Don't be put off by the advertising, as I was initially. It isn't as schmaltzy as it looks.
Instead, it is a visual feast that reveals the colour and chaos, splendour and squalor of India. It lays bare the gritty life of slum children in Mombai, complete with a Fagin-esque exploitation of orphans, without descending into pathos or sentimentality (well, not too much).
Slumdog is about love and love of money, tenacity and karma (fate). Despite a few unnecessarily formulaic bits (of course her rich boyfriend beats her up, of course true love prevails despite the odds, of course the hero triumphs) it is a beautiful, affecting film.
Go and see it on the big screen while you can.
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