Sometimes knowing the cinematic history of a director can be good. It can help you choose a film. For example, you can bet that a Tim Burton movie is going to be dark, playful and have an out-of-this-world production design. Similarly, a Quentin Tarantino film is going to involve action, crime and a lot of people saying the “N-word.”

However, sometimes a director’s history doesn’t always give us all the clues. Anyone who is familiar with Danny Boyle’s work will most likely remember heroin addiction in “Trainspotting” and flesh-eating zombies in “28 Days Later.” When you hear he’s done a new film about a heist gone wrong, you’ll probably expect the British version of the aforementioned Quentin Tarantino movie.

But you would be sorely mistaken.

In fact, the first word that comes to mind to describe “Millions” is “sweet.” I would even go as far to say it is adorable.

“Millions” is one of those unique, inventive movies that tell the story from the point of view of a child – and gets it right for a change. Things aren’t exactly as us adults would see things, and it comes through in Boyle’s handling of the material.

The film is about a young Scottish boy named Damian (Alex Etel) who recently lost his mother. After moving to a new neighborhood, Damian finds a satchel of money. It’s not just a couple hundred pounds, but rather millions. When he shows it to his brother Anthony (Lewis Owen McGibbon), they decide to keep it secret.

Damian wants to use the money for good, believing it is a gift from God. Anthony, on the other hand, would rather invest it and put it back into the system before the Euro takes effect and wipes out the money’s worth. Of course, when a satchel of money goes missing, someone is always looking for it, and that poses more challenges for the boys.

The key to “Millions” is its young stars – both of them. Of course Etel does a fantastic job bringing his sense of wonder to the screen. He’s surrounded by sometimes strangely surreal episodes, but like a child, he completely accepts them. Being a bit preoccupied with death, Etel has encounters with angelic saints throughout the film. The genius of Danny Boyle is that he keeps the audience slightly unsure whether the saints are real or a figment of the child’s imagination.

But Etel isn’t the only one who puts out a stellar performance. McGibbon plays a fine straight man to his on-screen brother, keeping a level head. His character is teetering on the edge of adulthood, so his naive view of the world is tainted by reality. He shows us great insight as a snapshot of innocence in the middle of being lost.

Sadly, the thing that might stick in too many people’s minds is that the love interest of Damian’s father is played by Daisy Donovan, the star to the Courtney Cox/David Arquette reality TV disaster “Daisy Does America” coming down the pike this winter.

Still, “Millions” is a sweet little movie that the entire family could enjoy. There’s no heroin addicts or zombies, and in the end the film just might warm your heart a bit.

The DVD comes with a wide array of special features, including a full-length audio commentary by Danny Boyle and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.



Specifications: Mono. Widescreen (1.85:1). Spanish language track. French and Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.