Movie Review: Millions (2004)

Millions (2004) directed by Danny Boyle

A dad and two sons move to a new house (in a newly built neighborhood) after the death of the mother. They settle in quickly and the younger son, Damian, takes some of the moving boxes to make a little fort or house near the railroad tracks. Being England, there are plenty of trains going by. Settling in at school is tougher. Damian has a great devotion to the saints and can go on and on about them. Occasionally it's awkward and it seems to keep him from making friends. He has the saints as imaginary friends. One day while Damian is in the moving box house and talking to St. Clare of Assissi (he asks her if his mum has shown up in Heaven; she's not sure since she doesn't see everyone who comes in), a satchel full of money falls out of the sky and flattens the boxes. Damian shows the money to his brother Anthony. Damian assumes it's a gift from God, since he's been praying for his mum. He naturally wants to do good with the money, giving it to the poor and such. Anthony has more practical and selfish plans for the money, like impressing his fellow students and such. The secret can't last forever, though, since the British Pound is a few weeks away from being replaced by the Euro.

The movie is very charming and has a lot more going on than the relationship between the brothers and the money. Damian is innocent and imaginative but not unintelligent. He has a great moral sense and strength of character. Yet he's still a child, with a sense of wonder and what's right. He believes in miracles even though the movie seems to be at pains to provide natural explanations. Even so, it doesn't ridicule him for his belief and even ultimately affirms his view as more valuable than that of his brother or his father (who thinks his wife is gone and they will never see her again in an afterlife).

The movie is a surprisingly funny and upbeat work from the director of Sunshine and 28 Days Later...  The movie gives viewers a lot to mull over afterwards, something I like very much. I would definitely recommend the movie.

For a deeper discussion of the movie, check out A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #123. Thanks for recommending the movie, Scott and Julie. I probably wouldn't have watched it without the motivation!