A terrifically engaging debut film performance from Dev Patel (of TV's Skins) as Mumbai street kid Jamal is at the heart of Danny Boyle's uplifting slice of near magical realism.
Having somehow found himself on the verge of winning the jackpot on the Hindi version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Jamal's short but eventful life is brought sharply into focus. Taking the form of short vignettes, each question that Jamal answers (to the shocked disbelief of Anil Kapoor's suspicious host) relates to his traumatic upbringing.
The supporting cast serves the film brilliantly, with the filmmakers carrying off the neat trick of using three set of actors to portray Jamal, his older brother and his love interest at different stages of their young lives.
As one would expect of Boyle, the action is superbly handled in what is a fascinating mixture of genres. The different strands eventually form a love story that is genuinely moving. And yes, there's even a Bollywood style dance off at the end!