WITH his latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, hitting cinemas this week Danny Boyle is in a reflective mood.

The Radcliffe-born film director worked on the film with Full Monty scriptwriter Simon Beaufoy.

But while Beaufoy said that he felt he had “left The Full Monty” behind with the new project, Boyle says he doesn’t feel similarly linked with his most famous film.

“I don’t feel that connected with Trainspotting because everybody loves it so much,“ he says. “It’s the ones that people don’t like so much that you get protective about and try and help a bit, like Life Less Ordinary.

“And when you see ups and downs on films, you become quite sanguine. You get it from being in India as well, you get this sanguiness from these extremes that go on in the business and in everything really.

“And so you kind of just go with it. You’re lucky to be able to make them, to raise enough money to make them. And then to able to make them with people you like making the films with. It’s not a bad job really.”


Danny has credited his now-retired English teacher at Thornleigh Salesian College, Mr Unsworth, as a huge influence on him, and as the person who nurtured his love of drama.

But it is unlikely that his former teacher would expect his talented pupil to be directing Bollywood-style dance scenes.

“You can’t live and work in Bombay and not dance, you’ve got to dance. It’s so natural.

“It was tough for Dev [Patel, who plays lead character Jamal], because Dev didn’t dance really. He always felt like he was in his pyjamas, that was his expression, when he was dancing, because although he’s from an Indian background he’s from Harrow, he’s a Londoner. You don’t dance, it’s pathetic!

“But we got him out there and he started doing the dancing, he learnt the basketball move, that’s the one you can do that’s easy. Pretend you’re just bouncing basketballs. So we just did it really.

“They’re great dancers, all of them, they loved doing it. They feel it, you can see in their hands, with the expression, how much they loved doing it.”

Slumdog Millionaire is released in cinemas this week.

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE DANNY BOYLE FILM?

Leave your comments below and we will print the best ones in next week’s 24:7

Shallow Grave (1995) - A dead flatmate and a suitcase full of cash was all that was needed for Danny Boyle’s debut to mark him out as one to watch.

Trainspotting (1996) - The generation-defining film with the poster that still adorns a thousand student walls shot Boyle into the movie stratosphere and won a bucketful of awards.

A Life Less Ordinary (1997) - From gritty realism to romantic comedy, albeit with kidnap, violence... and two angels.

The Beach (2000) - Leonardo DiCaprio starred in this adaptation of Alex Garland’s bestseller about a trio of travellers who discover a “paradise island”. But they soon discover that perfection comes with a price.

28 Days Later (2002) - Garland and Boyle were reunited for this zombie thriller about an incurable epidemic of “rage”.

Millions (2004) - From horror flicks to kids' films, Boyle proved there was nothing he couldn't do with this feel-good gem.

Sunshine (2007) - Boyle took on all our concerns about the environment with this film about a dying sun and a crew of astronauts' last-ditch attempts to save the world.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - The story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik, who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire?, wins, and is then suspected of cheating.