“Slumdog Millionaire”
***1/2 (out of four)
It’s a bold salvo, beginning a movie with scenes of torture. Yet, Danny Boyle did just that. And it worked, from the slow build of buzz to a big, BIG Oscar night. Eight awards — count em! — including Best Picture. The film doesn’t turn away from the harsh realities of a poor child’s life in Mumbai. “Slumdog” captures the corrugated roofs of shantytowns, the mountains of garbage, the sick commerce of child prostitution and enforced begging. All of this could be overwhelming if not for the vibrant saga of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and beloved Latika (Freida Pinto). Jamal’s tale of triumphs and tragedies unfolds as he explains to a police inspector why he is poised to win “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” We sit on the edge of our seats like the movie’s citizens to cheer Jamal on. R. 2 hours, 1 minute. Lisa Kennedy.
“Marley & Me”
**** (out of four)
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are young marrieds John and Jen Grogan, early-career journalists who’ve relocated to West Palm Beach, Fla., from Michigan. John is encouraged by friend and fellow journalist Sebastian (Eric Dane of “Grey’s Anatomy”) to get a dog to assuage Jen’s baby yearning. How hard can it be? How hard, indeed. John Grogan’s memoir about a yellow Lab and the family he helped create brims with authentic insights about dogs and humans. But just as vibrantly, it revels in marriage and career and the constant dance of a couple’s hopes and dreams. PG. 1 hour, 55 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“Seven Pounds”
***(out of four)
“Seven Pounds” is a star-driven heartstring-tugger, committed to finding affirmation amid despair. If redemption comes with a little romance, so be it. Will Smith reunites with “Pursuit of Happyness” director Gabriele Muccino for this death-and-the-taxman tale as IRS agent Ben Thomas tries to change the lives of seven strangers. Rosario Dawson plays a wedding planner with a bad ticker. Much as they did in their 2006 drama, Smith and Muccino trust audiences to follow them to unexpected — even uncomfortable places. At times, Smith grimaces with the effort of depicting a character whose torments run deep but whose sense of entitlement is a second skin. But the movie’s startling final act makes “Seven Pounds” an intriguing example of a studio flick taking to heart its responsibility to challenge as well as engage. PG-13. 1 hour, 58 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
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