Millions (12A) released on 27th May 2005
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Posted By:
Richard Baylis
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24/05/2005 13:18:49
A cinema 'preview' of Danny Boyle's new film
On Monday 23rd May 2005 I detoured around the crowd control barriers set up in Leicester Square for the U.K. premiere of Sin City and headed for a small screening room in Old Compton Street. Seated next to a lady from Radio 4, I was treated to an advance screening of the new Danny Boyle film “Millions”.
And before I go any further I have a confession to make. Although I am familiar with the director’s previous works from reading reviews I have never seen one of his films. Quite frankly, the subject and content have never appealed to me. Sometimes it is necessary to confront the darker aspects of life on film and Danny Boyle has always seemed to do so in a non-judgemental and honest fashion. But that’s the joy of not being a professional reviewer – I can pick and choose, and so far I have chosen to avoid ‘Shallow Grave’, ‘Trainspotting’ and the zombie-fest ’28 Days Later’. Just not my idea of a good time.
So when I heard that Danny Boyle had not only returned to more modest productions after his experiences in the Hollywood system, but was also following the path trodden by other directors of making a family-friendly certificate film, I was intrigued. The result is a delight; a cross between a modern parable and an unashamedly feel-good movie, yet so finely balanced it veers neither back to harsh realism nor tumbles into cloying sentimentality.
The story starts with a family moving to a new house some time after the death of their mother. Damian (Alex Etel) is eight and coping as best he can with the loss. Having moved in with his father Ronnie (James Nesbitt) and ten year old brother Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), he sets up his playhouse from cardboard boxes near the railway line that borders the new estate.
Damian is a mine of information about the saints and reveals this by quoting gruesome details of their martyrdom in class, where other boys can only summon up names of footballers in answer to the teacher’s question on heroes and role models. Even without his brother’s caution not to stand out as different he knows he has to be careful. After all, not everyone can see and talk to saints, and he does.
The story is set at Christmas, ten days away from the U.K. switching to the Euro. With a lot of sterling already exchanged there are large shipments by rail of old banknotes that need to be destroyed. A daring raid on one such train involves dumping bags of money by the trackside. Yet instead of being retrieved by an accomplice, one bag containing over two hundred thousand pounds crashes into the cardboard hermitage of Damian whilst he is chatting to St. Clare, patron saint of Television (yes, really!).
Once he’s checked that his brother can see the money too and that it isn’t another vision, the boys have to decide what to do about it. Damian believes it is a divine intervention, sent from God to enable him to help poor people. Anthony sees it as a route to financial independence for the family and a way to gain popularity at school. He persuades Damian that they must keep it secret, but with only ten days to go it’s not as easy as either of the boys thought to either spend it or give it away.
Several large charitable donations by Damian, and a status symbol laden existence by Anthony as the most popular boy in school, inevitably draws attention. The most menacing of which comes from the villain trying to recover the money before the deadline when it becomes worthless. These scenes pile on the tension and are the main reason why the film is rated 12A. Whilst some of the moral issues the film raises could be understood by younger viewers, there are other behaviours and issues that also make it appropriate for more mature children.
Another pivotal character is Dorothy (Daisy Donovan), who visits the school to educate the children about poverty and persuade them to part with small change to provide clean water supplies in developing world countries. When Damian decides to really boost the cause with a major donation, father Ronnie inevitably learns of the money.
Not all of the truth comes out at first of course, but as Dorothy becomes closer to Ronnie, the villain gets closer to recovering the money, and the deadline for the Euro looms large, Damian’s faith and strong moral compass get tested to the utmost.
The conversations he has with the various saints that appear to help lead him ever closer to his personal revelation, and yet if this sounds horribly boring and ‘preachy’, have no fear. This is all done with a respectful humour that steps lightly at all times and I’d be very surprised if anyone was offended rather than entertained by these scenes. I’m not especially religious, but I found some interesting detail in this part of the narrative, and even if some of the appearances are fleeting Alun Armstrong gets the lion’s share and makes excellent use of his screen time.
Danny Boyle’s visual flair and delight in avoiding cinematic cliché is frequently evident, backed up by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle with whom he had previously worked with on ’28 Days Later’. Composition, colour, light, and restrained special effects are all used to create a world that manages to be both realistic and magical at the same time. The production schedule meant it was shot in summer, yet the story is set in winter, and the choice to embrace this rather than hide the inconsistencies of weather and season only heightens the fantasy.
Boyle’s trademark irreverence manages to deflate any tendency to mawkishness, yet by being done with humour it never brings the story down to ground completely – his touch is far too expert for that to happen. Some of the best laughs in the film are in given to the Community Policeman character (Pearce Quigley) but most of the cast get to deliver a choice line or two.
The screenwriter, Frank Cottrell Boyce, confidently adapts from his novel for the screen, and even makes an on screen appearance as the Nativity Teacher. Leslie Phillips pops up as himself, playing the part of the ‘face’ of the countdown to the Euro switchover.
All in all the casting is just perfect. James Nesbitt very naturally portrays a father coping with raising two boys on his own, caring and striving to always do the right thing. He is completely believable and you instantly warm to his character. Without giving anything away, the one moment he wavers and fails to meet the standards Damian expects of him is a very telling moment.
A key triumph of the film however has to be the performance of the two young leads, only one of whom (Lewis McGibbon) has any previous acting experience, and total newcomer Alex Etel turns in a very assured performance for one so young. Together they create a credible on screen brotherly relationship and allow us to see the events through their eyes, even at times when the adults take more prominence in the story.
How everything gets resolved is very right and proper without it being heavily moralistic. I left the screening feeling uplifted and satisfied by how it all turned out. As they used to say… That’s Entertainment….and that’s worth paying your money for any day.
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