clever British story with some superb performances

Rating: 6/10 (17 January 2005)

SPOILERS For many years now, there's been some negative assumptions about the Ballet. For all the criticism though, ballet remains one of Britain's most popular art forms. Part of this might be down to the success of 2000's "Billy Elliot". With some superb performances and an excellent soundtrack, this film remains entertaining from start to finish.
In the North of England, people were suffering during the Miner Strikes. For reasons too complicated to go into, communities were divided as people's lives were destroyed. In this living hell, Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is living with his own problems. Loosing his mother at a young age, Elliot fails to really communicate with his father (Gary Lewis) and elder brother (Jamie Draven). One day though, Elliot discovers a surprising passion, ballet.
From the offset, "Billy Elliot" attempts to tug at the heart strings. Introducing us to the mother's gravestone almost straight away, the film does try too hard at times. The irony is that whilst intentional moments don't click, there are moments when the film relaxes itself and these moments are the finest parts. Scenes where Billy's father reaches breaking point are in particularly brilliant.
As Billy's father, Gary Lewis is a revolution. Whilst Bell might have won all the awards, Lewis is absolutely breathtaking as the miner, angry with life. With a full range of emotion the character connects on so many levels with the audience and irrelevant of whatever mistakes he makes, we never stop feeling for him.
Aside from Bell & Lewis, others perform admirably in this film. Julie Walters as Billy's instructor is great, as is Draven as his elder brother. In fact, child and adult alike, there is not one bad performance in the entire film.
Perhaps the best thing about "Billy Elliot" is it's soundtrack. With classics from bands like T-Rex and The Clash, it sounds like a pub jukebox album.
Whilst not as amazing as is often claimed, "Billy Elliot" remains an acting masterclass. With some stunning performances and a powerful script, this film is well worth watching. Add an excellent soundtrack too, and there are aspects to please everyone.