Slumdog Millionaire on DVD and Blu-Ray

Slumdog Millionaire is almost like two movies in one. Running parallel to each other are the story of Jamal (played as an adult by Dev Patel), the young man competing in India’s version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, and having reached the final question, being interrogated by the police as to exactly how he could possibly know the answers to the questions. After all, he’s a “slum dog”, having grown up in the poorest neighborhoods, orphaned as a child and having raised himself and his brother from an early age.

As he explains to the interrogator how he came to know the answer to each question, a flashback shows the young Jamal and his brother Salim surviving on their own, including living literally in a trash dump where they befriend a charming little girl named Latika (played as an adult by Frieda Pinto) and spending time in a gang.

Throughout his life, Jamal hangs on to his memories of Latika, finding her and losing her twice. When they are finally reunited, you may find yourself standing up and cheering right in your living room. This movie has brutal torture scenes and harsh treatment of children, so be careful about showing it to younger kids. I watched it with my 12 year old and at the end he said “Mom, that was an AMAZING movie.”

Pick it up on DVD and Blu-Ray in stores and on Amazon.com.