There is nothing that gives me greater pleasure as a DVD reviewer than the occasional little gem that comes my way in the form of a movie I’ve never heard of, but am REALLY glad I had the chance to see. A perfect example of this comes in the form of a new film by director Danny Boyle. The movie is called “Millions”, and it was as far removed from what I’ve come to expect as a Danny Boyle film as I could imagine. I’m used to his work in films like “Trainspotting” & Days Later”, both of which were definitely for the adult crowd. After all, one dealt with heroin addicts and the other with cannibalistic zombified people suffering from an escaped disease. Boyle does a complete 180 with “Millions”, which is by and large, a family film. And a darn good one at that. It revolves around two young boys who have recently lost their mother. They each deal with the loss in different ways. 9-year old Anthony (Lewis McGibbon) chooses a life of practicality, while 7-year old Damian (Alex Etel) depends upon his wild imagination to fuel his days.

One day, a suitcase of money literally falls out of the sky and lands squarely at the feet of Damian. Each has an extremely different idea of how to use the money. Damian also thinks the money came from God. The guys who own the money think otherwise…

Overall I thought “Millions” was a wonderful family film that I wish would become more popular than it is likely to. The unfortunate fact that it is a British film will keep it from taking American audiences by storm. I had no idea that Boyle had this kind of film in him and I’d really like to see him do something else along this vein. What impressed me the most was that he was able to create a film that takes place from a child’s perspective and actually makes it look like it comes from a child’s perspective. Alex Etel and Alex McKibben are remarkably good actors for their ages, and you never once doubt for a moment that they are really brothers.

The only issue that I think some people who are willing to give the movie a chance might have is in understanding all off the dialogue. As I mentioned, it is a British film, and as such all of the characters speak with various accents. There are quite a few who have extremely thick accents and unless your ear is attuned, you may lose some of the dialogue. You might want to consider watching the film with the subtitles on if you normally have this problem.

Fox released “Millions” on DVD recently and included a couple of extra features on the disc. There are a few deleted scenes, all of which I could see why they trimmed. There is also something called a “DVD Cutdown.” I wasn’t sure what this was, but upon inspection it turns out to be a heavily edited version of the movie that tells the story through the use of a handful of scenes and music.

You’ll also find a 4 part documentary about the film, which offers quite a bit of background information as well as some very informative interviews. Finally there is a commentary track by Boyle and screenwriter Frank Cotrell Boyce. While it is not the best commentary track I have ever heard, the information they share is involving, and gives the impression that this film meant a lot to them on a personal level.

“Millions” will probably be overlooked by a good many people, but it is a film that should not be. If you are reading this, my recommendation is to grab a copy and check it out. You might find it to be a better than average film you can watch with the while family.

Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Nesbit, Daisy Donovan, Alex Etel, Lewis McGibbon
Extras: Audio Commentary by Director Danny Boyle and Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, Deleted Scenes, Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 11/1/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG (For Thematic Elements, Language, Some Peril, and Mild Sensuality)
Website

We'll give Millions a B.