It was always going to be included in his top 50. The

It was always going to be included in his top 50.

The exhilarating mixture of triumph over adversity, romance and melodrama captured the heart of veteran film critic Barry Norman.

When compiling his list of best British films he had already chosen Slumdog Millionaire – but erased it at the last-minute, opting for 49 films and leaving it up to the public to decide on the final entry.

Yesterday Mr Norman was left feeling vindicated.
More than 3,000 people submitted their entries to the Radio Times with more than 500 British films suggested.

And with Slumdog Millionaire proving to a popular choice there could only be one winner for Mr Norman.

Repeatedly described as the ultimate feel good film, it went on to win eight Oscars and seven Baftas.

In the film, Dev Patel plays Jamal, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

He has wangled his way on to the show not to get rich quick but to get in touch with a girl he loves but has lost contact with.

She has been sold into prostitution but is such a fan of the quiz he is hoping she will be watching.

When the film opens Jamal has already won the top prize and is being interrogated by police who believe he cheated.

As h answers their questions it becomes apparent his poverty-stricken upbringing and petty criminal past have provided him with all the knowledge he needs to answer the questions.

Mr Norman said: ‘Actually when I was first asked to do this [list] Slumdog Millionaire was on there and I excluded it partly out of curiosity to see what kind of reaction it might get.

‘Slumdog Millionaire was the one I wanted to put in, apart from the fact that it won eight Oscars which is remarkable for a British film, it’s a multi-layered story – it’s not simply about the questions – in explaining how the kid can answer all the questions it gives us a sense of Indian life: the poverty, the corruption, the dishonesty. It’s a very believable portrait of Indian life. It got a lot of entries.

‘Slumdog doesn’t have a phoney feel-good ending. There is a sense of hope which runs throughout the film which is great.

‘It’s educational without being earnest.‘

Last month saw Mr Norman, 79, unveil his list of 49 films in the Radio Times with the inclusion of 1981 Scots film Gregory’s Girl which he described it as the best teenage film ever made.

Mr Norman said the responses from Radio Times readers had left him in no doubt that films still have an important role in the lives of many.

He said: ‘Movies are still very important to people and so they should be. The cinema is a great art form and we should never lose that.

‘It provides escapism which is a big factor and films can teach us a lot about ourselves, other people and other cultures and societies and that’s what Slumdog Millionaire does. ‘

http://www.dailymail.co.uk