Film Review: Slumdog Millionaire

As anyone even remotely interested in filmmaking should know, Slumdog Millionaire won the Acadamy Award for best picture of 2008 (along with a number of other Oscars). Generally, I'd pass on a review for such a film for that very reason. But I've noticed that very few people I know have seen this film yet. I'm not sure if it's because of the setting, their apathy towards the Acadamy, or because none of them had even heard of this film before it was nominated. It is a shame that anyone has missed out on it until now, though, because it no doubt deserves that highest honor.



Slumdog is especially unique for its pseudo-episodic structure. The film is shown as a series of vignettes told from Jamal, the protagonist, to a security guard after he is accused of cheating in India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Each story is a separate entity, showing the guard exactly how Jamal came to learn the answer to each question. At the same time, though, each mini-story is a plot point in the story of Jamal's life: an epic journey with his brother, as they search for fame, money, and love. Intercut with these scenes are clips of Jamal in the hot seat, answering questions on the show. These multiple layers are all happening at once, but all directly relate to Jamal's search for Latika, his long lost love. Even though the narrative is mostly comprised of flashbacks, they are laid out in a cohesive, dynamic way that keeps you dying to experience the resolution. And the resolution, mind you, is mind-blowing.

This goes without mentioning the performances, which, though casted with mostly unknown actors, were all expressive, friendly, and charming. Dev Patel plays his very first Hollywood role as Jamal, and to great success. Every action and reaction is nuanced with character and realism. The amazing thing, though, is that Jamal's two younger incarnations (the film's story spans about a decade) also have large roles in the narrative, and yet, still carry the mannerisms and personality of the older Jamal quite well.

Sadly, I can't offer much negative criticism for the piece. Being completely immersed in Jamal's journey, I shed all disbelief while the movie shattered my expectations. I am willing to bet, though, that even the most hardened film critic would be forgiving of any shortcomings simply for the film's sheer charm and humble themes. Slumdog is treat, an inspiration, and an amazing showcase of art all in one. And these days, no one can deny how rarely we can say that about a film.

Artist Profile: Jason Rohrer

"Art game" is not a term that many are familiar with. A game is usually a form of mere entertainment, fitting under the same umbrella as film, making art by "hiding" art. But art games--games with a specific persuasive goal--exist in abundance. They're usually small, but have a power unique to the medium. One of the major video game auteurs working today is Jason Rohrer. The man lives simply off of donations from his free downloadable games, and supports a wife and two children with a budget of $828 per month. His games are simple and no-budget, but few others have achieved the power and thematic complexity that Rohrer has.

Rohrer has a portfolio of about 7 games, with another being released at the end of this month. Among these are Passage, Gravitation, and Between. Each game tends to last about 5 minutes. The games usually use the SDL library and incredibly simple pixel maps, giving the games a blatant "retro" look. The amazing thing about Rohrer, though, is his use of proven game mechanics to make a compelling, almost emergent story that is always slightly different but always compelling. In Passage, for example, the player has a top-down view of his character on a long, narrow path, interspersed with obstacles and treasure boxes. You can meet a girl if you walk in the right direction, but she always has to be at your side, meaning you can't pick up some treasures. You can pick them all up, but in the end--after time runs out (about 5 minutes)--you die alone.

Rohrer is one of the few to exemplify what I have hoped to see in games for a very long time: the power to move people. It's difficult to make a game--especially alone--and it doesn't help being a starry-eyed games student with gigantic ambitions. But Rohrer pulls games like these off with no budget and only a few months of work. It's truly inspiring to see how a small system can have an immense amount af meaning and emotion through play.