Ethics, being human and the soul come to the fore when a 7-year old finds a bag of Pounds just days before the currency is switched to Euros and learns what we are really made of.
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A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot.
Director:
Terry Zwigoff
Stars:
Billy Bob Thornton,
Lauren Graham,
Bernie Mac
In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.
The UK is about to switch its currency from Pounds to Euros, giving a gang a chance to rob the poorly-secured train loaded with money on its way to incineration. But, during the robbery, one of the big bags falls literally from the sky on Damian's playhouse, a 7-year old given to talking to saints. The boy then starts seeing what the world and the people around him are made of. Ethics, being human and the soul all come to the forefront in this film. Written by
Reuben Cogo
The book that Damien reads and references throughout the film is called "Six O'Clock Saints". Popular in the UK in the 1950s, it is surprising that any parent would give a copy to their child, as the screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce points out at 03:08 in the DVD commentary, since it contains all the gruesome stories that Damien tells in class, plus many more. Its inclusion is a sort of homage to Martin Scorsese, who, according to Boyce, has cited it in interviews as one of his favorite books growing up and that it gave him a wider understanding of the human experience than had been revealed to him as a child. In Roger Ebert's 3/18/2005 review of the film, Ebert mentions that Boyce "got the inspiration for the screenplay from an interview in which Martin Scorsese said he was reading the lives of the saints." See more »
Goofs
The time period in the film is set at Christmas. Yet shadows are relatively short indicating the time of shooting to be summer. The pupils in the playground are not wearing warm clothing, which they would if it were winter. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Damian Cunningham:
[voiceover]
The French have said au revoir to the franc, the Germans have said auf wiedersehen to the mark, and the Portuguese have said... whatever to their thing.
See more »
Crazy Credits
When the Pathe logo comes up, the shadow of the hen has a halo over its head. See more »
I saw this as part of the London Film Festival and loved it.
The story was very well told through the eyes of the two pre-teens and the usual sibling rivalry you would expect in real life was present. James Nesbitt was very good in the roll of the boys father although his 'northern' accent was a little strange, and its always nice to see Daisy Donovan in anything
Once the film ended the audience must have applauded for about 5 minutes, something I have not witnessed for some years now.
See this film, tell your friends to see it and go again with them. (There is also a Clash song used in the soundtrack which is always a good sign)
46 of 61 people found this review helpful.
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I saw this as part of the London Film Festival and loved it.
The story was very well told through the eyes of the two pre-teens and the usual sibling rivalry you would expect in real life was present. James Nesbitt was very good in the roll of the boys father although his 'northern' accent was a little strange, and its always nice to see Daisy Donovan in anything
Once the film ended the audience must have applauded for about 5 minutes, something I have not witnessed for some years now.
See this film, tell your friends to see it and go again with them. (There is also a Clash song used in the soundtrack which is always a good sign)