I wrote about this film, Slumdog Millionaire, earlier before I ever got a chance to go and actually see it. It looked like it could be enjoyable, and since it is now nominated for the Golden Globe Best Motion Picture - Drama, I thought that’d it’d be a good time to take a break and actually go see what all of the rage is about.

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old boy who grew up in the slums of Dubai, India, and his experience on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Jamal is being questioned by the police because they feel that he, a poor boy with no education at all, must be cheating to be one question away from winning 20 million rupees (about a million dollars). We find out through many flashbacks how he actually ended up on the gameshow, and how he came upon the answers in the end. Was he cheating or did he really know the answers? I’ll never tell. I say you go and see.

Is that you’re final answer?

The film portrays a lifestyle that no one in America could fully understand unless they’ve actually been to the slums of India. We are shown people living in filfth, cramped spaces, and some of the worst poverty imaginable. It is in these slums that an attack actually occurs between the Muslims and Malik and his family’s slum. People are killed and children are orphaned and left to fend for themselves.

Though I was astonished by the story of the main character and the life that he lived, I was slightly disappointed with the film as a whole. It may be that I had too high of expectations after having been a nominee for best picture, but I don’t think that’s the whole reason. What I didn’t like about the movie was the constant use of flashbacks. I feel like it was too structured in that it went interrogation scene to a flashback to the gameshow to another flashback of how he found the answer. After awhile it became a bit repetitive despite the interesting story. But that’s just me. I do respect that it was a brilliant cultural narrative that opens our eyes to a world we’ve never seen before, and that it actually ends in a Bollywood-style dance scene. That’s right….they dance…they dance their pants off. So I say see it, but go in with no expectations other than you will see things you’ve never seen before.

The Golden Globe nominees were announced this morning with many scratching their heads. Those who aren’t film buffs were asking themselves what these strange non-mainstream movies were that were being nominated for best film of the year or best actor of the year. Where’s The Dark Knight is a common question by someone that may have seen the list. Heath Ledger did receive a posthumous tip of the hat for his portrayal of the Joker, but can it really be that the film wasn’t given a nomination because it’s a “superhero movie” despite its quality. Oh well…at least Heath’s talent was recognized.

What I find to be interesting when reading the list though is the amount of films that were nominated and aren’t even released yet. What do these Golden Globes people know that we don’t? How come they get all of the privileges? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button leads the race with the most amount of nominations and it doesn’t even come out for another two weeks. Also vying for the “Best Motion Picture - Drama” is the yet-to-be-released Frost/Nixon.

One film I found very puzzling to see listed was In Bruges, nominated for “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” and with nominations for Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture.” Now I really don’t know what’s going on. I remember being bombarded by trailers for this film and vowing to myself I would never see it no matter what happened. What turned me off so much was both that the trailer annoyed me and that I saw it everywhere I looked.

But when I saw that it was nominated several times, I actually went out of my way to view this movie to see what it was all about, and was pleasantly surprised. The trailer makes it seem like the whole movie is just about the goofy antics of hitmen hiding out after a job. Well, there definitely is a lot of witty and funny dialogue, but there’s so much more depth and emotion packed into it that make it a contender for the best movie of the year. It is about the story of two hitmen who are sent to Bruges, Belgium, after a mishap occurs during an assassination. It’s this mishap that brings both mental and physical distress on Colin Farrell’s character. I’m actually thinking about maybe watching this one more time because I feel there was a lot of good insight to how to live your life and be happy with yourself, even if you kill people for a living. Go out and rent this and possibly catch some of the other top nominees opening this weekend.

…and you thought your family had problems. Watch a film that makes your holidays look better than anything. Now playing at the Boardman’s Art Theatre.

Milk is based on the true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual person to gain a position as an elected official in public office in the United States. Though his term didn’t last long, we learn he was assassinated at the beginning of the film, he made a lasting impression on both the rights of gays and minorities in general. After his death in 1979, it’s hard to believe the extreme amount of bigotry and anti-gay sentiment that existed just 30 years ago.

After having secured the spot on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a proposition was beginning to be enforced across the country called Proposition 6. What it did was take away teaching jobs from openly gay people and those who supported them. The law was put into effect in several parts of the country and was one of first times that Milk took an activist position, eventually have San Francisco vote no to Prop. 6. This film is relevant because it reflects common themes that we see in our society today. Proposition 8, the banning of two people of the same gender of getting married, has been put into effect in California, the home of Harvey milk and his activism. And still, outrage and dissent is prevalent on both sides of the issue, similar as it was back in 1978.

The film is also a mirror on how a minority can go against all odds and take office, as in the election of President-elect Barack Obama as the first African American for the job. Milk, played by Sean Penn in one of his many well-done roles, lights up the screen with his enthusiasm in bringing change for his people. Director Gus Van Zant has put together a biopic that pulls at your emotions and has you marvel at how well it’s put together. Go out and try to find this movie any way you can. It’s worth the watch.