Does no one else think the marketing of Slumdog Millionaire is a touch misleading?
Don't get me wrong, I'm (lol) a die hard devotee of this film, and
have been raving about ever since it was first screened at the london
film festival in October. I'm glad it's done so well, but I
do find it odd that they've taken such a dumbed-down approach to the
marketing. Every time I see an ad for it I have to double take and
remind myself it's not the latest Richard Curtis. All the bus-sides and
posters portray it as a happy-go-lucky, fluffy Rom Com. When in fact
its actually a very artistic, beautifully shot and scored film that
makes you think and breaks your heart as much as it uplifts. what's
more, when you leave the cinema, you are left with a resounding sense
of sadness at all the poverty in the world. Well, unless you subscribe to the belief that the whole thing is 'poverty porn' as some do.
'Making Britain smile', and the 'feel-good movie' of the year seem to be sneaky headlines that, when coupled with the big cheesy photos of Jamal and Latika, are bound to make the masses flock to the cinema in their droves. Only to find that it's actually a much darker experience than what they expected, and might normally have seen. It's a film that as well as 'making britiain smile', is also making them cry, grimace, recoil and (in that eye-gouging scene) look away in horror. Still, if that's what it takes for this film to do well commercially as well as critically, then hats off to Boyle's marketing team. It's not what it says on the tin - but from a film that was about to sink without a trace until the festivals rescued it (as we blogged before), I guess it deserves anything which helps it get to as many people as possible.
