Worth a Million

Want to know my pick for the best movie of the year? Well, you're about to read about it.

Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a Jamal, an orphan growing up in the streets of Mumbai. The film begins when he's 18 and appearing on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and continues in a series of flashbacks detailing his childhood roaming India with his brother Salim and Latika, the girl he loves. It turns out that every question he has to answer on Millionaire can be traced back to some key moment in his life, and that's how he knows all the answers.

We soon learn that the real reason Jamal is on the show is to contact Latika, with whom he has lost contact more than once. The film's climax is heart-poundingly tense, and when it was over I'd had my breath taken away. This movie is a must-see for anyone with a heart, and it just might give hearts to the heartless.

Dev Patel shines as Jamal, and his character is such a refreshing contrast to his cold and conniving brother Salim. The story is absolutely beautiful, emphasizing the timeless power of love, and the idea that all we really need to be a millionaire, financially or emotionally, is what we've learned from life, no matter how or where we've lived it.

And the film is so visually stunning. The colors, the movement of the scenes, the shocking cinematography — I was blown away. And the music adds to the cultural aspect of the film, while enhancing the gorgeous imagery.

Oscar predictions: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography. And I hope it wins all of them!