Vikas Swarup, author of Slumdog Millionaire
In case you were wondering, Vikas Swarup, the author of Slumdog Millionaire, is a high ranking diplomat from India. He wrote the novel in 2003 while on an overseas diplomatic assignment in London.
I plan to see the movie. I haven’t yet, but it looks like a great, feel-good type of film. I doubt the novel is deep like Naipaul, but look at how a movie like this gets in front of so many people! The effect has to be transformative. Who in American knew that there could be such beautiful romance in India? It certainly doesn’t gel with the commonly held stereotypes.
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But for the hoopla over its movie version,Slumdog is a mediocre Indian novel penned by an underemployed Indian bureaucrat.The writer is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service.It is no big deal.There are thousands like him in the army of the Indian bureaudcrats.The guy could have as well addressed the rampant corruption in ndian bureaucracy that oppresses the poor mercilessly.
I will have to say the movie is overrated, I have not idea about the book.
It is cheesy and highly predicable. You know exactly what is going to happen and it is groan inducing in many parts.
It does have some great scenery and shows a part of the world some might have not seen before.
The love story is hardly that. It is some puppy love of the main character for the female main character. There are no reasons given why he loves her, she is hot, that might be the sole reason. Really they don’t talk much in the movie about anything yet somehow she is his destiny.
If you like sappy highly predicable movies where the pretty people get rich and live happily ever after and the not pretty people are of course bad then you will love this movie.
What I wrote is not a spoiler as one can easily deduce what will happen from the previews.
Thanks Lingyai and Jabli for your comments!
I think I for one would love to have that kind of “predictability” in Asian American films. I swear, I watch Asian Americans on TV, and it’s like, “Oh yeah, he’s the gangster” or “Wait till she meets the White Guy” or “Oh yeah, that Asian guy is going to come out of the closet.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but c’mon, even liberal estimates put that percentage at only around 10%.)
I’d just like to see normal, predictable, human people. No need for clever storylines or exchanges. Great scenery of course would be a plus.
(I know I’m setting my standards really low.)
I saw it, and I enjoyed it. Everything lingyai said is true, but it’s nice to just enjoy something silly and mindless, sometimes. And yes, it would be great if AAs could have that kind of predictability on film. People always talk about how they won’t support mediocre work just for the sake of “the cause” or whatever, but it makes me wonder if we are falling into the trap of waiting for that one “breakout” work or star that will singlehandedly lift us into another realm of possibility, which I think is quite unrealistic.
Personally, I have concerns about the foreign director. Basically, a white guy made a movie about India based on a book by an Indian… and I’m sure that you can why that might be some cause for concern. Thinking back on it, I can notice a few things, like how every Indian male apart from the protagonist is a scumbag in some way or another, and how India looks as bad as any third world country in the film. Of course, it is set mostly in the slums, but I suggest you watch it yourself and see if that justification holds up.
Scowlie!!!
Long time no hear! What are you up to these days?
I can’t get out with the children these days, but I’m definitely going to check it out when it comes out on DVD if for no other reason than to be able to have an opinion. Mindless movies these days aren’t a bad thing. I get so little sleep that I don’t have enough energy to think anyway. I find myself watching nonsense like CSI and WEC Wrekcage, so almost anything on screen that I see would be an improvement.
Plus, of course, great scenery is cheaper than travel.