Billy Elliot

Starring: Jamie Bell, Jean Heywood, Julie Walters, Jamie Draven, Gary Lewis
Directed by: Stephen Daldry
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young boy (Jamie Bell) gives up boxing lessons for dancing lessons- much to the chagrin of his tough father (Gary Lewis)

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed Billy Elliot. This is a film I heard great things about, which was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, and by all accounts, seems like a solid film. It took me a long time to actually get around to watching it, though. The basic premise seemed familiar to me, so it was hard to get excited about it. I quickly got over my initial skepticism, though. This is an inspirational, entertaining movie. I very much liked it.

The biggest strength of the film is the casting of Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot. I have a hard time picturing this film with anyone else in the lead role. Bell brings such youthful energy to the part that it's hard not to immediately fall for him. Billy is such a talented, interesting little kid that you quickly get in his corner and hope he succeeds. Bell was incredible in the film, and I loved his performance- it was my favorite aspect of the entire movie.

The story itself is powerful, but not especially original. A young boy decides to take up dancing (exactly why is never explained, I guess it's just in his blood). He does this secretly, as his tough, mining family would not approve. The basic story has been done before- talented person with a disapproving family overcomes odds to be successful. That part wasn't new or surprising, and as it follows a fairly predictable path, there wasn't a lot to love there. However, it's director Stephen Daldry's execution that makes this film special. Daldry tells the story remarkably well.

In addition to the dancing clash, we get a number of scenes that seem a little off-topic, but really give us an interesting view of the world in which Elliott lives. There's a good deal of time spent on the mining strike and the union verses the scabs dilemma. While that only tangentially supports the main story, I found those stories interesting and helpful in understanding Billy's family.

I did want to mention Julie Walters, who gives a very strong, enjoyable performance as Billy's dance teacher. She has a number of great lines and really did a fantastic job of portraying this tough-as-nails yet kind and supportive woman. She's one of the most memorable aspects of the entire film. I was glad that she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Gary Lewis was fine as Billy's dad, but I don't think he gave an especially great performance.

In addition to Walters' nomination, Stephen Daldry was nominated for Best Director. That's impressive and deserved, even though it was the right choice for him not to win. He was helped by a strong screenplay, so it's good that the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay. This film's awards show the importance of three critical elements- you've gotta have a great story, a great director to bring that story to life, and some strong actors to make us care about the characters.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this film, I have to say that the ending wasn't as good as I expected. We invest a lot in the film early on, with the promise that it'll pay off in the end. The conclusion felt a bit rushed and predictable to me. It wrapped everything up in a typical way, and was surprisingly devoid of real emotion. I likely would have enjoyed this movie significantly more if the ending had blown me away- that's the biggest hurdle that prevented this film from being truly great.

Still, Billy Elliot is a very good, entertaining, fun little movie. I'm really glad I got over my initial hesitation, because this movie is absolutely worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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