Danny Boyle’s latest is about a young Muslim kid named Jamal Malik.  Needless to say, I really liked this movie.  What, you want to know what it’s about?  Sigh…

This is really a movie you need to see to fully appreciate how it’s done, but Slumdog Millionaire frames a large part of its story around one of the biggest fads of recent memory, the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  Even within the context of a fictional story, it was amusing to be reminded of why this show was such a huge smash hit, and how the show’s use of dramatic tension fits so perfectly into a piece of cinematic storytelling. 

One of the other great pop culture pieces this movie uses is the story of the Three Musketeers.  I’ve been part of a few ‘trios’ in my own lifetime, and could tell you certain key elements of the Three Musketeers story, but not all of them.  There must be a lot of people like me, because Slumdog Millionaire plays this knowledge to full effect. 

All in all, PROPS from me for a good crowd pleasing movie that doesn’t get too Hollywood (or is it Bollywood?) until the very end.