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A Pair Of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Reviews!

hmm, I don't know by geraldbeans	Oct 26th, 2008 11:22:28 PM
I kind of don't like these "how did we arrive here" movies. They seem to have this built in "artsy-ness" to them that appeals to filmmakers who have told too many stories in a traditional narrative. But as far as I'm concerned, if we already know where he gets to, why do we want to know anything that happens before then? Just start us at the beginning and go forward. -- I do like Boyle as a filmmaker though. I hate druggie flicks but Trainspotting was a masterpiece. And I still contend that The Beach is one of the best first halves of a movie ever made. I heard they begged Boyle to make the second half more about the love story but he refused - instead creating that weird disjointed mess of a second half that completely betrayed everything he set up. Too bad. It would've been better had he taken the suggestion. Millions fell in love with itself a little too much and was ultimately a disappointment. Sunshine somehow managed to have an even more miscalculated second half than The Beach. Just tell a fucking story dude. Stop trying to create some Kubrickian "ooh, this could mean so many different things" ending. Tell your fucking story. -- Great filmmaker. Doesn't completely understand story though.
You have to give Boyle the benefit....... by Aloy	Oct 27th, 2008 12:08:38 AM
He's always done interesting work and even a perceived failure is way better than most. I'm in.
Boyle is a fantastic, fantastic director by mefrog	Oct 27th, 2008 12:23:22 AM
He's the only director around to consistently tackle a new story or genre each movie and still make wonderfully creative work. I'll see anything of his, and I have loved pretty much everything he's done so far.
the music is A.R. Rahman by BadMrWonka	Oct 27th, 2008 12:28:09 AM
who is quite literally a musical genius. he's also one of the biggest selling musicians of all time, but no one in america has heard of him. man, if ScoreKeeper could score (no pun intended) an interview with him, it would be glorious. he's really amazing.
geraldbeans by TroutMaskReplicant	Oct 27th, 2008 12:31:05 AM
So you expect Simon Beaufoy to rewrite a book (Q & A) that specifically set it's story up as a flashback telling the reader how he got where he was today, by using the mystery of how he knows the answers as a starting point, just because you think it's "arty filmmaking"? Anyway...
A. R. Rahman by still_RuSTeD	Oct 27th, 2008 01:50:16 AM
You might remember Mr. Rahman's music from the opening song of The Inside Man. Yes, he's a legend in India.
in a word, "yes" by geraldbeans	Oct 27th, 2008 02:37:06 AM
This is another topic but I don't think any book should be made into a movie. They're different mediums and not meant to be adapted from one to the other. They're made because it's easier for producers to sell pre-existing work. But when's the last time you heard someone say, "The movie was better than the book." Once? That's because books weren't meant to be told in a visual medium. Sure one hits every once in awhile because there's so damn many. So my answer would be, either don't adapt it in the first place or change it drastically into traditional screenplay structure.
geraldbeans by KGersen	Oct 27th, 2008 02:44:57 AM
Dear oh dear, that's a very weak riposte and I suspect you know it. If you got it wrong i.e. the book was written that way and it was not the case of the filmmaker being artsy for the sake it, admit it instead of trying to move the goalposts.
Danny Boyle is a God of Cinema by MMacKK	Oct 27th, 2008 03:12:18 AM
I comment rarely these days, but fuck he is good.
Him and Nolan are about as good as it gets at the moment by FILMFUNK	Oct 27th, 2008 05:29:49 AM
Not sell outs, not Gloss merchants just good, honest filmakers with something to say! making movies that last the test of time.
Ha ha Geraldbeans you idiot, you're too funny by half vader	Oct 27th, 2008 09:19:19 AM
Telling Boyle he doesn't understand story (and by implication that you do), meanwhile spouting ridiculous stuff like "if we already know where he gets to, why do we want to know anything that happens before then?" I guess you didn't bother with Lawrence of Arabia or Dr. Zhivago then. The point of all those 'flashback' movies is that we stay invested in the characters because they're engaging and we don't WANT the ship to sink, plane to crash, bike to smash, heart attack to... The device is an inherent challenge that the material be compelling DESPITE knowing the resolution. Jesus... And as for the adaptation manifesto... oh dear. You sound like a 13 year old who thinks they're privy to some great insight. And nice way to succinctly discount the entire history of illustrated prose, comics, the genres of sci-fi, fantasy and so-on. You great twat!
Colour me very interested in this by Col. Tigh-Fighter	Oct 27th, 2008 11:24:55 AM
Boyle consistantly pushes the envelope with everything he does. Good for him. I wish more filmmakers would have the balls to try something new.
But does it all fall apart in the 3rd act? by Cameron1	Oct 27th, 2008 01:17:52 PM
Most of Boyles movies do and it's a damn shame.
geez half vader, lighten up. by johnnyangel	Oct 27th, 2008 03:42:42 PM
Geraldbeans just has an opinion, it's not like his humpin' your mom. Also give him credit for not saying "First". Also, they torture game show cheaters in India! WTF! They are serious about their game shows.
The book Q+A by ducKy72	Oct 27th, 2008 04:26:34 PM
I read this whilst in NYC recently, someone had left it at the hostel. I remember enjoying it a lot but I also remember finding it very homophobic... several gay characters are introduced and then revealed to be perverted paedophiles... Hope they didn't keep this in the movie.
Well you've got me there Johnny by half vader	Oct 27th, 2008 08:33:36 PM
Sorry Geraldbeans, you may have opened your mouth without thinking, but at least you're not a "first" poster. And Johnny, my rants are nothing compared to most. Where's Dannyglover's? He knows how to spew some bile!!
Guys, the movie really is totally good. by phool2056	Oct 27th, 2008 10:25:54 PM
I saw it at TIFF, and I'm seeing another preview screening on Wednesday. To address things, it does not collapse in the third act, the story is indeed structured according to traditional screenplay structure, unless you want to discount Citizen Kane and Double Indemnity and several dozen other classical Hollywood movies that aren't told sequentially as well, adapting books is fine, I don't recall any pedophiles who were particularly singled out for being homosexuals, it's all good. I know. PLANT, right?
Thanks Mr. Vader by johnnyangel	Oct 28th, 2008 03:14:01 PM
I actually agreed with you. The "how they got to this point" plot can be interesting and deceptive. "A Perfect World" being an example.
Three months later... by Drunken Rage	Jan 18th, 2009 04:24:10 PM
Yeah. It's a damn good movie.

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A Pair Of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Reviews!

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