Choose Life

Who would’ve pegged Brit filmmaker Danny Boyle as a softie?  With his varying degree of moralities and morays ill-at-ease in his short though brilliant career including the skullduggery of “Shallow Grave”, the doomed yet life-affirming Scottish junkies in “Trainspotting” to the zombie passion play of “28 Days Later” you would think Boyle is a second cousin to Stephen King with his zest for grim yet dark, dank humor and violence pin pricking audiences awake to see how morbid life can truly be. However in his latest endeavor Boyle surprises continue in the lovely, emotionally poignant dramedy involving two young brothers and a parcel of ill-gotten loot.

Damian and Anthony Cunningham (Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon, both making impressive acting debuts) are the siblings whose mom has recently passed away prompting their dad Ronnie (James Nesbitt) to pull up stakes and move into new digs, possibly to start anew apparently it being unbearable at too many memories born there.

Damian is the more creative of the two lads with a furtive imagination who like many children his tender age are more comfortable in creating their own worlds in coping with drastic change and relocation as well as commingling with new students to become acquainted with. He sees saints as somewhat ersatz imaginary friends (or is there really something to his visions) and knows everything about each individual spiritual entity spouting off their time on earth and deaths as well as achievements.

One day out of the ordinary an extraordinary thing occurs: while playing amongst his make-shift corrugated castle nestled in the thick grasses near the local train tracks Damian is suddenly left with a hefty sack of money apparently literally dropped from the sky nearly knocking the boy senseless in the process. Inspired by his wealth beyond means necessitating propriety Damien shows the new-found booty to Anthony, the more practical and constantly thinking of the two, who immediately suggests they keep the secret to themselves hidden for now from their dad and counting it. The boys then figure to let some of their new friends in on it by purloining their trust with a few pounds here and there to keep them loyal and quiet.

Damien has bigger fish to fry when he realizes this money is for the poor and promptly sets about doling out sums here and there and making impromptu gifts as a half-pint Santa Claus. Anthony learns of this and at first is cross but realizes that a deadline is approaching whereby the UK is exchanging currency for the new Euro and ultimately the money they have will be utterly useless.  With a timetable ahead of them the brothers put their heads together and the results are priceless.

Without divulging much of the plot line – with a yeoman like screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce - and ruining the chance to see it for yourself let me say (finally) this is the best film (so far) this early year and it is magical. Boyle employs his trademark visuals with scope and whimsy with inspired angles and CGI f/x – as well as clear-eyed cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle and John Murphy’s eclectic Danny Elfman-esque score - that will cause a grin to creep across your face and also keeps his young charges in line with the usual water works to allow a few tight clumps in the throat with out treacle. Just the opposite largely thanks to the amazingly sad faced/empathetic Etel with his towheaded good looks and sprinkle of freckles and soulfully deep eyes that threaten to pour out at a moment’s notice yet the child is fearless and propels the unlikely fablized storyline at full tilt. He is a true find not unlike the Bolger sisters from “In America” (a kind of half-brother to that wonderful film) and the recent prodigy of “Finding Neverland”s Freddie Highmore. It will make you laugh, cry and think. If you don’t do any of these then you my friend, are made of stone.

It is in a word: brilliant. And to quote Boyle’s masterpiece “Trainspotting” it’ll make you “Choose Life.”

Film Rating: êêêê  (out of 4)