Last night, Heather and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire. Our kids are old enough that we can leave them for a spur-of-the-moment date. So we went down to our local supermarket, bought the discount tickets, and away we went.
And yes, if you heard about the Oscars results, it won just about every award there was to win.
We were glad. It was a triumph of the little guy (in more ways than one).
Anyhow, back to the movie – it is very graphic and disturbing. (Disclaimer: it is rated “R” for a reason – It shook up our reality and made us remember why we went back to Africa to live.) This glimpse into poverty and the harsh reality of life for so many millions is now in the faces of many different millions who may never see that otherwise.
This photo depicts Kibera – the largest slum in Africa. Heather and I have some friends who live there and have visited several times. It is depressing to see sewage running along the walkways. But it is also an exciting vibrant community of people who are making the best life they can out of the least available resources. (Ironically, I took this photo from the water tower at a neighboring tennis club.)
Go see it while it’s still in the theaters. The large screen and sound system will impact you a lot more than if you wait till the video comes out.
I saw it with my wife the other weekend. It reminded her of Schindler’s list in some ways – not nice, but real.
I really ‘enjoyed’ it too.
I read the book a couple of years ago, and was pleased to see it made it to the screen, and can understand why it won so many awards recently.