Coal miner's son

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2008)

Can a boy from a macho background overcome all obstacles and go to be a star in the Royal Ballet company? Well, that is the premise of this feel good film that we saw when it first came out, but didn't comment. Watching it for a second time, recently, didn't produce the same effect as when initially seen on the big screen. Something was lost, but it is still an inspirational story.
Billy, a young boy from a poor background in the coal country in the North of England, realizes he has a passion for dancing. Since he doesn't know how to channel his desire for becoming a classic dancer, he has to get all the help he can get. With the guidance of Mrs. Wilkinson, a local dance coach, Billy finds the inspiration he needs to go on into that world, so foreign to a young boy of his class.
In a way, we couldn't help comparing "Billy Elliot" to "Educating Rita", not that they are similar in any shape, or form. Maybe the presence of the irrepressible Julie Walters, who appears in this case as the teacher, was the link and the basis of comparison. Her work in the film doesn't dominate the action, but her contribution to the overall success of it is an undeniable factor. Young Jamie Bell endears himself to the audience with his take on the would be dancer that wants to expand his own talent.
Stephen Daltry directed with panache the screenplay by Lee Hall. Mr. Daltry's work with the two principals wins us over. This small film couldn't have worked as a Hollywood production, which probably would have blown the action out of proportion and would have turned the story into something else.