THIS IS WHO WE ARE

This is what we do for the joy of the King,
For His peaceable Kingdom,
For a world in despair.
And this is why we bring any hope we can give,
Any bread from the table,
Any touch of His hand.
This is what we do.
This is where we go.
This is why we sing.
This is how we live.
This is who we are.


Monday, February 9, 2009

Movie #5 - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Well, now I know what all the hype is about.

Lyn and I saw SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE this afternoon.  Seeing it brought back so many memories of being in India in 2003.  I could almost smell curry (and other stuff!) as I watched the story unfold.

It was a fascinating plot, pieced together like a child's pop-bead neckace. It was brilliantly based upon the protagonist's coincidentally correct answers to questions on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" The story was brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle, who also directed the edgy 1996 TRAINSPOTTING.  

I loved Boyle's attention to little details and the skill he applied to building tension in his storytelling.  Lyn actually gasped at the sound of a coke bottle opening!  (The way it was set up, you felt like someone was pulling a murderous knife from a scabbard.) 

More than anything else, SM is a love story.  The beautiful actors portraying the "fated" lovers are Dev Patel (Jamal Malik) and Freida Pinto (Latika).  Although they didn't really occupy the screen together very much, when they did it was really enchanting.  Back in the day, they used to call that "chemistry."

The movie is full of grit and grime, photographed in a way that is achingly beautiful.  The musical score by A.R. Rahman is simultaneously haunting and exciting. The children are angelic (although barefoot and smudged). The action is riveting.  The violence is visceral.  The romance is heartbreaking.  The ending is everything you want a movie to be, even though it's wildly manipulated.

So which film is going to win?  Who knows.  My personal preference would probably be THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, but SLUMDOG could easily take home the gold.  All five of this year's nominees are worthy contendors, each having its own list of strengths.  

Oscar night is going to be VERY interesting!

1 comment:

Russ J. said...

Hi Don:
I came by your blog through my acquaintance with Donald Crane who serves with me as a volunteer chaplain at Hancock Regional Hospital, Greenfield, Indiana. I was at Johnson Bible College from 1975-1979 and remember the fine work you did with the music program there.
I agree with you about Slumdog. I also visited India on two Medical trips (Oct. 2005, Feb. 2009). What a different world!
The pictures you took on your hike do remind me of the Smokies.
God bless.
Russel Jarvis
Wilkinson, Indiana