind of new terrorist attack, an experiment gone wrong or a diabolical toxic weapon?

But just then the suspense starts losing its grip – by shifting focus amidst these bizarre incidents on one couple going through a marital crisis. Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) who realise that first they need to fight together – for their survival. But can this terrifying, invisible killer ever be outrun? They flee from the city with the hope of getting out of reach of the grisly, ever-growing attacks. Yet it soon becomes clear that no one and nowhere – is safe. In a dramatic ending, the events of ‘The Happening’ ultimately become the backdrop against which Elliot and Alma rediscover their love for each other.

After a few hits (‘Signs’, ‘The Village’) and misses (‘Lady in the Water’), M. Night Shyamalan seems to have played it safe this time. Though the opening of the movie is terrifying, the shock of it wears off soon and doesn’t carry on with the same momentum till the end. The movie hasn’t truly done justice to Shyamalan’s otherwise brilliant directorial vision. But never the less, it’s worth a watch.

Related links :

The Happening on IMDB