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I think it looks really good, It's one of my most anticipated upcoming films.

I just saw the film tonight at the Savannah Film Festival and it was the best received film of the festival (so far). It's fast-paced and humane, colorful and poignant. It hits on almost all notes. Some after the film were calling it director Danny Boyle's best, but I still love "28 Days Later" -- a very different film indeed.

Make no mistake, this will BE a hit here in America. If it's not, Fox Searchlight should shut its doors and send everyone home, because they shouldn't be in business if they don't know hot to sell this. Please go out and see this when (and if) it comes to a state near you.

Just to recap, THE WRESTLER and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE were better than expected and Palme D'or-winner THE CLASS was interesting, but not very good. I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG should only be seen if you're a registered Oscar voter. THE BURNING PLAIN shouldn't be seen by anyone, unless you don't like yourself. WALTZ WITH BASHIR is interesting if you're into animation (a la WAKING LIFE), but there's no story and it gets lost in trying to say something about the war when it's just accounting for it.

I was kind of upset that my area won't be having a promo screening of it. Man, I haven't been this excited for an entire year! I love this time of the year.

Thanks for the first hand experience recap, Frisky.

Just to add a bit of salt to the mix, I know that at least some of the music to 'Slumdog Millionaire' was composed by AR Rahman who (if you haven't heard) is India's most respected/loved/brilliant composer at present (and one of the.... of all time)

I still can't see it being a huge hit. Here's some reasons (I'm not counting that Warner Bros. was originally set to distribute then dropped it after Warner Independent folded).

-the whole film is in Hindi and there has never been a breakout hit in the US in that language
-Who Wants To Be A Millionaire hasn't been popular in the US in a long time
-no big time stars known outside of Indian-American communities
-Danny Boyle has been hit-and-miss at the US box office and his last film was a huge failure (made $3 million on a $40 million budget)
-last year Fox attempted to go India with The Darjeeling Limited and even with three moderately successful US actors and a name director, it made just $11 million
-and will the average American want to go see a movie called Slumdog Millionaire? It's just not an appealing name compared to say, Bolt or The Day The Earth Stood Still.

So what did you think of the trailer?

I have not watched the trailer yet (slow computer and no sound). But sometimes, not even really good trailers can help films at the box office (examples: quite a few).

even with all those things you mentioned, if its a good movie and appeals to the crowd it can do well. But you are wrong about it all being in Hindi. I heard that most of it actually is in English.

Buscemi,

I don't buy that Warner dropped it. If they did, why? Did they not have a free exec. to actually watch the film with an audience? If they had, they would not have let the film go.

Regarding your concerns:
- The whole film is NOT in Hindi. About two-thirds of the film is in English, probably more than that.

- Please don't let the popularity of a has-been TV show distract you from the marketability of the film. They use the show as a story device (it's based on a true story) of how a "slumdog" goes from rags to riches. The show is a device, but they don't rely on the show to tell the story, moreso the film makers avoid the show whenever possible. But, since this is a story about India, the show is still HUGE over there and a way for a nobody to make it rich and bust through the caste system that plagues the country.

- Don't worry about "big-time stars outside the Indian-American communities". They're good actors. The older male lead and female lead are both VERY GOOD. At the film festival I'm at, both were given ovations at the end of the film (which is rare).

- Danny Boyle might be a hit-or-miss, but this is definitely a hit. SUNSHINE was plagued by story and plot problems and special effects, but this is not new territory for Boyle. This is good film making.

- I don't know Fox Searchlight's release schedule for the film, but I can only imagine them starting it out limited in a few screens then going as wide as 700 screens but probably more. This is the feel-good story the holidays needs. With all the somewhat depressing movies coming out around Christmas (i.e. BENJAMIN BUTTON), this will capitalize on a good story. This really has nothing to do with DARJEELING LIMITED because Anderson barely makes his budget back. He is the Woody Allen of our time - in terms of financial success.

- An average American will listen to the good word-of-mouth this is sure to have. This film has won nearly every Audience Award at every film festival it has played at. What should that tell you? How many people would go and see NAPOLEON DYNAMITE if it didn't have good word of mouth? Point is, if someone is saying that it is good, they'll go, despite the name.

- The biggest disadvantage I think is the R rating. It's a very light R and should be almost rated PG-13. It should be regardless though.

I do not think that THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL will be successful because it looks like a ridiculous film. I've seen and understood the original, but I don't really care about seeing a film that is trying to make me environmentally responsible for the world I live in (or else have it taken from me by androgynous-looking bad actors named Keanu). Even Jennifer Connelly isn't that hot.

Boyle has a working relationship with Fox Searchlight through 28 DAYS LATER, MILLIONS, etc. I don't know the history of the film, but I can't believe that someone would drop it from its slate because of costs or an overcrowded season. And seeing what is on the WB slate, if that's true, they dropped the wrong thing.

friskytiger81 wrote:

Even Jennifer Connelly isn't that hot.

dude, i agreed with every single word you wrote....EVERY SINGLE WORD....i even let out a little cheer when i came to the 'Frisky-takes-the-verbal-hatchet-to-Keanu' section....but this is where it turned sour for me....connelly is amazingly hot and if i had to pick the hottest actress list, she'd be damn right up there with scarlett, keira, jl hewitt and nat portman!!

I really liked the trailer, I'm a massive fan of all Boyle's work from Shallow Grave to Sunshine (yes, I am one of the few who adore A Life Less Ordinary) and this seems to be up to the standard he has set. I hope it does well, I really do, but I just have this nagging feeling that while it may do decent PTA numbers, it just won't expand that great.

That is a definite possibility, Surfer. It depends on when they decide to go wide with it. It'll probably be after it is released but before The Wrestler comes out.

It'll have to go wide before The Wrestler, Benjamin Button and Gran Torino are released, they are probably its biggest threats to the Oscars, and if it is to gain any serious pre-Academy acknowledgement, it has to do it by early December.

silversurfer19 wrote:

It'll have to go wide before The Wrestler, Benjamin Button and Gran Torino are released, they are probably its biggest threats to the Oscars, and if it is to gain any serious pre-Academy acknowledgement, it has to do it by early December.

GRAN TARINO looks silly. I don't have any attachment to the Dirty Harry character and to see Eastwood bring back that irritable character to me is tiring, but I know some people like it.

Every year there's a movie that rises from relative obscurity to attain amazing popularity and financial success. If there's any film that could do that this year, SLUMDOG could be that one. Remember, this is the same studio that nurtured such films as NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, MILLIONS, 28 DAYS LATER, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, and GARDEN STATE. There's few studios that know when they have a hit and how to build a marketing campaign that can successfully turn that hype into b.o. dollars like Fox Searchlight. It also has THE WRESTLER comes out in late December and that will be a PTA giant, but it won't receive any b.o. dollars until January when it releases wide.

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