March 10, 2005 - Based on his prior works such as Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle is probably not the first name you'd think of to direct a family film. With Millions, he has done just that, and done so with an exceptional aptitude. The script for Millions also came from an unlikely source, 24 Hour Party People scribe Frank Cottrell Boyce. The script was passed around for years with most turning it down, unsure of how to tell the somewhat strange story. It turns out that all the script needed was the right imaginative spirit and enthusiasm to give the heartwarming story the life it deserved.

Millions stars two first-time actors, Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon, as brothers Damian and Anthony, respectively. Like many of Boyle's works, the film opens with a bang. Damian and Alex's mother has recently passed on, and they are about to move outside of the city with their father Ronnie (James Nesbitt). As the children play around the construction site where their house is about to be built, we see a very cool effect sequence where the entire home is constructed from the ground up as the brothers play within. Shortly after moving into their new home, Damian constructs a play area out back from cardboard boxes. Damian is intrigued by the Patron Saints of Catholic lore and often sees visions of the Saints, discussing life's mysteries with them. On one such occasion, Damian is having a little talk with the Patron Saint of Television. Their chat is suddenly interrupted when a large gym bag falls out of the sky and crushes Damian's cardboard playhouse. Damian pulls himself out of the wreckage to discover that the bag contains a heap of money. He shows the funds to his brother Anthony, suggesting that they tell their father. Anthony disagrees, telling Damian that, were they to give the money to their father, he would be taxed out of the majority of it. Instead, Anthony wants to invest the money in property and fun gadgets. Damian believes they should use the money to help the poor. All of these events occur days before London is set to switch from pounds to euros.

Boyle has now made black comedies, horror and children's films with equal aptitude, proving that it's his sensibilities as a director rather than a necessity for language or violence that makes his films so inventive and fresh. Boyle sees the world in his own way and his vision translates well to the imaginative world of a child. He keeps the camera moving with his trademark visual style, adding a sense of flair to even the most mundane moments. In one scene, Damian can't sleep and walks around the house to try to look for his brother's, and then his father's, sympathy. The camera follows him overhead in a long shot that film students will likely study in the future. The story jumps back and forth between reality and Damian's imagination and Boyle hits each note perfectly, crafting a sweet film that never succumbs to the temptation to become trite or typical.

I cannot say enough about the terrific performance from young Alex Etel. He grabs a hold of your heart from the start and never lets go. His performance is sweet and subtle, but it's also so genuine that you side with him throughout. Damian is the person we all wish we were, devoid of greed and selfishness. As his brother Anthony tries to sway him to enjoy the money, Damian never falls astray from his vision of helping to make the world to be a better place.

	-Fox Searchlight The boys count up their loot

The rest of the film's performances are strong. McGibbon, as the more typical older youth, has some of the film's funniest moments. He wants to buy property or invest the money so that they can make more. He also has a long list of items to use the money for, such as a video cell phone, a turbo water jet machine of some sort, a PS3 (this is the not too distant future) and an iPod, obviously. As the father, Ronnie, Nesbitt is an interesting combination of both of his children. As the story moves along and we learn more about Ronnie, it's amusing to see how he reveals the traits of both of his children. In some ways, Damian and Anthony become the angel and devil on their father's shoulders. In the film's other supporting role, Daisy Donovan plays Dorothy. She meets Damian when she comes to the school to explain the euro conversion to the children and help feed the poor. She soon catches the eye of Ronnie, to the joy of Damian and chagrin of Anthony, who thinks she is replacing their mother. Donavan also falls somewhere between the two children's ideals. She has led a crusade to raise money for a good cause, but once so much money is right in her face, she is also tempted by greed.

It's a refreshing reprieve to see a family film that has a little something more going for it than product placement, annoyingly cute colorful characters and whiz-bang flashy edits intended for short attention spans. That's not to say that Millions isn't also very, very funny and entertaining. It's a great film in every sense of the word. Sadly, it will never attract the mass audiences of family fare such as last weekend's dreadful and phenomenally successful Pacifier. Still, Boyle has done his best to elevate a genre that is usually tossed off by studios concerned with generating the biggest cash cow, regardless of content. Millions is a sweet film with a strong heart and a great message.

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