Millions

Millions reinforces the fact that Danny Boyle cannot be pigeonholed as a director. One does not expect to see the director of acclaimed drug abuse and zombie movies come out with such wholesome entertainment. Though this is accessible for the family, do not let that mislead you into thinking the movie does not have weight. The sincerity of this film saves it from becoming too lovey, and Boyle's personal connection with Manchester certainly adds to the depth of the environment. The story is told from the children's' point of view, bright with color, and those children give extraordinary performances. The use of stop-motion and accelerated exposures is characteristic of a style Boyle enjoys, and it accents the scenes where it is employed well. I highly recommend this film, and only wish it had been released for the past holiday season.

Tonight's screening of Danny Boyle's Millions at the Toronto International Film Festival was the film's world premiere. Boyle was in attendance along with the two young stars of the film, and he introduced what obviously is a project that he feels very dear about.

Two young brothers in Manchester come across a gym bag overflowing with cash, British pounds, days before the bank of England switches over to the Euro.

Damian (Alex Etel) is a young philanthropist who spends his time learning (and daydreaming) about the saints. He believes the money, which seems to have fallen from the heavens, is a gift from God and wants to use the money to help the poor, while his older brother Anthony (Lewis McGibbon) is a hot-blooded capitalist who is already thinking of exchange rates, inflation, and the cost of property. He uses the money to buy the affection of his new classmates.

There are obvious parallels to be drawn with Boyle's first film Shallow Grave, (reviewed here) which also tells the story of a group of friends who find a mysterious surplus of cash, and the morals of what to do with it.

Millions, however, is like a feel-good retelling of Shallow Grave through the eyes of children. It's sweet without being saccharine, and it's altogether enjoyable. I was incredibly refreshed to see a movie with a situation like this not make the characters look bad for wanting to keep money that isn't theirs. This isn't a film that chastises the greedy or denounces the almighty dollar; it's one that celebrates the chance to make a difference in one's own life, and the lives of others.

I particularly enjoyed the fantasy elements in which Damian seeks advice from various saints who appear to him in visions that blur the line between imagination and spiritual visitation.

Screened in the gorgeously ornate Elgin theatre, the film garnered a standing ovation, which may only have been for the benefit the two young stars of the film, but I couldn't help but get a little emotional to see the two of them, standing beside their director and surrounded by audience members, cry at the outburst of love and applause from a room full of strangers after such a tender and affectionate movie.

Too few films are able to capture the innocence and wonder of childhood. This film is one that does so with relative ease. Most filmmakers are too cynical to capture the amazement by which children see life. Danny Boyle, much like Steven Spielberg in "E.T.", has done so in this film. "Millions" is not very similar to "E.T.", other than that it involves young children in extraordinary circumstances. "Millions" is much deeper and more provocative than "E.T." It covers a whole slew of topics: ethics, boyhood, loss, faith, greed. One of the main themes of the film seems to me to be the loss of a parent. This film very deftly handles the boys reaction to their mother's death. At times, the boys seem almost flippant in regard to her death, as when they use her death to gain sympathy from adults. In reality, they are either running from it, as in Anthony's case, or running to it, as in Damiens case. Neither boys are quite sure what her death means, and how to deal with it. Their reactions to the money symbolize their reactions to their loss. Anthony tries to forget it and wash it away with stuff. Damien tries to find his mother, who he sees as the greatest saint, by becoming a saint himself. Both boys are unrealistic in their goals, and both boys come to some type of terms with her death. This film deals with serious issues, but it deals with them in a very lighthearted, child-like way. Boyle has to be one of the most inventive visual directors. Many directors use frenetic pacing and quick editing to their detriment. Their films are nothing more than a long music video. Boyle uses these techniques with flair and restraint. Like Spielberg, he knows how to dazzle and delight. The boy actors in this film are very good. Or I should say Boyle uses the actors with a master touch. These are two very strong performances. Each of them is cute, but their performances are much deeper than their adorableness. This is a very good film. I hope more people watch it.

Cash virtually falling from the sky has been a staple of moralized tales at least from Chaucer, whose Pardoner's Tale tells of men looking for wealth only to find death. So too for John Huston's Treasure of Sierra Madre, the best of the lot for sheer power of greed backed up with uncommonly good acting by Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston. A few years ago the Burton sisters directed Manna from Heaven using older actors such as Cloris Leachman and Shirley Jones to tell of dollars from God, elderly greed, and a nun with other ideas. More recently, money again from the sky fatally changes three ordinary men in Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan.

Along comes Millions, a delightful British entry with a new twist: Kids find the money, argue about the best way to spend it, and finally get the help of adults to dispose of it. Unlike most greedy types, who eventually suffer the consequences through lame goddess Nemesis, the two brothers are not at the larcenous stage. They simply have different philosophies: Damian wants to give it to the poor; his older brother, Anthony, prefers fiscal responsibility, which does not feature giving away the money. Along the way they learn about the responsibility that sticks inextricably to every note, which they must cash in quickly before the pound is changed into the euro.

Danny Boyle's eclectic imagination has Alex obsessed with the saints, who appear to him regularly in visions to talk candidly about the world as they see it and saw it. Memorable is Clare of Assisi, who smokes a cigarette and claims to be the patron saint of television. Saint Nicholas helps Damian deliver cash to needy Mormons, who turn around immediately and buy a foot massager and digital TV. It's refreshing to see the saints almost human in their little scenes that illuminate the realistic side of religious fanaticism. But it is that devotion that lets Damian fight the forces of greed and a forceful brother, not to mention the crooks and citizens now fully engaged in extracting the cash from the blameless kids.

Boyle's hyperactive camera ushers in some magic realism at the beginning with a house building itself in seconds and later a rocket launch to an exotic paradise. No one ever accused Boyle of being unimaginative or reverent. The ornery Millions is a tribute to a director who makes children interesting and wise and movies for everyone.

'Millions' was a film that, in the wrong hands, could have turned into a saccharine dumbed-down mess that only appeals to under eights. However, thankfully, it avoided that trap and the result was an under-rated little gem about the goodness and innocence of the very young.

The film sees a bag of money fall from the sky and land on the playhouse of five-year-old Damian, a motherless child who is pure-hearted and a firm believer in God. The little boy believes the money came from God, unaware it was stolen by a gang who seize the chance to steal from money due to be incinerated in the days before the UK is due to switch currency from pounds to Euros (yes, now we all know it's a film since it will be a cold day in hell before that happens! But I digress...). While Damian has many good intentions for the money, determined to help the poor and less fortunate, his eyes are sadly opened up to the greed in the world when he sees how it changes those around him, including his father and nine-year-old brother Anthony.

Alexander Nathan Etel, who played Damian, was excellent as this wide-eyed, sweet-natured child. He carried the story and gave the film the heart it needed to be successful. He was well-supported by Lewis Owen McGibbon, as the more streetwise and business-minded Anthony, and James Nesbitt, who was in the role of the boys' loving, if rather stressed, father Ronnie.

'Millions' is a thought-provoking film about how many young children see the world so differently from their 'greedier' and less considerate elders. It touches upon a child's feelings of bereavement and grief at the loss of their innocence as well as religion without the need to preach to the audience. The script also refuses to condescend down to small children and instead it's told in a manner that would appeal to a wide audience age range.

This is definitely a film for those seeking something family-orientated and heart-warming without being cavity-inducing. It's just a shame it never received more recognition since it has a unique and enjoyable story.