Millions (2004) |
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Millions (2004) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Comedy |
Audio Commentary-Danny Boyle (Director) And Frank Cottrell Boyce (Writer) Featurette-DVD Cutdown Trailer-Millions Soundtrack Spot Theatrical Trailer Deleted Scenes Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Million Pounds, Saints, Spirit Of The Film, Robbery Web Links |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2004 | ||
| Running Time | 94:51 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | RSDL (61:07) | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Danny Boyle |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Twentieth Century Fox |
Starring |
Alexander Nathan Etel Lewis Owen McGibbon James Nesbitt Daisy Donovan Christopher Fulford Pearce Quigley Jane Hogarth Alun Armstrong Enzo Cilenti Nasser Memarzia Kathryn Pogson Harry Kirkham Cornelius Macarthy |
| Case | ? | ||
| RPI | $34.95 | Music | John Murphy |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles |
English for the Hearing Impaired English Audio Commentary |
Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
Imagine you’re a young boy who has come across a bag of stolen money. What would you do? Would you give some of the money to your friends and buy some new toys, or would you feed the poor and pay for the construction of wells in Africa? These are some of the problems facing Damian (Alexander Etel) and Anthony Cunningham (Lewis McGibbon) in Millions, the latest movie from director Danny Boyle.
Ronnie (James Nesbitt) has been left to raise two young sons on his own, following the death of his wife. Eight-year-old Damian is a perpetual daydreamer who has frequent conversations with various Saints. He is always seeking their advice and inquiring whether or not they have met his mother. Anthony is a couple of years older and is more interested in making new friends and fitting in at school.
When the Cunninghams move into their new home, which is located in a housing estate next to a railway line, Damian decides to build a fort using discarded cardboard boxes. The fort allows Damien’s imagination to run wild so when a bag of money lands on the fort one day, it is only natural that he believes it has been delivered by God. In fact the money has been stolen and thrown from a moving train. Damien has altruistic plans for the money while his brother sees it as a means to material wealth.
Unfortunately for the boys, the criminal who stole the money (Christopher Fulford) wants it back.
This latest instalment from the director of 28 Days Later and Trainspotting is another fine example of quality British movie making. The performances by Alexander Etel and Lewis McGibbon are first class and must be seen to be believed.
All in all this is thoroughly enjoyable family movie, though younger children may become a little bored with the plot.
The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced.
The image is sharp and has good shadow detail. There is no low level noise.
The colours are wonderfully bright and vibrant, without being over saturated. Skin tones look natural.
MPEG artefacts were kept to a minimum with only some minor posterization being noticed on Damian’s face at 83:23. Unfortunately mild aliasing was evident during several of the outdoor scenes, such as the field at 1:14 and the rooftops at 4:16 and 9:05. Film artefacts were almost non-existent.
There are two subtitle streams available, English for the Hearing Impaired and English Audio Commentary. The subtitles are easy to read and well placed. They accurately reflect the spoken word.
This is an RSDL disc, with the layer change occurring at 61:07. I did not notice the layer change on my equipment.
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| Overall | |
The audio transfer is excellent.
There are two audio tracks available, the default English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround). I listened to both audio tracks.
The dialogue is clear and easy to understand, though occasionally heavy accents can make it hard to understand what is being said. I did not notice any problems with audio sync.
The musical score by John Murphy provides a lively up-beat tempo that complements the dream-like quality of the movie. Songs by Feeder, The Clash and others help to bring the movie to life.
Being a dialogue-driven movie the surround channels are primarily used to support the musical score and to provide general ambience. That being said, the surround channels are used in such a way that the viewer is drawn into the movie for a wholly satisfying experience.
This is not a big action movie so there isn’t a lot for the subwoofer to do most of the time, but it does help to add emphasis to John Murphy’s musical score and the supporting songs.
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The disc is accompanied by a long list of extras.
The menu is preceded by the usual anti-piracy ads, which can be skipped through. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced. The menu is not animated and contains no audio, which is a shame given the strength of John Murphy’s musical score.
This is a Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround) audio commentary presented by director Danny Boyle and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce. In addition to the usual topics of casting and filmmaking, Danny Boyle and Frank Cottrell Boyce discuss the pending transition of the English pound to the Euro, the English education system and much more. I personally found the commentary to be quite entertaining, as they move from one topic to the next you don’t know what to expect.
The DVD Cutdown is essentially an abbreviated version of the movie. It is a sequential series of scenes that have been taken from the movie and set to John Murphy’s musical score. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, non-enhanced, and is accompanied by a Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround) sound track.
An advertisement for the Millions sound track, presented by composer John Murphy.
The Theatrical Trailer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, non-enhanced, and is accompanied by a Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround) sound track.
Ten deleted scenes presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, non-enhanced. The quality of the video transfer is quite good, though they are a little soft and there is some pixelization and aliasing to contend with. The quality of the audio transfer varies between the deleted scenes. While some contain dialogue only, others include the musical score.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, non-enhanced, and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround) soundtrack. Behind the Scenes contains the following four short features:
The cast discuss what they might do with a million pounds and their experiences during the filming of Millions.
A look at Damian’s obsession with Saints and the visions he has during the movie.
Danny Boyle talks about the happy-go-lucky feel he wanted to project with Millions. He didn’t want the movie to have a sad overtone just because the boy’s mother had passed away. There is an annoying buzz in this soundtrack when producer Graham Broadbent is speaking.
A detailed analysis of the scenes containing the train robbery. There is an annoying buzz in this soundtrack when producer Graham Broadbent is speaking.
A simple text page that encourages you to log on to www.foxmovies.com.au.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 4 version of this disc misses out on;
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 (Surround) audio track
French and Spanish Subtitles
The Region 1 version of this disc misses out on;
Nothing
Both versions are identical unless English isn’t your preferred language.
Millions is unlike any other movie I can remember. This warm hearted family feature is a treat to watch. The spectacular visuals and up-beat musical score will leave you feeling good about yourself and life in general. Don't miss it.
The video transfer is excellent.
The audio transfer is excellent.
There are plenty of quality extras for those people wanting a bit more. The audio commentary presented by director Danny Boyle and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce is recommended.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-533K, using Component output |
| Display | InFocus Screenplay 7200 with ScreenTechnics 100" (16x9) screen. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to Amplifier. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Denon AVC -A11SR |
| Speakers | Jamo D6PEX wall mounted Speakers and Powered Sub (7.1) |