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Billy Elliot [2000]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Foursquare in the gritty-but-hearwarming tradition of Brassed Off and The Full Monty comes Billy Elliot, the first film of noted British theatrical director Stephen Daldry. The setting is County Durham in 1984, and things 'oop North are even grimmer than usual: the miners' strike is in full rancorous swing and 11-year-old Billy's dad and older brother, miners both, are staunch on the picket lines. Billy's got problems of his own. His dad's scraped together the fees to send him to boxing lessons, but Billy's discovered a different aptitude: a genius for ballet dancing. Since admitting to such an activity is tantamount, in this fiercely macho culture, to holding up a sign reading "I AM A RAVING POOF", Billy keeps it quiet. But his teacher, Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters, wearily undaunted) thinks he should audition for ballet school in London. Family ructions are inevitable.

Daldry's film sidesteps some of the politics, both sexual and otherwise, but scores with its laconic dialogue (credit to screenwriter Lee Hall) and a cracking performance from newcomer Jamie Bell as Billy. His powerhouse dance routines, more Gene Kelly than Nureyev, carry an irresistible sense of exhilaration and self-discovery. Among a flawless supporting cast Stuart Wells stands out as Billy's sweet gay friend Michael. And if the miners' strike serves largely as background colour, there's one brief episode, as visored and truncheoned cops rampage through neat little terraced houses, that captures one of the most spiteful episodes in recent British history. --Philip Kemp

Editorial
Video Description

DVD Special Features:

Breaking Free Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Film Biographies
Interactual Production Notes
English subtitles

Editorial
Synopsis

Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is an 11-year-old boy living in northeast England in the mid-1980s. While his gruff father and brother are taking part in a massive coal miners strike, Billy goes to boxing lessons and furtively plays his dead mother's piano out of loneliness. One day Billy notices a ballet class nearby. Intrigued, he begins practicing and taking lessons from Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters), a tough-minded teacher. Billy begins to fall in love with ballet but keeps his lessons a secret from his family, who struggle to put food on the table while the strike drags on. When his father finally learns the truth, a family crisis erupts, and Billy struggles to prove that dancing is more than just a hobby--it's his dream. BILLY ELLIOT is a touching and heartwarming story that avoids cliches by setting the story in the grim mining town of northern England amid economic hardship and sacrifice, showing the joy and release that dancing provides for Billy. Newcomer Jamie Bell, who does all his own dancing in the film, deserves special credit for his performance as Billy.
Editorial
From the Back Cover

With 13 Bafta and 3 Oscar nominations, Billy Elliot is a heartwarming tale of an 11 year old cola miner's son (Jamie Bell) in the North of England who's life is forever changed when he stumbles upon Mrs Wilkinson's (Julie Walters) ballet class during his weekly boxing lesson. Before long, he finds himself immersed in ballet, demonstrating a raw talent never seen before and reaching for a dream that changes the lives of everyone he touches.

wow
Review date: 2007-09-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

This has to be one of my favourite films ever. Its such a lovely story and Jamie Bell is amazing as Billy Elliot. Its a must watch!

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Reviews


All a bit old hat
Review date: 2007-08-18 Rating: 4 out of 10

This seemed like a totally contrived Brit flick wanting to cash in on the success of films like the Full Monty. It was all put together with spirit and obviously meant well, but it was just so visibly contrived. The miner's strike backdrop looks like a bit of an attachment, and a rather obvious choice to juxtapose young Billy's un-miner's son like activity. Saw this film coming a mile off, and it wasn't exactly groundbreaking stuff.

I don't like ballet, I'm not into gritty northern coalmining stories, but I really enjoyed this
Review date: 2007-06-13 Rating: 8 out of 10

Why is it that British film directors seem so obsessed with going "oop narth" for their films? Is it because they think "gritty realism" will counteract Hollywood's schmalz? Because they like to portray a salt of the earth type living amidst the northern hardship and grime? Or because they feel a sense of loyalty to the coal miners who all got laid off during the 1980s? After all, when did you last see a film set in Wales? or Cornwall? or Norfolk?
Anyway, rant over. After all my misgivings, this is a nice film! It's not perfect, but definitely very nice. Jamie Bell is brilliant and sparks charmingly with Julie Chainsmoking-northern lady. It's touching and funny and cheeky as an 11-year-old. I was pleasantly surprised. After all, it wasn't just the northern thing, but the whole ballet thing had put me off: it just seemed so contrived and arty-farty. But in fact, you don't have to like or understand ballet to enjoy the film. My misgivings were misplaced. I recommend seeing it.
(But I wouldn't blame you if you can't stand the thought of it!)

A typically over-rated British film
Review date: 2007-04-02 Rating: 4 out of 10

What do the following films have in common: The Full Monty, East is East, Bend it Like Beckham, Little Voice, Shallow Grave? They are all British films and all ridiculously over-rated. And Billy Elliot sits right at the top of that list of shame.

A working class lad develops a passion for ballet and against the antipathy of his father and peers achieves his ambition. All this against the back drop of the miners' strike of the 1980s. Nothing wrong with the basic plot but as the film made its way from one over-acted scene to the next I started to lose the will to live. The characters - with the exception of Jamie Bell's Billy - are clichéd and predictable. Furthermore, much has been made of the dancing but young Master Bell's attempts at dancing reminded me of an over-excited 11 year old at a school disco.


Billy Elliot
Review date: 2006-03-21 Rating: 10 out of 10

Wonderful inspiring film, Billy's impromptu dance with his dancing teacher to I Love To Boogie was brilliant, just wanted to join in!!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jean Heywood
Gary Lewis (III)
Jamie Bell
Jamie Draven
Stuart Wells

Creators:
Jamie Bell (Primary Contributor)
Jean Heywood (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Uca Catalogue
Manufacturer: Uca Catalogue
EAN: 5050582037272
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2006-04-18
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 106 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000-11-30
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Subtitled)

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