"God does not rob banks!"

Danny Boyle surprised us all by following 28 Days Later with this, a heartwarming and moralistic tale about a young boy who discovers a bag of sterling one week before Britain is changing to the euro. He wants to use it to help the poor, but his older brother wants to spend, spend, spend. Don't mistake it for a kid's film, although it will appeal to the younger generation - there's plenty here for adults. Boyle injects the story with visual inventiveness and flair, offering a couple dazzling sequences, one of which sees a house building itself from the ground up in fast motion. Boyle's use of colour, light and special effects never ceases to amaze, making even the most natural scenes eye-catching.

Alex Etel, as Damian, is a charming and very cute lead, with Lewis McGibbon also impressing as his brother. James Nesbitt, a respected British actor, is effective as the father figure. Damian has several funny and enlightening conversations with dead saints, who inspire him to continue his quest to get the money to the people who need it. Things are complicated by the appearance of a character simply called 'The Poor Man', who turns out to be one of the criminals who stole and then lost the money Damian found, leading to a dramatic finale and a beautiful and touching penultimate scene.


The film also explores what would happen if Britain did indeed change to the euro. Boyle and screenwriter Frank Cortrell Bryce only poke their toes into the endless possibilities offered by your treasured pocket cash suddenly becoming useless. What would you do with it? Since the kids can't convert the money without attracting attention, they have to use it quickly, but how? The film doesn't take a narrow-minded view - it's not a case of the younger kid does the right thing, and the older kid does the wrong thing. If anyone was handed that much money, few people can truthfully say they wouldn't use at least some of it selfishly.

Boyle and art director Denis Schnegg have obviously worked hard to create a fantasy Britain, complete with perfectly kept schools, the family's mansion home, and their beautifully mantained neighbourhood, full of middle-class families. Anyone who has been in Britain for a day would know these locations do not exist, at least not in a city environment, but they add to the whimsical fantasy of the tale.

So, when summer fatiuge kicks in later this year (although this summer offers a surprising number of films with potential, as well as the usual trash, but it still will), Millions is the perfect experience to restore your faith in film-making. Give it a shot.