1122hrs
Listening to: Feeder - Tumble And Fall
After a month-long break from the cinema,
shucks caught a movie on the last day before the cinema ticket price hike:
Millions (2005)
This is not a Working Title film, but a British one nevertheless. The story could not be any simpler: Seven-year-old Damian (played by nine-year-old Alex Etel) is a quiet little boy whose mum has recently passed away. Together with his dad and brother, they move to a new home to start a new life.
Damian is a peculiar kid. He has a very rich imagination and seems to be forever talking to angels and saints (complete with halo, no less), who appear in the film as well. One day, something literally falls from the sky and changes his life irrevocably: a quarter of a million pounds in cash.
He quickly informs his big brother Anthony about it, who has a million ideas on how to spend it. The personality contrasts between the siblings is very evident from the way they try to spread their new-found wealth around.
A major premise in the story is that the UK is going to switch its legal tender currency to the euro in a week's time, so everyone is getting rid of their pound notes. This is how Damian came in contact with the money in the first place - it was stolen off a train by robbers, who hilariously escape by blending in at a Newcastle United vs Arsenal football match! Haha. :P
As the film progressed, I found myself identifying more with Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), who tells Damian to keep the money a secret from their dad (
"'cos of the tax") and even considers buying property! On the other hand, Damian is impossibly simple-minded and innocent... well, but of course, he's just a small boy. Heheh.
With slickly filmed scenes (the train robbery sequence being a standout example) and a very good Britpop soundtrack featuring Feeder and Muse,
Millions is funny, sweet, and with an underlying moral to the story. Recommended. (y)
Trivia:
Millions is a British film, but its UK release date is still three weeks away.
Lester's rating: 4/5 stars!
