Danny Boyle, who made his name with such violent adult fare as "Shallow Grave" & "28 Days Later," was the last guy I thought suitable to direct a movie like this, but "Millions" is everything a true family film should be...poignant, funny, smart & marvelously entertaining, utilizing a premise all of us have fantasized about, yet offering wonderful surprises at every turn. With this, Boyle shows further evidence that he's a director who, with the right script, is comfortable working within any genre.

The Cunningham brothers, Damian & Anthony, live with their father, Ronnie, in a middle-class English suburb. They are still trying to come to terms with the death of their mother, and Ronnie moves the boys to a new tract housing development next to a commuter railway. Little Damian is a well-read kid who's interested in historic religious saints; they often pop up in his fantasies, at which time he inquires if they've heard from his mother, whom he considers a saint as well. One day, while playing out back, a gym bag of cash crashes into his fort. Damian shares his find with Anthony, who wants to spend it as fast as possible; the 'smarter' of the two, Anthony is aware that in less than a week, all British pounds must be converted into Euros or else they'll be worthless. Why not live the good life while they can? Damian, however, has other ideas; inspired by the saints he idolizes, he wants to use the ill-gotten cash to perform miracles, such as giving it to the poor, which he does to the chagrin of his brother. Later, they discover the bag of cash was part of a large-scale bank robbery, and one of the robbers, having tracked the bag down, wants it back. Much of the film focuses on Damian and his naive-yet-totally-logical perceptions of generosity, and how money changes people, often for the worse. As Damian becomes increasingly aware of the despair the cash has caused him, he is visited from beyond by his mother...in a heart-tugging scene, she reminds him of the single miracle she performed to earn herself sainthood. Sentimental and sappy? Perhaps, but it's still a more-than-satisfying payoff to a wonderfully written & performed quasi-fantasy tale, one than contains more than its share of surprises & twists, yet never beats you over the head with them. Boyle directs with the same visual flair that made "Trainspotting" & "28 Days Later" such great examples of cinematic craft; the movie is a subtle-yet-wonderful feast for the eyes, even if you don't care for the story. Boyle's aided in no small part by winning performances from Alex Etel & Lewis Owen McGibbon as the two leads, a smart script by Frank Cottrell Boyce, and John Murphy's haunting music score. The movie may not hold the interest of very young kids, as it tends to be a bit talky on occasion, but it's definitely worthwhile for anyone ten or older.

The movie's playful use of color and contrast is wonderfully preserved in this DVD transfer. Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the colors are vibrant, black tones are accurate and the overall image is sharply rendered. The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround, and features terrific creative balance. Murphy's score is effectively interjected into the balance to create an aura of subtle surrealism which augments the overall tone of the movie.

Director Boyle & screenwriter Boyce provide a great full-length audio commentary, filled with insightful & amusing details about the movie's production. Also included are some deleted scenes and a four short featurettes, which include interviews with the cast & crew.

"Millions" is one of those sleepers the average viewer would pass right by at Blockbuster, which is too bad, as it's an immensely rewarding movie for the whole family...a funny, intelligent and bittersweet story that doesn't dumb down its worthwhile theme. If you're looking for something above and beyond the typical cookie-cutter family movie, this is it.