I'm totally immune to this charmless little twit.

Rating: 4/10 (11 February 2009)

Although BILLY ELLIOTT is an okay film, it certainly isn't a great masterpiece.
I'm bewildered by the fact that Billy Elliott himself is such an unlikeable young boy. He's a foul-mouthed homophobe and certainly no better than the father he claims is holding him back in life. I'm totally immune to this charmless little twit.
And, except for one exuberant, and actually enjoyable, few minutes in a scene with Julie Walters, there's really no clear evidence that young Billy is remotely ready for the Royal Ballet. None at all.
When it first came out there were a lot of critics piling praise on this film and I stupidly thought it would be a good show. But when I went to see it I was very annoyed that it was just the same collection of tired clichés that make up the so-called "feel-good" movies" of the last decade or so.
BILLY ELLIOTT is just another in a long line of mediocre films that include such dross as FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (totally unfunny from start to finish), NOTTING HILL (ugh), LITTLE VOICE (potentially a great film spoiled by unnecessary foul language) and THE FULL MONTY (a ghastly film filled with ugly, ugly people) that have somehow made an impression on people and I don't know why.
Now BILLY ELLIOTT has become a world-wide hit all over again as a stage musical! There seems to be no logical reason for the general public's taste...or, in this case, lack of it.
Let's hope there's no film version of BILLY ELLIOTT: The Musical, or we could have another MAMMA MIA! inflicted upon the world.