This lovely lyrical fairy tale of life for a boy from the slums in India deservedly won 4 golden globes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Score and best screenplay (for Simon Beaufoyadapted from the novel by Vikras Swarup). While the acting could have been better, it doesn’t really matter in this film, because it is all about the amazing, and uplifting love story, that is one of the must see films of the year. Boyle really made up for Sunshine here, though I wonder how much he directed and how much Loveleen Tandan actually did as co-director. Still no matter what this film is really enjoyable and keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the closing credits.

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel a British television actor) a Muslim former street child, is being interrogated by a police inspector (Irrfan Khan) and Constable Srinivas (Saurabh Shukla). He is a contestant on Kaun Benega Crorepati, the Indian equivalent of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and has made it to the final question, but has been accused of cheating. We see through the interogation the story of Jamal’s life, and just how he happened to know the answer to all the questions. We see the young Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar). We see him crall through shit to get the autograph of a famous actor, through his brother Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) sells it, and when they return home, his mother is killed in an anti-Muslim riot, and they end up as street kids. The two befriend an orphan girl named Latika (Rubiana Ali) who they take care of, and in turn get taken in by a gangster named Maman (Ankur Vikal) who uses kids to beg. Maman has plans for Salim, but is going to blind Jamal, so Salim betrays Maman and they escape, but aren’t able to save Latika, though Jamal sweats he will come back and save her, no matter how long it takes him.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Jamal (now Tanay Chheda) and Salim (AShutsoh Lobl Gajiwala) make a living on the rails, stealing what they can, and doing pretty well for themselves, even faking work as guides at the Taj Mahal, but Jamal always wants to go back an find Latika. They head back, and find Latika through a blinded beggar child Jamal knows. The find Latika (Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar) being trained to dance so she can make a better prostitute, but Maman and his men show up. Jamal is prepared though, and pulls a gun and shoots and kills Maman. Salim uses this to get work with a rival slum lord named Javed (Mahesh Manjrekar) who used to run their old neighborhood. Salim kicks out Jamal, and takes Latika as his own and threatens to kill Jamal, so he leaves.

Years later, Jamal (back to being Dev Patel) works as a Chai Wallah or tea boy at a call center, and when a co-worker has him step in for him for a minute he looks up Latika who he can’t find, and Salim (Madhur Mittal) who he does find, and calls, finding him as a high level thug still working for Javed, and he agrees to meet him at a construction site. Salim tells Jamal that Latika is gone, and he won’t be able to find her, but Jamal secretly follows Salim and sneaks into a protected compound, where he finds Latika (the lovely Fredia Pinto) who is now a kept woman held by Javed. Jamal tries to get her to leave with him, but she won’t. He tells her to meet at the train station at 5 PM, where he will be every day.,

One day Latika shows up and attempts to get to Jamal, but Salim and his boys hunt her down and take her, cutting her cheek as they take her away. And Javed moves home, and Jamal cannot find them anymore. He knows she likes the show who wants to be a millionaire, so he attempts to get on the show, knowing she will be watching.

manages to get to the final answer, despite the host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor) feeding him a false answer, and that is who calls the cops and has him tortured to see how he is cheating, but the police believe his story, which explains how he knew all the answers. and he is allowed to go back the second night to be on the show, and go for 20 million ruppees.

At Javed’s safehouse Latika sees the news stories about Jamal, and realizing what he has done is wrong, Salim helps her escape giving her his cell phone.

Jamal uses his lifeline and tries to call Salim, but Latika has left the phone in the car, and almost misses the call, but the re-connect, though she does not know the answer, but he manages to guess the name of the last musketeer, winning the money.

Salim meanwhile fights Javed’s men, killing Javed, and diing in a bath tub full of money.

Jaml and Latika meet at the train station and finally kiss, and the film ends in a very bad Bollywood Style Musical number (Daman Patel can’t dance!).

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Really a lovely and lyrical film, even if Dev Patel isn’t too impressive in his performance. The film makes up for it though, and is really enjoyable and a must see film. Such a great story all the way around.