Review of Millions

Introduction

Damian has lost his mum, he`s moving house, changing school and to top it all the currency is changing from pounds to Euros. He thinks the last one probably won`t affect him but events are about to prove him wrong. Obsessed with the Saints he`s convinced his dead mother must have been elevated to that status, `obviously` and on finding an open bag stuffed with money just after a saintly encounter he knows it`s a gift from God, after all he wants to help people and how better than to give all his worldly goods to the poor?

His brother Anthony has other ideas and an extremely calculating brain. It`s only a few days until the pounds will be worthless so they will have to act fast. Anthony has plenty of needs; an investment property, status with his new best friends and pulling power with the girls at school for starters. Damian tries to do good in small ways by taking the homeless to Pizza Hut but the boys find it more difficult to spend the money than they could have ever imagined. As they start to get desperate Damian unloads a wodge of cash into a charity collection at school and the brothers have to think fast to explain to their headmaster where it came from. Meanwhile a stranger arrives who claims to be "poor" that Damian wants to help. Could he be the rightful owner of the money?


Directed by Danny Boyle, this is his first feature since 28 Days Later and is quite different from many of his previous projects. Relying pretty much on two previously untrained boys as the leads in this film, support is given by well-known faces including James Nesbitt and Daisy Donovan. There are other comic turns including three Scandinavian Mormons and a Community policeman played by Pearce Quigley (Cutting It, Happiness). Saints making an appearance in this film include, Peter(Alun Armstrong), who turns out to be a Geordie obsessed with locks and St Nicholas who helps Damian in his campaign to bring an early Christmas to the cash-strapped Mormons next door. Leslie Phillips plays himself as the advertising face of the Euro-campaign.

Video

There are lots of tricks in this to keep everyone happy. Despite the relatively low-budget this is an entertainingly visual film which rewards replay it is presented in widescreen and there are no problems with the film`s reproduction.

Danny Boyle incorporates quite a few effects into what otherwise would be a straightforward narrative film and plays with point of view, real and imagined in a way that suits the eight-year old narrator.

Audio

There is an excellent soundtrack to this film which should enjoy sales in its own right. It includes Vangelis, Feeder, The Clash and has a beautiful closing track by El Bosco called Nirvana.

Features

A commentary with Danny Boyle and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce is the main extras and it really is excellent and if possible makes the film even more enjoyable. There are some funny anecdotes and insight into the tortuous process of film making and the joys and agonies of filming with young children.

DVD Cut

This is the director`s cut. I think it is 2 minutes long paring it down to the essential images with a fantastic score.

TV Spots and trailer

Various different trailers for the film.

Deleted scenes

Several scenes included-one of the most interesting is footage which includes the voice of the director coaching "Damian" through the loft scene. It highlights how he was able to get such good performances out of his young leads.

Behind the Scenes

5 mini featurettes on different aspects of the film.

Auditions-Kissing the Frogs

This audition footage is a small sample of the thousands of school children looked at for the role of the brothers.

"Badgered"-short film by National School of Film and Television graduate, Sharon Colman. This animated feature chosen by Boyle reflects the Colman`s thoughts about the environment versus nuclear power.

Water Aid

This small charity which will benefit from the sale of the DVD helps provide clean water for people who desperately need it.

This film has subtitles and also has an audio description feature.

Conclusion

Set in the days leading up to Christmas this is the ultimate feel-rich film. Although the central point about the pound making way for the euro is looking like a distant dream(or nightmare) this film is presented with all the charm of an Ealing comedy and stands on the shoulders of superb performances from the two young leads. It wasn`t guaranteed to work but it does. This has proved a hit for all age groups in this house and I think I might just buy everybody I know a copy too.

A witty script, non invasive visual effects and good support from the older actors, results in a film that is appealing to the whole family. It has several comedic moments and visual gags along with an air of menace that happily never becomes dark enough to overshadow the humour. The philosophic background and how to cope with the loss of a parent also adds to the potential need for a hankie. In fact the very poignant moments are saved for near the end and overall it leaves you with a warm glow.

As the book got a mention in the Blue Peter Book Awards there`s a good chance that this film will get a wider audience and achieve success; I hope so because it will also benefit the Water Aid charity as they receive a share of the royalties.

Buy it, watch it, you`re a millionaire and you don`t realise it.