Though his first film, Shallow Grave, brought Danny Boyle to the attention of the film savvy, it was his 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting that made his name as an internationally renowned directing talent. From a budget of $3.5m the film grossed $72m worldwide, and won critical praise the world over, currently sitting at 88% on the Tomatometer.

Many trailers and posters for his subsequent work tout it as being "from the director of Trainspotting," but Boyle's drive to deliver fresh and eclectic cinema will be a surprise for anyone expecting a redux of that film. His follow-ups have run the full gamut; from bleak sci-fi to zombie horror, through spiritual romantic comedy and traveller thriller. If there's one thing Boyle's not, it's predictable.

Indeed, his most recent previous outing was 2007's Sunshine, about a crew of astronauts in the not-too-distant future who are on a mission to reignite our dying sun. But it's a far cry from his new film, Slumdog Millionaire, a fantastical romance set on the streets and in the television studios of India. The story of a young boy's tragic upbringing in the slums and his appearance on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, it's already attracting awards by the bucketload.

As you'd expect from his body of work, his five favourite films are diverse and disparate. "I've got an odd list," he told RT. "Things like your 'top films' or your 'top end playlist songs' -- these are the things that keep me awake at night. I watch all of these films through the director's eyes, and I've watched them multiple times -- well, except for The Bicycle Thief -- to try and bow down and learn."