Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto is said to be in discussions to appear as a Bond Girl in the next 007 movie.

According to reports, Pinta has been asked to screen test for the role after coming to the attention of producers when originally casting for Quantum of Solace.

“Freida came to the attention of the Bond team when they were casting Quantum of Solace. She was too young at the time to have a part as a love interest for a secret agent, but she has blossomed into an incredibly stunning young woman and would look perfect on Daniel Craig’s arm” a source told The Sun.

I could be wrong, but Pinto would be the first Indian Bond girl, at least that I can remember.

Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at tonight’s Academy Award’s, picking up eight Oscars.

Slumdog won best picture, best director for Danny Boyle, best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best sound mixing, best original score, best original song and best film editing, every category the film was nominated in.

The biggest upset of the night came in the best actor category, with short priced favorite Mickey Rourke losing out to Sean Penn for his role as Harvey Milk in Milk. Penn finished his speech with a big shout out to Rourke, praising him for his role in The Wrestler and his amazing comeback.

Kate Winslet won best actress for The Reader, Penelope Cruz best supporting actress, and as we reported earlier, Heath Ledger became only the second actor in Academy Awards history to win an Oscar posthumously for his role as The Joker in The Dark Night. Notably the only other person to win the award beyond the grave was fellow Australian Peter Finch who won for his role in the 1974 film Network.

Hugh Jackman shone in his role as host, bringing a real talent to the stage while managing to connect with his natural charm.

Slumdog Millionaire stars Freida Pinto and Dev Patel aren’t up for awards tonight, but the movie they started in is.

Slumdog Millionaire is nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.

Freida walked the red carpet in a John Galliano gown.

Just Jared has more here.

Slumdog Millionaire, the British/ Indian movie based in the slums of Mumbai has won four Golden Globes, the biggest haul for the night.

Awards for Slumdog Millionaire were: best movie (drama), best director for Danny Boyle, best screenplay and best score. You can see my review here, and I can’t say enough how great it is to see it winning; this isn’t your typical Hollywood film, and that it can win like this bides well for the industry as a whole.

Other winners include Best Performing Actor gongs to Colin Farrell – In Bruges (Comedy or Musical), Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler (Drama); Best Actress: Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky (Comedy or Musical), Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road (Drama). Best Picture Comedy or Musical went to Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

As we reported earlier, Heath Ledger picked up the Golden Globe for The Dark Knight.

Other notable winners: Best animated feature film: Wall-E, and Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet – The Reader (her second award for the night).

In the TV awards, the HBO series Mad Men picked up best television series – drama and 20 Rock the best comedy award.

Slumdog Millionaire goes into the Academy Awards at the short priced favorite after a string of wins leading up to, and including the Golden Globes. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the Slumdog Millionaire Trailer.

Slumdog Millionaire is set among the slums of Mumbai, India so you wouldn’t naturally think it would be a candidate for best film of the year, but you’d be wrong.

The film follows the story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik (a “slumdog”) became a contestant on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” — an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika, who is an ardent fan of the show.

The film starts near the end of the story. Malik is arrested after getting to one question away from winning Who Wants to be a Millionaire, accused of cheating. The allegation is simple: how can a kid from the slums possibly know all the answers. The movie follows Malik’s recollection of how he came to know the answers, the telling of his life from the slums of Mumbai, the murder of his mother in an anti-Muslim rampage, through to his rise to being an assistant in a call center.

The film is classified as British, with Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine) directing, and UK actor Dev Patel starring, although the film was shot on location in India. It is based on the book Q and A written by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup, and Indian director Loveleen Tandan was location director and officially co-director.

This isn’t a Bollywood film, even if there are some elements (and the credits pay homage with a traditional Indian film dance), and yet it taps in to Indian culture in a way not really seen in movies shown in the West, showing the lows and highs of life in the world’s largest democracy.

The screenplay and storytelling are masterful. What in many films may have been too rich a story is perfectly blended in painting a picture that is is both raw, and yet compelling.

The critical reviews for the film are remarkably strong. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 94%, and the film has won numerous awards at film festivals and dedicated awards events such as best film from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. It’s up for Best Picture Drama at the Golden Globes, and is being talked about as a real contender for best film at the Academy Awards.

Let me say simply that the awards are deserved, and if it isn’t a finalist at the Academy Awards, the system is broken.

This is without doubt the best movie I’ve seen this year. It’s an uplifting tale, rich in character, story and visuals. It is one of those rare movies that I found myself emotionally attached to the story line, and I know that at the end I cheered alongside my wife who felt the same way.

If there’s one movie you watch early in 2009, make it Slumdog Millionaire, you won’t be sorry.

We’ve run it previously, but here’s the Slumdog Millionaire Trailer if you’d like a taste.

Indian film Slumdog Millionaire was given a limited released in the United States this week, and is being talked about already as a possible Oscar contender.

The movie is the story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik became a contestant on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” — an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika, who is an ardent fan of the show.

Slumdog Millionaire has some interesting stories as well, like how Mercedes Benz refused to allow their product to be shown because they didn’t want to be associated with Slums.

Slumdog Millionaire Trailer as follows, it certainly looks like a nice movie, with an emphasis on the word nice. Release dates outside the United States vary between January and April 2009, but if it picks up steam in the Oscars race, expect an earlier release, and broader release in the United States.