The movie studios usually wait until late fall to release the big, important films they think have a shot at garnering Oscar nominations, and this year there are some obvious candidates: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Milk,” “Doubt.”

Even before these movies hit the theaters, they were widely regarded as award bait, and if they fail to receive nominations in any of the major categories, it will be a huge surprise. This is one of the knocks on the Oscars, of course — how relentlessly predictable they usually are. Even so, there’s usually a film that emerges out of nowhere, captures the hearts of moviegoers and becomes a dark horse contender for best picture. In previous years, “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Juno” have filled this niche; this year, the film audiences truly love is “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Well, not me. But pretty much everyone else. Much like “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Juno,” I’m aware of the intense level of affection for “Slumdog Millionaire,” but I do not share it. And it’s not for lack of effort. I tried and tried to love this film, but I just couldn’t do it.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy “Slumdog Millionaire.” I did. It was a pleasant enough way to pass the time, and since I try to see all the movies nominated for best picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, adapted screenplay and original screenplay prior to the Academy Awards, I felt like I’d accomplished something, as the film is sure to pick up a few of the major nominations. But overall the film was an exciting whirligig, and even as I enjoyed director Danny Boyle’s visual stunts and storytelling flair, I didn’t really feel like it added up to very much.

Set in Mumbai, “Slumdog Millionaire” tells the story of an Indian orphan named Jamal who, as the film opens, is being brutally interrogated after winning 10 million rupees on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” The host of the show simply cannot believe that a young man who grew up in the slums could possibly know all of the answers to his questions. How, he asks, would a street urchin know who is pictured on a $100 American bill? In flashbacks, Jamal (played as an adult by Dev Patal) explains how he came to know the answers to the questions on the game show by telling the story of his life. In these flashbacks, “Slumdog Millionaire” becomes a fairly straightforward tale. Jamal and his older brother Salim are left to fend for themselves after their mother is killed, and eventually wind up working for an evil group of criminals who deliberately blind and maim children so that they can earn more money begging on the street. They are joined by a girl named Latika, whom Jamal promptly falls in love with. But when Jamal and Salim finally escape from the evil group of criminals, she is left behind. Jamal’s goal is to find her again.

Danny Boyle’s last film was the cerebral science-fiction film “Sunshine,” but he also made the whimsical children’s movie “Millions,” the violent zombie movie “28 Days Later,” the lively junkies-in-Scotland movie “Trainspotting,” and the crime-gone-dreadfully-wrong movie “Shallow Grave.” He enjoys hopping from genre to genre, but he’s always been an entertainer and talented craftsmen, capable of spinning a compelling yarn no matter what type of story he’s telling. “Slumdog” is clearly his attempt to make a crowd-pleasing, Bollywood style film with a rags-to-riches Dickensian vibe.

But as “Slumdog” progressed, it seemed to be missing something. At first, I couldn’t figure out what it was. The characters were likable and the story was involving, but I also felt that I knew exactly what was going to happen, and that nothing that was happening to Jamal was a very big deal. (SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT ANY HINTS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THIS FILM!) “Oh, it will all work out in the end,” I thought. “He’ll find Latika and they’ll live happily ever after.” And I spent the rest of the movie waiting for this happy ending. Would Salim have a change of heart and ultimately wind up helping Jamal reunite with Latika? Well, of course he would. Would Latika get to the phone in time to feed Jamal the answer to the final question on the game show? Well, of course she would. The phone rang and rang, and for a moment it looked like she wouldn’t make it, but of course she did, and I never had any doubt that she would. At that point, I decided that what “Slumdog Millionaire” really needed was a dose of suspense.

Not that the Golden Globes mean much of anything, but “Slumdog” won best picture, director, screenplay and musical score. And, I have to admit, I loved the score, as well as the dance sequence over the final credits. In any case, this is the movie that everybody loves. So don’t pay any attention to me. Just run out and see it and decide for yourself.

SPEAKING OF INDIA

Bollywood is the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry and, like most Bollywood films, “Sholay” is a musical. The plot involves an aging man who hires two thieves to track down the bandit who ruthlessly killed his family. Anyway, this film is a lot of fun. It’s got great action sequences, but it’s also funny and romantic and touching.

The only other Bollywood film I’ve seen is 2001’s “Lagaan,” a 225-minute film (length is a Bollywood trait) set in 1890s India. In “Lagaan,” the nasty British commander has challenged the Indian villagers to a cricket match: If the Indians win, they won’t be taxed for three years, but if they lose, their tax will be tripled. It’s kind of like “The Bad News Bears” set in India, but with higher stakes and a somewhat serious message about the injustice of colonialism.

The most fun movie set in India might be Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding,” an exuberant film about an arranged marriage. When we left the theater, my friend Hanna remarked, “I think I want to have an Indian wedding.” She didn’t, but that’s how this movie makes you feel.

Also worth a look is the 2004 documentary “Born Into Brothels,” about an American photographer who teaches the children of prostitutes living in Calcutta’s red light district to take pictures. The film is hopeful and heartbreaking, because many of these kids are smart and talented, but also destined for a lifetime of sex work, poverty and crime.

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