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Millions [2004]
![Millions [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31GA0W283BL._SL160_.jpg)
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Millions wears its heart on its sleeve, and it wears it well. Two boys, still grieving the death of their mother, find themselves the unwitting benefactors of a bag of bank robbery loot in the week before the United Kingdom switches its official currency to the Euro. What's a kid to do? Director Danny Boyle takes a simple premise and, with the help of Frank Cottrell Boyce's sweet, smart script, finds something special to say about the hopes everyone has for the future of a changing world. Brothers Anthony and Damian have vastly different agendas for the stash, and then have to deal not only with the money's original thief but with the disarming woman who seems to be stealing their widowed father. The film is full of quirks that work--seven-year-old Damian (an endearing Alex Etel) has private conversations with a collection of eclectic religious saints--and a technically spirited way of commingling both the scary realities and fanciful imaginings of young minds. --Steve Wiecking, Amazon.com
Editorial
Synopsis
It is rare that a family film is both visually sophisticated and emotionally nuanced. MILLIONS, the fantastical tale of two British brothers and the large sack of cash literally dropped onto them from the sky, is just that - a multi-layered, majestic feast for both the eyes and the mind. Young brothers Anthony and Damian Cunningham, whose initial response to their unexpected fortune is a Robin Hood-esque spree of charity, have only one week to spend their 265,000 British pounds before their nation switches over to the Euro. Though the premise may seem trite or predictable, unexpected details - including Damian's ability to see visions of saints and the recent death of the boys' beloved mother - add complexity to the story. As the 7 and 9 year old Cunningham brothers, lead actors Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon prove to be those exceptional child actors who are appealing without being precious and their understated, mature performances add gravity to a largely whimsical film.
Danny Boyle, the director best known for stylishly violent films TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER, might seem an odd man to helm this comparatively innocent movie. However, Boyle's visual and narrative gifts turn out to be perfectly suited to this modern day fable, adding much-needed flavour to a genre that is all too often ignored by cinematic talents.
It grows on you and wins you over
Review date: 2008-07-12 Rating: 8 out of 10
I wasnt very sure about getting this DVD but I'm glad I did. Its an original feelgood movie with some moral lessons included. Sure it's whacky and offbeat at times and the storyline is a bit wobbly in places, but its heart is in the right place, and most viewers will therefore be won over in the end and will be left with a smile on their faces and a brighter outlook on life.
Buy it and see.
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Reviews
Weird... but very watchable
Review date: 2007-02-12 Rating: 8 out of 10
This is another of those movies I don't remembering ordering but I am glad it arrived. It is a typically 'British' movie. Quite slow moving and gentle but good to watch. The story is based around a young boy who 'inherits' a stash of cash from a train robbery...and whilst he and his older brother try to decide what to do with it, all sorts of weird and wonderful events happen around about.
Quirky, funny, and at times, definitely weird. If you are in the market for a movie that is a bit different, but definitely good family entertainment, this is for you.
Nice Christmas-y film
Review date: 2007-01-19 Rating: 6 out of 10
Entertaining contemporary film about two young brothers who find a quarter of a million pounds in bag thrown from a train following a robbery. Millions shows the dilemmas facing the brothers as they try to hide the loot from their father, whilst trying to come to terms with their mother's recent death.
It's a heart-warming Christmas-y comedy which is nice though not especially affecting or memorable afterwards.
Magic
Review date: 2006-04-10 Rating: 10 out of 10
I was very impressed with Trainspotting and really enjoyed 28 Days Later and was interested to see what director, Danny Boyle, would do with a tale which appears to be at the other end of the scale - a sweet story of 2 young brothers who have recently lost their mother and who suddenly find themselves with a load of cash which appears seemingly out of the sky. This is complicated by the fact that England is about to switch to the Euro which will soon make the (sterling) cash worthless.
A big chunk of the film is taken up with the 2 boys' differing approaches to getting rid of the money before the Euro deadline. The younger brother (played by Alex Etel), who sees and talks to saints, is set on giving the money to the poor, while the older brother (played by Lewis McGibbon) would rather spend the money on the more usual stuff. The latter part of the film builds the tension with the boys' father (James Nesbitt), the police and a menacing figure becoming aware of the cash. The unknown agenda of a woman who becomes involved with the boys' father is also a worry.
The film is beautifully shot from the very first sequence and there is a dreamlike quality to much of it, which reminded me of films like Amelie and Edward Scissorhands (the film score also brings these films to mind although there are contemporary tracks as well) as well as previous Danny Boyle films, such as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. Of course, the 2 young boys carry the film and play the parts to perfection with a perfect mix of innocence and cynicism. I'm not a big fan of James Nesbitt but I thought he did very well here and his northern accent is just about passable! All the adult actors gently support the children without stealing any of the limelight (although I thought the policeman was great).
This is a lovely, feel-good film, full of optimisim and aspiration but not overly sickly sweet. It is nice to see England presented in such a lovely light, as Paris was in Amelie, and reminds you that it can as good a place as any to grow up in. So if it's raining and grey outside, watch this!
Fantastic film - highly recommended.
A sweet well constructed film
Review date: 2006-01-11 Rating: 8 out of 10
A sweet little film, creatively shot and imaginatively directed. Millions does not take itself too seriously and gives us many moments of humour and enjoyment. The story of two boys finding money in a bag and trying to work out what to spend it on, themselves or others. At heart the film is probably about the nature of wealth and whether it brings happiness of itself but the film never really gets that serious and therefore doesn’t really answer the question – except in the usual “end warm” sorts of ways. It nevertheless poses the question and is therefore thought-provoking. There is a jolt of sorts around two-thirds of the way through the film when the threat of the returning thief is made manifest. This is round about the point when you are beginning to wonder how they can possibly keep this up for another 30 mins. The second part of the film is more serious and contains standard threat motifs. In a way, you sometimes feel there are two films here – but either way both are good and worth your time watching.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Lewis Owen McGibbon
James Nesbitt
Daisy Donovan
Christopher Fulford
Alex Etel
Creators:
Alex Etel (Primary Contributor)
Lewis Owen McGibbon (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Pathe Distribution
Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution
EAN: 5060002834169
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2005-11-21
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 94 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2004
Language: English (Original Language)