Last time I looked, India had the second largest film industry in the world. Yet very seldom a Bollywood movie reaches the eyes of a western audience. The genius behind Slumdog Millionaire is to make Western filmmakers translate a Indian based-story into a western film format. In the process, a magnificent film has arrived on American shores that will be a strong contender for the Oscars. The film is a fairy tale for adults with great dramatic and romantic force. Its wonderful story gives you a glimpse of India—with all its contradictions—that most Americans and Europeans would have never seen. The film covers a 25-year period in the life of Jamal and his slightly older brother Salim who grow up in the slums and later are pulled apart because of differences in personalities and circumstances. Emotionally the first part of the film reminded me of Cinema Paradiso, the second part of teenage delinquency epics, and the final part of modern game show and reality-show culture. On top of it, a Romeo & Julia story holds the film together and makes it appealing for a mass audience. I did not know anything about the film before seeing it. I selected it over the new Clint Eastwood film Gran Torina simply because I wanted to see pictures of India. What a lucky choice:  Slumdog Millionaire effortlessly made it onto my list of favorite films of all time.

and reality-show culture. On top of it, a Romeo & Julia story holds the film together and makes it appealing for a mass audience. I did not know anything about the film before seeing it. I selected it over the new Clint Eastwood film Gran Torina simply because I wanted to see pictures of India. What a lucky choice:  Slumdog Millionaire effortlessly made it onto my list of favorite films of all time.