Does god answer prayers with money? Yes. And saints have halos.

Such is the world of Millions, a bright, warm English Christmas story about figuring out what’s right. Deciding what to do is a particularly difficult decision for young Damian (Alexander Nathan Etel), who has just run into what amounts to over half a million US dollars. His older brother Anthony (Lewis Owen McGibbon) wants to buy stuff, including real estate, but Damian just wants to give it to the poor.

Damian soon discovers that finding the truly poor is a difficult task. In the mean time, he treats beggars to pizza and answers the prayers of Mormon missionaries who have been needing a dishwasher (and who shouldn’t be getting prayers answered anyways because, man, they don’t even wear their nametags).

As Damian plays the saint, he’s also visited by various saints, from Saint Nicholas to Saint Francis de Assisi. Damian knows the dates of their birth and death, and asks each of them if they’ve seen his recently deceased mother. The saints appear to have sympathy for Damian, but don’t seem to be able to do much. Unable to get help from either the saints or his brother in his quest to find his mother and help the poor, Damian – in pure blissful innocence – sets out to figure things out for himself.

The film’s presentation is as magical as its story. Boyle keeps camerawork as fresh and vivid as Damian’s quest for goodness. It’s always a joy to watch. And the boys are as alive in their performances as their characters are. Though it’s tenser moments are as harmless as anything in the film, they’re surprisingly effective in their tension.

As much as I love this film on the outside, however, it never really got to me. I guess I just thought that the third act could have been stronger. Sure, it’s not quite as contrived as was the end of Pay it Forward, but it wasn’t as good either. I felt like the film was trying to tie together a clever premise and that it didn’t quite know what to do with itself.

It’s unfortunate, because it’s a beautiful film. And honestly, compared to Boyle’s dark, disturbing Transpotting and 28 Days Later, it’s breath of fresh air.

Year: