3. Slumdog Millionaire

Top 3, let’s finish this up!

Trailer

Slumdog Millionaire, the winner of 8 2009 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Why is this movie one of my top three? Everything about this movie to me has such ridiculous artistic appeal: the music, the cinematography, the editing, etc. I find this movie truly magical because of the way it’s presented.

This movie was one of those movies that I had to watch twice to really understand it. I remember hearing first that it had won a ton of awards and whatnot, so I figured it was worth a shot. It certainly wasn’t what I expected, and it didn’t blow me away at first because I had a hard time following the story. But now that I understand the premise, I understand why it’s so acclaimed.

The way it’s presented is so avante-garde and experimental. What this does is add to the intensity of the movie, so much so that it’s overwhelming. I look to this movie to provide cinematography inspiration and ideas to springboard off of to use for my videos. The chasing scenes are absolutely incredible because of the music, the cinematography, and the editing. It’s a different feeling.

Here’s my favorite example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDC47NsoRE0

Basically, the story is about a slumdog who is accused of cheating on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. However, when he is telling his story, he reveals all the hardships he has faced since he was a child; it is his experiences that give him the answers to the game show questions. The story is incredibly intense in a ton of different ways, so I’d just watch it.

I admire this movie for it’s cinematography, editing, music, acting, and story. Something about it makes the whole experience magical, even though some of the themes are dark. Sometimes, I think the Academy doesn’t screw up.