To quote Terri Garr: "Woooff!!" I don't think I've seen a full frontal (in the movies ) since Richard Gere in Breathless!
Maybe you should rent
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story with its long, lingering close-up of full-frontal male nudity. That'll tide you over for a while. But be forewarned, it's not exactly Richard-Gere-in-Breathless material -- to say the least!
"--harshness--"
Huh?? (Can your friend pick'em, or what??)
Seriously, Slumdog is going to be a GOOD FEELINGS classic. Forever. Maybe even at Christmas, even though it's in Mumbai, with Muslim and Hindu characters, but just because the film was first released in the US at Christmas.
I'm a wuss, and there is one minute when I closed my eyes (the way I would have nearly fifty years ago watching the original 101 Dalmatians, a film that actually resembles in more ways than one); ok, two minutes, three, tops. Otherwise, it makes you feel ten feet tall, ready to run all the way home, shadowboxing, and saying 'Yessss!'
For me, there were about half a dozen moments of harshness (though I think I know the one you mean), and a few of disgustingness. But without those, it would be almost too syrupy! Frankly, it needs those bits of harshness to ground it.
The harshness isn't graphic, and although some of those harsh moments are bleak if you think of the real life implications, the overall effect of the movie is, as you say, the opposite of depressing.
Not like the year when my mom and brother were planning to rent
Leaving Las Vegas on
Christmas Eve. I had to step in and forbid it! They would have ruined Christmas. LLV left me depressed for days.
Disappointing about
Gran Torino, though. That was one of many I was looking forward to.
In other news, I finally saw
The Notebook last night. Fluffy but very romantic -- it appealed to my inner 16-year-old girl. Ryan Gosling was great as always, even in something sappy, and lookin good. He should never have gotten that nose job.