Slumdog Millionaire

Poor, orphaned teenager Jamil Malik (Patel), a petty criminal who lives in a squalid slum in Mumbai, gets the opportunity to become a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." He's so successful that the police arrest Jamil just before he tries for the ultimate prize, sure that the street boy must be cheating. But as he relates the story of his life, it becomes clear that each experience leads him to a correct answer on the quiz show. Director Boyle achieves the trifecta: a thought provoking film that is also beautiful and entertaining, capturing the disparity between the haves and have-nots with beauty and grace and not a shred of pity. Excellent Indian cast is universally appealing and wonderfully represents universal dreams and ambitions.