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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
MILLIONS Director Danny Boyle has shocked and horrified audiences with his devastating portraits of young smack addicts in Trainspotting and virus-plagued humans in 28 Days Later. So it's surprising, but entirely welcome, that his latest feature, Millions, is an enchanting family drama with not a needle or a zombie in sight. It takes place just as Britain prepares to convert from the sterling to the Euro. After their mother has died, two young brothers - Damian, seven, and Anthony, nine - and their dad make a fresh start in a new suburban home. The youngest, vulnerable Damian (Alex Etel), is the heart of the film. When a suitcase filled with money seemingly falls from the sky and lands on his cardboard playhouse, he is convinced it's a gift from God. Damian can recite unsolicited information regarding a saint's year of birth and cause of death in precise, often gory detail. Essentially a lonely boy (he doesn't make many friends in his new school), Damian has regular conversations with saints. They visit him and tell him what good deeds he should do, so it's a given that he would decide to give all of the money to those less fortunate. However, Damian's older brother (Lewis McGibbon) has entirely different ideas. He believes the right thing to do is to invest before the currency becomes obsolete. In one of the film's funnier scenes - and there are many - Anthony, unbeknownst to his dad, has an appointment with a real estate agent.
There's a magical quality to this film, from the way it's shot in vibrant
colors to sequences depicting Damian's vivid imagination. Even the opening
credits have a sort of Pixar quality, making the film appealing, but
thankfully, not too cutesy. Told from a fanciful child's point of view,
Millions shares a skewed sense of humor with Ma vie en rose
(My Life in Pink), while its visual razzle-dazzle is reminiscent of
the whimsical Amélie. Tanya Chesterfield
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