Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is an 18-year-old Muslim tea boy from the slums of Mumbai, India, who's just one answer away from winning a fortune on India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. How does an uneducated "slumdog" know all the answers? Did he cheat or was it meant to be?

This refreshing film, directed by Danny Boyle, is about hope, perseverance, and true love. The acting by the no-name cast is exceptional, and you can't help but get wrapped up in Jamal's quest to find his soul mate, played by the alluring Freida Pinto. The ending is predictable, but getting there is where the enjoyment comes from as the brilliant script by Simon Beaufoy explores the plight of India's poor and how they fight to overcome the heavy weight upon their spirit.

Shot using digital cameras and 35mm film, Anthony Dod Mantle's Oscar-winning cinematography is a mixed bag. The kaleidoscope of colors range from richly saturated to muted, depending on the scene, and black levels waver from inky to dark gray. Detail vacillates from razor-sharp to somewhat blurry, and video noise can be an issue in the darker sequences.

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack is a dialog-laden affair, which is mostly intelligible. I was constantly reaching for the volume control because whispered dialog is difficult to comprehend, but when the dynamic soundtrack kicks in, it's too loud by comparison. The surround speakers contain adequate ambience, and the LFE channel gets a decent workout from the score.

The bonus materials contain two commentaries—one with Boyle and Patel, the other with producer Christian Colson and writer Simon Beaufoy. Additional supplements include a 22-minute "making-of" featurette, a dozen deleted scenes, a closer look at the "Toilet Scene," a music video, and the unique "Slumdog Cutdown," a video montage that summarizes the film in five minutes. Rounding things out are two theatrical trailers and an Indian short film, Manjha.

I've been disappointed in the past when a film couldn't live up to the hype surrounding it, but Slumdog Millionaire is well deserving of its praise. The story is inspirational and wildly entertaining, although the presentation isn't demo-worthy. Highly recommended.

Release Date: March 31, 2009
Studio: Fox

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics