The Latest 'Great British Movie' on the block

Rating: 2/10 (28 October 2000)

I have to admit that the main reason I went to see this movie was because of the many comparisons with 'the Full Monty' (which remains one of my favourite films). Therefore, I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, what I got was not what I paid a fiver for.
It starts off well, displaying the basic background of Billy, his family and the small northern England in which he lives. This is useful as it also illustrates early on that there is a mining strike on, which is the sub-plot to Billy's ambitions to dance. What comes next is 90 minutes of some of the most formulaic cinema you are likely to see. Every up and down and up again that Billy experiences is set in the template that the 'Full Monty' created- from the reaction to the 'initial' success, to the fall in morale when something goes wrong, to the fact that the comedy (mainly miffed and ironic facial expressions) is essentially the same, just that the adult cast of the 1997 film carry it better.
Having criticised it so much, I would like to point out that 'Billy Elliot' is not a 'bad' film. The acting (especially that of Julie Walters, the dance teacher) is pretty much flawless, while it is undeniable that the plight of the main character and its results are able to move the hardest of heart. The main problem is that these poignant moments don't occur often enough. The story of the strike involving Billy's father and brother turns out to be far more interesting in many ways, which is a shame, considering so much heart has obviously been put into this production, especially the choreography of the dance sequences, which are breathtaking. However, the final word must go to Steven Gately, who in his theme song 'I Believe', really sums up the whole experience: So, So predictable.