Simon Dillon reviews the film

Every so often I see a film that reminds me why I love the cinema. Such films have an indefinable quality that raises them above the level of mere entertainment into something that not only makes you laugh, cry and think, but touches you on a profound, perhaps even spiritual level.

Slumdog Millionaire is such a film. Not only is it the best film Danny Boyle has made, it's probably the best British film of the decade, and a serious contender for best picture at the Oscars, assuming they don't vote for political correctness over cinematic brilliance. The first film I've seen this year could well end up being the best film I see this year.

Based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup, this is, at heart, a simple love story, set in India and told in flashback. Jamal Malik comes from a slum background, but is one question away from winning the Indian equivalent of hit gameshow Who wants to be a millionaire? However, he is being questioned - and brutally tortured - by police who think he is cheating. The film flashes back and forth from his childhood through to the present, explaining the amusing, exciting and sometimes tragic ways he learnt the answers to the questions he was asked on the gameshow. As he grows up, he falls in love with the beautiful Latika, and it is on account of her that he ends up on the programme, not because he is interested in becoming a millionaire, but because he wants to win her heart.

The cast, some of whom were non-professional children cast in Mumbai, are all excellent. British TV actor Dev Patel plays the present day version of Jamal, but Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Tanay Chheda are also excellent as younger incarnations of the character. Frieda Pinto, Rubiana Ali and Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar are equally good as Latika, and as Jamal's elder brother Salim, Madhur Mittal, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, and especially Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail convey the complexity of this darker character very well. In many ways, Salim is the antithesis of Jamal - often selfish, dishonourable and even murderous. Yet he also loves his brother and wants to protect him.

Technically, Slumdog Millionaire is brilliant. Everything from Simon Beaufoy's superb screenplay to the inspired choices of music, editing and especially the use of locations really convey the look, feel and smell of the Mumbai slums, not to mention the general busyness, colour and beauty of India. But the real star of the film is Danny Boyle, whose stunningly innovative direction lends the film both a dynamic gritty realism and genuine heartfelt warmth. It is ultimately a feel-good movie, but along the way there is considerable pain and misery - not to mention brutal violence - that undercuts any undue sentimentality and makes the admittedly predictable finale all the more emotional. Although Boyle references many previous works - from Bollywood films to Scorsese's Mean Streets, Frank Capra and especially books by Charles Dickens - it still has that unique Boyle-esque feel that is present in his best work.

This is a moving, funny and ironic fable about love, money and destiny. It also features strong moral and spiritual themes, dealing with loyalty, redemption, truth, honesty, and sacrifice. Although some may find certain sections of Slumdog Millionaire grim and traumatic, as a whole this is a wonderful, life affirming work that comes with my highest recommendation. Please, please go and see it.