The addled descendant from a rich family disappears, presumably as a consequence of his sad attraction to matches. His carer, who is very well paid indeed, pretends the young man is still alive, so that he can continue to receive the usual fat checks. When the whole clan gathers in order to discuss wills and testaments, the young man too is supposed to show up. In despair, the carer searches for someone who looks just like the late pyromaniac. A poverty-stricken stuntman seems to do the trick...
"Millions" is a fine, sparkling comedy - at least as long as the viewer doesn't start to worry about some of the undercurrents. Once this happens, the movie threatens to become sinister and oppressive rather than funny. For instance : the ending alone, when looked at in a certain light, is enough to keep a whole team of psychiatrists busy.
Still, there's good fun to be had as long as one is capable of avoiding that "certain light". The stuntman hero/antihero finds himself dropped in the middle of a scheming family seething with envy and greed, which leads to a number of memorably sharp zingers and one-liners. The movie is also a pretty astute satire about the habits of the very rich. For instance, "difficult" relatives get sent away to some distant island paradise, complete with expensive nurses and carers, so that the rest of the family can ignore and forget them completely. It's the platinum credit card version of abandonment.
People interested in a somewhat similar subject matter might want to watch "Brat Farrar", with a young Mark Greenstreet in a double role. "Brat Farrar", based on a novel by author Josephine Tey, tells the story of a long-lost heir, believed dead, who shows up just in time to claim a whopping inheritance. It's not a comedy but a thriller, and a good thriller at that. (Wrote a small review there too.)
"Millions" is a fine, sparkling comedy - at least as long as the viewer doesn't start to worry about some of the undercurrents. Once this happens, the movie threatens to become sinister and oppressive rather than funny. For instance : the ending alone, when looked at in a certain light, is enough to keep a whole team of psychiatrists busy.
Still, there's good fun to be had as long as one is capable of avoiding that "certain light". The stuntman hero/antihero finds himself dropped in the middle of a scheming family seething with envy and greed, which leads to a number of memorably sharp zingers and one-liners. The movie is also a pretty astute satire about the habits of the very rich. For instance, "difficult" relatives get sent away to some distant island paradise, complete with expensive nurses and carers, so that the rest of the family can ignore and forget them completely. It's the platinum credit card version of abandonment.
People interested in a somewhat similar subject matter might want to watch "Brat Farrar", with a young Mark Greenstreet in a double role. "Brat Farrar", based on a novel by author Josephine Tey, tells the story of a long-lost heir, believed dead, who shows up just in time to claim a whopping inheritance. It's not a comedy but a thriller, and a good thriller at that. (Wrote a small review there too.)