The short answer is NO.
It’s a fine film, worthy of praise and recommendation for sure. Does it warrant the unbridled adulation it has received? Sorry, but it hasn’t; it’s half a good film at best. The ealry story of the child’s journey through life is an imaginative and compelling tale, well made and scripted, it is a story told with pace, humour and pathos.
Where the film falls down is at the point it becomes a love story and some ‘live the dream’ morality tale set on a TV show and in prison cell. The notion of re-telling a life story through the protagonists recall of answers to questions on “Who wants to be a millionaire” is well conceived and on the whole magically delivered, quite why we needed the absurd interrogation scenes to glue it together is beyond me. It add raises the eyebrow of incredulity to pantomime levels.
The film was trumpeted with the words “the feel good movie of the year” which was possibly the worst marketing decision since Gerald Ratner took to the stage and decided to ‘wing it’. Due to this gem of promotion the audience were left in no doubt that we were in for a happy ending – cue a total lack of suspense. He is going to get the girl, we knew this as soon as he began looking for her, hell even the extra’s in the background new it was coming. Though no one could adequately explain quite how he actually gets the girl to fall in love him. Then we get the doubly whammy, just as the director could have rescued his ending, he chickens out and has the lad winning the millions as well. We could have had the delight of money or girl ending, or perhaps just money or girl ending, showing that true happyness has not monetary value... nope we got all the singng all standing ovation vomit fest that was 'have your cake and eat it'.
This deserves its technical plaudits, it is a beautifully shot film, the score is terrific and the performances of the younger stars are great. But the script is clunky and contrived, the fairy tale story is achingly predictable and the performances by the later stars are only just the right side of wooden.
In short it’s a worthy film, it entertains and holds the interest, but it should not be in the running for best anything, let alone an Oscar.