WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?

"Slumdog Millionaire" the movie directed by Danny Boyle which seems to be released straight to DVD but won major awards in the Golden Globes instead is a really interesting take on real life.

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The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out...

Genres: Art/Foreign, Comedy, Drama, Adaptation & Teen
Distributors: Fox Searchlight Pictures
MPAA Rating: R for some violence, disturbing images and language
Production Co.: Celador Films, Film4
Filming location: Mumbai, India

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Judging from the trailer and movie clips I just viewed, it seems that it will most likely win in the Oscars (Academy Awards) unless of course a really great movie comes along to snag the slot.

Anyway, watching the clips and seeing the game show feature gave me a chance to go back memory lane again. I remembered how it was when I was able to join (my first and last so far) the same televised game show (WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE - Philippine Edition).

It was really nerve-wracking yet utterly exciting being a contestant. Previous to the scheduled taping of the show the following day (yes, it was not really a live show unlike the one shown in the movie), all the contestants were given an overnight stay at the sponsor hotel, but guess what? I didn't get to sleep well at all, with all the anticipation and nervousness I am experiencing during that time.

At the taping studio before the actual shoot, a dry-run of how the actual game will be played was in order. I still vividly remember that I was able to outrun (actually more of a finger-pressing race) the other contestants during the dry-run. What was funny though that because of nervousness, my initial answer was completely wrong to the very simple question.

Anyway, when the actual taping began, I was the first one to answer once again and proceeded until I've used up all my lifeline culminating with my phone call to my best friend who was not sure about the real answer to the given question. So instead of trying my luck with an unsure answer, I opted to just get the corresponding cash prize so that I will not go home empty-handed.

I may not be a millionaire until now but the good thing was - I made the right decision. If ever the game show will be revived, will you join? Now, who wants to be a millionaire?