One of the best films you will never have heard of. The team behind Trainspotting come together for a superb life affirming tale. Shame hardly anybodys heard of it.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4839 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-21
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

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

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.

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Customer Reviews

Magic
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.

Heartfelt Fantasy Film
Director Danny Boyle (“Trainspotting”, “The Beach”) has developed a magical fable of a film where two boys are literally struck with a bouncing bag of millions of dollars. Damian is the younger of the two boys and has hilarious visions and conversations with his favorite Saints. His plan is to give the money to the poor. His older brother, Anthony has different plans. The clincher is, these are British pounds and the country is about to switch to Euros in a few days, making them worthless. Between the boy’s adventures in their fort, the police looking for the money and a robber that is closing in on the boys, Director Boyle never loses that human touch or sense of fantasy. It’s a fun film with no pretense.

Weird... but very watchable
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.