Film Review

Millions
Distributor: Fox Searchlight (2004)
Director: Danny Boyle

This is the story of two young boys and how an unexpected fortune which came their way changed their lives.

Not long after the death of their mother, their father decides to make a fresh start by moving them all to a new house in another part of northern England.

The two boys are very different. Damien (7 years) is a thoughtful dreamer, obsessed with the Catholic saints and a home-grown expert on all details of their lives. After he constructs a playhouse from large boxes in a field behind their house close to a railway track, he spends long hours conversing with and conjuring up different saints. The materialization of a succession of these saints, complete with convincing haloes, is one of the quaint, amusing and memorable aspects of this movie, even for Protestants!

Older brother Anthony (10 years), on the other hand, is pragmatic and down to earth. Unlike Damien he shows a very selfish streak, bordering on the cynical.

Things come to a head when a large bag of money literally drops out of the sky into the playhouse. The two stunned boys decide to keep their find a secret and discuss how to deal with all the cash. The contrasting worldviews and motivations of the two brothers underpin their plans.

Damien believes that the money was sent by God. He wonders how he can share his good fortune by giving generously and anonymously to the poor, whoever and wherever they may be. Anthony, on the other hand, concentrates on how he can turn this unexpected windfall to his own advantage. He would like to gain influence at school and also invest in property.

In this way two very young boys are suddenly faced with all the pitfalls and dilemmas of money management on a grand scale. For one thing, identifying who is poor and needy presents a huge problem, and leads to some hilarious outcomes. Another complication is that the money is in pound stirling, and will be obsolete and worthless when it is replaced by the Euro in a few weeks time. The boys must use it or lose it. The pressure is on and the action takes a sinister turn when a menacing figure in search of the missing loot makes an appearance.

This is a rather rare kind of movie, a real gem. Ultimately it is about one boy’s simple and unwavering faith that everything will work out for the good, and his single-minded desire to do the right thing by other people.

Yet in spite of the Christian theme, the final emphasis is not on God’s goodness, but on the efforts of humans to be good. This is made very clear when St Peter tells Damien about the ‘real’ miracle of the loaves and the fishes – people in the crowd brought out the food they had been hoarding and decided to share!

The movie also touches on the nature of poverty and our responsibility to people around us as well as those in other countries. And we see that this is far from straightforward.

Another very loud and clear message to emerge is that having plenty of money does not necessarily solve problems. Love of money can warp and corrupt; greed can blind us to the needs of others.

Money can create rather than clarify problems, whether one is well meaning and naïve like Damien, or hard-nosed and worldly wise like Anthony.

This is a brilliant film which will resonate in the mind long after you have seen it. You will come out with a smile on your face and enthusiastically recommend it to others. It is wonderful entertainment and a great springboard for discussion.
 

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