Whoever thought that a movie that begins with torture would turn out to be an anthem to friendship and joy? “Slumdog Millionaire,” one of the most talked-about films of 2008, has arrived on Quad-City screens. This “miracle” movie should draw in the curious who wonder what’s so great about this movie with an unusual title. A “slumdog” is, in this case, a person who lives in the ghetto of Mumbai. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) has led anything but a charmed life well, maybe. He finds himself as a young adult in front of 90 million viewers who are watching him on the Indian television show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” The show is the same as it is in the United States: The participants are asked a series of questions. Each of the correct answers is worth more than the answer that preceded it. Now, back to the scenes of torture, which make this a film for adults and justifiably earn it the “R” rating. Jamal finds himself beaten to within an inch of his life. Why? Because the authorities cannot believe that a “slumdog” would know so many of the answers. They figure he must be cheating somehow. The flashback, in which Jamal tries to explain how he knows the answers to each particular question, provides a biography of Jamal that extends clear back to his early life. That includes his somewhat shaky relationship with his often brutal brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and a girl, Latiki (Freida Pinto) they befriend. They called themselves the “Three Musketeers” until a terrible incidence in their adolescence changes the paths of their lives. There isn’t a bad moment here. The acting is phenomenal watch the children, later portrayed by adults. They are so natural, so realistic in their reactions to their poverty and their sudden life changes. And the grownup leads are superb. If you’re a fan of Bollywood, you’ll recognize Anil Kapoor, who is a star in these movies. He’s captivating as the gameshow host who never stops letting Jamal know that he has the upper hand.