Overrated film rings false

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2002)

Billy Elliot is the most overrated film I've seen in the last five years. It's an episodic, sloppily edited affair with a largely unintelligible soundtrack. With so many scenes ringing false - most notably the scene outside the mine between the father and his son Tony - I found myself aware of the potential shortcomings of location shooting. I suspect the actors would have given better-focused performances in a more controlled studio setting.
You sure can't tell if the character of Billy Elliot is a good dancer from any footage here. His dancing scenes are cut in an MTV style affording no opportunity to see any sustained footwork. So you've got a film about a dancer with no real dancing in it - and a so-called inspirational film that's a major letdown.