Slumdog Millionaire (Soundtrack)
It would be interesting to give this soundtrack to two people - one who has seen Slumdog Millionaire and one who hasn't - and compare their reactions. If you are one of the has-nots, you are likely to feel that this album is collection of music with no stand-out tracks. People who have seen the movie are likely to enjoy it far more.
Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who wins the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The music does recall colours and flavours of the East, ranging from rap with an oriental twist to more classically 'Indian' refrains. But without the scenes the tracks accompany, the CD soon loses its fire.
It's easy to see - or hear - how this music adds depth to the movie, and creates the necessary dizzying atmosphere. But when you listen to the album by itself, you soon realise that the two go hand-in-hand - these beats make little sense without the setting to which they drum. Paper Planes (Bollywood-Brit-rap) and Dreams on Fire (Celine Dion on an Indian vacation) are successful stand-alone tracks - songs you might happily load onto your iPod - but they are the only ones. To appreciate the rest, you really do need the bigger picture.
