The first time we see Walt Kowalski, Clint Eastwood's character in Gran Torino, he looks like he's about to explode -- literally -- as in spontaneously combust. Standing at his wife's funeral and growling to himself as his family files in, he looks as if he could go nuclear at any given second, like he might take off sprinting through the pews, snapping as many necks as possible in a grim attempt to ensure that his recently deceased wife isn't lonely in the afterlife. The impression that his character makes is direct and unmistakable, and the whispered conversation that takes place between his two sons as they ponder what will become of the rancorous war veteran ensures that we know exactly where he's at in life before the end of the first scene. It's plain to see that Walt has precious little tolerance for foolishness, and now that he's alone, there's no buffer between his bitterness and the outside world.

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People the world over were struck with sadness and fear recently, as appalling attacks took place in Mumbai, India. The tragic incidents sent shockwaves through the media, but no one could deny that they also served as reminders of the Indian financial capital's ever growing prominence on the world stage. It's the center of the most rapidly expanding economy in the world, the birthplace of the explosive Bollywood movie industry, and the home to both mind-blowing wealth and destitute poverty. So it's no surprise that filmmaker Danny Boyle chose the city as the setting for his newest work, Slumdog Millionaire, a film being touted as a splendid, brutal, thoroughly modern fairy-tale. Recently, Boyle sat down with AllMovie's own Jason Buchanan to talk about the project, and discuss what it was like shooting on location in the Mumbai slum of Dharavi -- a "megaslum" that's home to over a million people, and that Boyle says is actually a thriving, well organized community.

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