A small, lonely boy’s world is turned upside down in Millions, the latest from director Danny Boyle, whose striking visual style is not unlike his contemporaries, Tim Burton and Steven Soderbegh. While he has had his share of misses like The Beach, he has also struck gold with definitive genre films like Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. Here, he continues his success with this family oriented gem based on a fine screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Hilary and Jackie).
After the death of his mother, Damian and his family move to a new English suburb. There, he and older brother, Anthony, go to school and begin a new life with their father, Ronnie. As Damian struggles to fit into this new existence, he is also fascinated by historic saints. One day as he plays by the railroad tracks in his cardboard box of a playhouse, he is visited by a saint who foreshadows a gift. Suddenly a bag comes tumbling down and destroys his paper home. Within the bag is a very, very large sum of money. What to do with this windfall from the heavens? Damian begins to do the right thing, namely to help the poor as he is counseled by numerous saints while his brother is more interested in using the money to buy things and better his life. Damian’s charity giving begins to attract unwanted attention when he makes a rather hefty donation to a school sponsored charity event. The charity’s female representative, Dorothy, takes a liking to Damian and his father who takes a romantic interest in her. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger appears by the railroad tracks looking for the money. It turns out that the money may not have been from the heavens but from a more, shall we say, illicit venture. The stranger becomes a viable threat as soon Ronnie and Dorothy learn of the boys’ loot. All of this occurs as England is ready to convert to the Euro dollar which means the money will become useless unless it circulates or gets exchanged. As the family decides how to properly dispense or dispose of the money, the stranger is ready to collect. Such is the stuff of good storytelling with a moral bent.
Alexander Nathan Etel is quite a find as Damian with his portrayal of the pure soul of a young boy who not only misses his mother, but wants to help the world. Lewis Owen McGibbon is equally good as the older but not necessarily wiser brother. A good supporting cast lends credence to the unusual proceedings. The various saints are all well depicted without seeming to be silly.
The film feels almost like a fairy tale with touches of fantasy and longing. It is intimately told from a child’s point of view. It is intriguing how the story could easily have focused on different threads such as the female charity rep who becomes involved with the father. But because this is Damian’s story, the film wisely stays on course. The saints who chat with Damien throughout the story serve as his advisers, mentors, and even protectors. Are they real or a figment of his imagination? It really doesn’t matter as the story does indeed move forward and the sense of urgency is never lost. There is an elaborate action scene told in flashback which could have been a film unto itself, but Boyle uses it as exposition without losing sight of his protagonists. In fact, the story never loses sight about the importance of love and family.
One sore point for American moviegoers will be trying to understand the dialogue. Once you get acclimated to the thick British accents, you can enjoy the film in earnest. The depiction and use of saints as part of the storytelling may draw some to accuse the film of a deliberate religious slant, but it really is a kind of fairy godmother or angel multiplied into several sainthoods. There is nary a preaching of theology or church when you come down to it. Although a child’s tale at its core, there is a threatening presence (by PG standards) from the stranger who lends a dark mood once he appears half way through the film.
Although it contains its share of drama and sentiment, it also has some genuinely funny moments without being cheap. There is also a climactic moment of connection and resolution that will resound in every viewer’s heart. It is interesting to note that Boyle’s thinly disguised altruism and politics are on display with his subplot on providing water relief for an African village. But that does not take away from the innocence and purity of a boy’s vision. This is a film that, despite its family themes, does not fall for easy sentiment. It earns its feelings and emotions. This special little film about a small boy and simple themes has a very large heart.
***1/2 of **** stars
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