Flashdance Flash Back

Rating: Null/10 (6 April 2003)

I don't understand why no one I have read here (but I haven't read them all) has noted that from a dance perspective this movie is just a replay of Flashdance, only the dancing is pretty terrible in Billy Elliot and Billy's interest in dancing unconvincing. When they finally get a decent dancer to perform (Billy as an adult) it lasts 15 seconds. Extremely frustrating. Ballet was my first career effort, starting when I was 5. I danced every opportunity I had, in my room as a child, on the streets, in restaurants, in class .. whenever and whatever..I would make up any dance form or steps if I did not know ones to do. Even after I gave it up as a career path, I still loved dancing in social settings and didn't quit going to dance night clubs until it was too embarrassing because of the age gap between me and the others around me. That love for dancing is what is attempted to be conveyed in Billy Elliot but it is pretty unconvincing when the actor is physically graceless and there is (what I presume is) a double who is a rather mediocre dancer himself and the choreography is pretty terrible. The scenes of the teacher "refining" Billy's movements before his tryout were laughable as Billy could barely raise his leg for positions in which his leg was supposed to be parallel to the floor...no evidence of dance "genius" here. (Even the little girls in the dance class were better dancers than Billy..though how that was possible, with such a "poor teacher", is another weakness of the film.) It was impossible for me to suspend disbelief throughout. Though Jennifer Beals had an uncredited double doing her dancing for her at least the dancer was good, the choreography fun (and at times exciting) to watch and the editing well done. I feel Billy Elliot does a great disservice to the effort to communicate what the love for dance means. And the rest of the film...well others have already commented on its shortcomings. But what I found really did the film in for me was the dozen or so sappy "endings." There were so many of them, one right after another, one more of a tearjerker than the last.... it amazes me that this film got as strong reviews as it did. The only part I found worthwhile was the portrayal of the mining town and the strikers at that period of time. But it had no meaningful context for the dance theme.
A number of people here have said that they did not like the film the first time but did upon other viewings. I suspect I won't and probably won't give it a try. But the movie has motivated me to see Flashdance again which I have not seen since the first couple of years when it came out. I wonder how it stands the test of time. Not a great film but charming and I was very stimulated by the dance in it.