Billy Elliot

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2005)

I am quite keen on the films involving a dreaming and performing kid, and this one is no exception, from director Stephen Daldry (The Hours). Basically Billy Elliot (BAFTA winning Jamie Bell) started out going for 50p to a boxing club, pretty normal for an eleven year old, and then he is fascinated by a ballet club, and he feels an urge to keep going. As he learns more and more moves, routine and poses from teacher Mrs. Wilkinson (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Julie Walters) she is very impressed by his talent and enthusiasm. Eventually his Dad, Jackie (Gary Lewis) finds out his little secret and is quite appalled, threatening and despising. But Billy keeps working to achieve his dream for auditioning to join a professional ballet school. His brother Tony (Jamie Draven) obviously takes longer to get any reaction or care, but his Dad eventually gives in and is behind him at his audition. There is one point here I recognised particular words that Elton John borrowed for the lyrics of his song "Electricity" for Billy Elliot: The Musical, and after this he is successful, and when he leaves that is when his brother is quite emotional, and the coal mine strikes end. The dance routines from Bell as Jamie are fantastic, he's like a mini Fred Astaire for the 20th Century, and Walters is really good as the teacher. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, it won the BAFTAs for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film, and it was nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for Stephen Warbeck, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound, the Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer for both director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and writer Lee Hall, the David Lean Award for Direction and Best Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Julie Walters was number 5 on The 50 Greatest British Actresses, and she was number 2 on Britain's Finest Actresses. Very good!