SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008) - Danny Boyle

A lot of superlatives have been bandied about when it comes to Danny Boyle’s latest film, Slumdog Millionaire. People are going about declaring it ‘the feel-good film of the decade,’ and other such clichéd statements. All this does is highlight how little these people know about film. Certainly, Slumdog Millionaire has it’s moments that are uplifting. But it also has some pretty grim and depressing moments. After all, it is a film whose central characters grow up in abject poverty.

Jamal and Salik are two brothers who live in the slums of Mumbai. They spend their days living amongst the poverty of their city. They don’t go to school, but pass the time getting into adventures amongst the rubbish tips of the city, being chased by police for playing cricket on an airfield and generally getting into as much mischief as two young boys can. After their mother is killed in a riot, the boys are left alone. They meet Latika, a young girl who is also alone. We see Jamal as an older boy. He is a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Jamal has made it all the way to the final question, relying on knowledge he has acquired during his life on the streets. But as the final question awaits Jamal’s answer, questions as to whether he has cheated are raised. Jamal has one goal. To find Latika who he has lost contact with due to unfortunate circumstances.



Slumdog Millionaire has garnered praise from nearly all corners of the globe. And rightfully so. It’s a brilliant film. Director Danny Boyle is one of those rare directors who can handle both big budget movies, such as Sunshine, and smaller-budget character driven stories. The screenplay is written by Simon Beaufoy, who was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay, The Full Monty. As with The Full Monty, Beaufoy is able to craft a screenplay that mixes darker elements with uplifting themes. He once again successfully merges these elements in Slumdog Millionaire.

One of the best elements of the film is the performances Danny Boyle has gotten from his cast. Many of the young actors are first-timers, but you wouldn’t guess that from the brilliant performances from the children. They have grown up in Mumbai, and that has just benefited their acting. Because of the troubles Boyle experienced using a British crew when shooting The Beach in Thailand, the director chose to use local talent to shoot the film. The crew were used to working on Bollywood films, and this experience shows throughout the film. Boyle chose to shoot the slum scenes in the slums of Mumbai rather than on constructed sets, as suggested by the crew. And it’s this attention to detail that adds to the realism of a film that is otherwise fantastical and a little melodramatic.



As mentioned, the film has been bandied about as the feel-good film of the decade. This is a rather incorrect statement. There are some very dark moments in the film. Moments that may make some viewers uncomfortable. It’s not that these moments are unrealistic. But they reflect a side of the slums that (as far as my limited knowledge tells me) is an unfortunate side of poverty. That’s not to say you’ll walk away from the film depressed. If it fails to put a wide grin on your face, there’s something wrong with you. It’s a highly entertaining yarn with great performances held together by lead Dev Patel. And for the first film of 2009 that I’ve seen, it bodes well for what’s ahead.


9/10

TRAINSPOTTING (1996) - Danny Boyle

Lord knows how long ago it was when I first saw Trainspotting. All I know is I had to sneak a look at it. I was fifteen when it was released, and I knew I'd be banned from seeing it by the parentals. So I'm pretty sure I saw it in one of the local kid's houses. All I know is it had an immediate impact on me, and stayed with me ever since. It's been a while since I watched the movie, so tonight I thought I'd revisit it to see if it still has the same impact as it once did.

For those of you who haven't seen it (and what the hell have you been doing with yourselves, if you haven't?!), Trainspotting is essentially the story of Mark Renton, a heroin junkie from Edinburgh in Scotland. Renton uses the drug to escape reality. A reality that sees him commit petty crimes in an attempt to feed his habit. He is surrounded by people he questionably calls friends, each with their own addiction, be it drugs or violence. Renton decides to kick his heroin habit, but finds this increasingly difficult as he cannot break the ties with his group of friends. No matter how far he tries to distance himself from them, they find a way back into his life and offer him nothing but ways to destroy himself.



Trainspotting is a difficult film to discuss without descending into cliche. Obviously, it's one of the most influential movies of the 1990's, and probably one of the most popular British films of all time. It made a star of Ewan McGregor (Renton), and launched the careers of director Danny Boyle, and actors Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller and Ewan Bremner. What works about the film is that it approaches the difficult subject matter of heroin addiction in a manner that is honest, hard-hitting, yet it doesn't refrain from throwing in some wicked comedy.

Based on the novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting's iconic opening sets the pace for the rest of the film. Welsh and screenwriter John Hodge never compromise with their characters, who are the driving force of the film. Renton is clearly an intelligent guy. His problem is he's not strong enough to make a full break from his friends and the heroin. He says himself at the beginning of the film he's vowed to kick the junk many times, but cannot make the full commitment, no matter how good his intentions. His addiction to the heroin and his misguided loyalty to his friends are intertwined. One cannot exist without the other.



Trainspotting wouldn't be a success if Renton was the only interesting character in the film. It's to Welsh's credit that he creates fully fleshed out and compelling characters that surround Renton, each with their own conflicts, desires and behaviors. One of the most iconic of these characters is Francis Begbie, a psychopath who doesn't get off on doing junk, but on 'doing people.' He's different from the Travis Bickle or Norman Bates type of psycho, in that he's open in his love for violence, at one point starting a riot just for the pure sick thrill it gives him. Robert Carlyle's portrayal of Begbie is terrifying, but brilliantly realised.

Danny Boyle's direction is fantastic. The pacing of the film (which clocks in at 94 minutes) never lets up. Every frame of the film is fully realised and drives the story along. When it comes to the darker side of heroin, the film doesn't shy away from how dangerous and destructive the drug is. The scenes of Renton going cold turkey are a nightmare of hallucinations, with Renton writhing and screaming in his bed as horrific visions creep across his bedroom ceiling. While the film isn't as depressing as Darren Aronofsky's Requiem For A Dream, it in no way makes light of the subject of heroin addiction.
The film itself is packed with pop cultural references, from the obvious in Iggy Pop and James Bond, to more subtle references like The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night. Indeed, the soundtrack itself is as iconic as the movie itself, with songs by aforementioned Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed, Blur and Underworld amongst others, perfectly complimenting the film.

As I finished watching Trainspotting, I was in no doubt that the film is as relevent now as it was eleven years ago. In fact, it has improved with time, and I found myself appreciating the more subtle elements of the film such as pacing and editing and not just the hilarious dialogue and more superficial elements (not that they are in any way weaker elements of the film). What is undeniable is that Trainspotting is a brilliant, hard-hitting, and highly entertaining film. And one of the best films Britain has ever produced.


9/10

28 WEEKS LATER... (2007) - Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

In 1968, George A. Romero introduced mass audiences to the zombie in his brilliant Night of the Living Dead. Since then, the zombie has evolved and changed, going through many incarnations and changes. 2002 saw the release of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later... with a different take on the classic lumbering undead. This time, the 'zombies' are not like their classic forefathers. These are people are not the undead. They're very much alive, however, they're infected with a virus called 'rage' and behave quite differently to zombies. This month sees the release of the sequel to 28 Days Later... 28 Weeks Later...
28 Weeks Later... picks up six months after the events of 28 Days Later... By now, the rage virus has been contained and eradicated and the US army is taking steps to repopulate London. They concentrate on first repopulating an area of London designated the Green Zone, the Isle of Dogs. Outside this area is still undergoing clean up operations and thus is forbidden. Among the first people to reenter London are siblings, Andy and Tammy, eager to be reunited with their father, Don (Robert Carlyle). Don is one of the people who survived the virus and the onslaught of infected, something we're shown in the prologue. Things seem to be returning to normal. But after going for a jaunt in the forbidden zone, Andy and Tammy set in motion a series of events that lead to a reemergence of the rage virus with disastrous consequences.



I really enjoyed Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later... The film was a brilliant sleeper hit that managed to be fresh and original to the horror genre, something that is quite rare these days. When 28 Weeks Later... was announced, I was apprehensive. But director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has created a very worthy sequel in this film. The early part of the film takes up the mantle left by Boyle (now Executive Producer) and shows us more images of deserted London but now with US soldiers cleaning up the carnage left by the disaster. However, once the action starts, the film takes off at full tilt and doesn't let up until the end.
The major criticism with the film, is that there is little room for character development. While we're given a brief insight into Don, Andy and Tammy's family, once everything kicks off, this is abandoned. The film favors action and spectacle over story, but this isn't too bad a thing, and provides plenty of quite impressive entertainment. There's even a nod to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, but taken to quite a gory level!
The performances are quite good, given that there's not much to be done once the chasing and shooting begins. Support from Rose Byrne as a US doctor named Scarlett and Jeremy Renner as a sniper named Doyle are quite good, and Robert Carlyle, as always, is fantastic. Fresnadillo's direction is a little distracting at first. He favors the low-lit frenetic approach to the scenes of close proximity to the infected. This is a little jarring, but I suppose that's the effect, to confuse and frighten the viewer. However, he doesn't always rely on this technique and the action is quite enjoyable. The violence and gore factor is extremely high too, which is expected in these types of films.



It's been quite a while since I've enjoyed a horror film at the cinema. And it's great to have a film that is extremely entertaining, though not without it's faults. There is an undercurrent that draws parallels with the US and British invasion and occupation of Iraq, but this isn't too prevalent as the film is dedicated to the spectacle over the message. Overall, a great piece of entertainment. A little light on story, but a visceral, loud, violent, gory piece of filmmaking.

7/10

SUNSHINE (2007) - Danny Boyle

2057. Earth is heading for extinction as the sun, the giver of life is quickly dying. In an attempt to save the human race from extinction, a solitary ship, the Icarus II, with a thermo nuclear payload is sent to re-ignite our solar system's star. The Icarus II is the second ship to be sent on this mission. The Icarus I, the forerunner, having disappeared seven years previous.
On board the Icarus II are an assortment of scientists and astronauts. Each of them is fully aware of what is at stake here, and they will do everything in their power to complete their mission. Along the way, they pick up a distress call from Icarus I, and deciding to change course to investigate, they put the mission, their lives, and the lives of all humanity at risk.

The people that brought us 2002's 28 Days Later, team up once again for Sunshine. Sunshine harks back to the intelligent sci-fi of the sixties and seventies. In fact, another Brit sci-fi film from the late nineties, Even Horizon, is the film which Sunshine most reminded me of. However, Sunshine is a far better film than Paul W.S. Anderson's work. There is a question of the nature of divinity within the film. One character in particular raises the question as to whether the death of the sun is an act of god, and if it is right for us, as his creation, to stand in the way of his plan. In this respect, the film is akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which also raised the question of the nature of man, albeit in a more enigmatic manner.

Primarily, Sunshine is a sensorial experience. The images of the sun burn through the screen, leaving you almost feeling sunburned by the images. The soundtrack is deep and booming. The snapping and creaking of the ship, as it expands and contracts with the heat really adding to the experience. Danny Boyle's direction is spot on, pacing the film perfectly. Alex Garland's script is tense and engaging, while not being overly complicated. There is a mission to be completed. And the mission is paramount. There is no doubt that everybody is expendable if it means success.
The characters are well fleshed out, never descending into the cliches that might be expected from a genre film. Their relationships are very real and believable within the context of the film. And the cast, led by Cillian Murphy, fit their roles very well.
Sunshine is a great piece of sci-fi for 2007. It's good to see that there are still original pieces of work being produced outside of the Hollywood system. Recommended.