Change of pace

So I did go to a movie this weekend after all.

I'm a sucker for a director successfully taking on material different from anything they've done before and that's exactly what Danny Boyle pulls off with Millions. It's further proof that Boyle is one of the U.K.'s most exciting contemporary directors.

He started with a lot of British television, made a striking feature debut with the dark comedic thriller Shallow Grave and made a major breakthrough with Trainspotting (a film that remains both incredibly under- and overrated). Then he came to Hollywood and made a couple of big mistakes: A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach. He refocused himself with a pair of very low budget, little seen Brit indies (Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise and Strumpet, both unseen by me) and recently made a comeback with low budget horror hit 28 Days Later.

So far it's been an interesting career and Millions suggests he's capable of even more surprises. It's an extremely likeable, sweet but not saccharine, fable-like story about a young boy who finds a large bundle of British pounds mere weeks before the country will officially adopt the Euro. The boy, who is infatuated with Catholic saints and helping others, shares the discovery with his older brother. Together they work out a plan to keep the money secret and use it whichever way they deem best.

Unlike Boyle's previous films, which have all earned their R ratings, Millions is rated PG. It's truly a film for all ages, but not in the condescending Hollywood way that results in crap like The Pacifier. The filmmaking retains Boyle's trademark energy and also his fondness for surreal images, offbeat humor and a good suspense sequence. His fans won't be disappointed, he's likely to only make new ones. Some might even find this his most mature work yet.

As in many of Boyle's previous films Millions also introduces a couple of interesting new performers. In this case Alex Etel, who has the lead role and successfully pulls off a complicated role at a very young age, and Daisy Donovan, a British TV comedy vet who makes a strong impression in a secondary role.

It's also worth noting the original screenplay is by Frank Cottrell Boyce (also doing something of a departure from the norm considering his resume contains numerous films by the routinely somber Michael Winterbottom).

Millions is in limited release now, with more engagements coming soon.