Going to be a 'word of mouth' hit..

Rating: Null/10 (27 July 2000)

I saw this film last night at a small screening, 10 weeks before its UK release, and UIP have taken exactly the right tack in making sure that this film is the hit at the box office that it deserves to be.
It's a lovely, funny, moving film, set in an impoverished (aren't they all?) town in the North of England, in the early eighties. The film centres around a young lads struggle to become a ballet dancer, set against the wider conflict of the Miners strikes. In the same vein as recent hits like East is East, Little Voice and Full Monty (see? doesn't ANYONE have any money north of Watford?), it drags out of you the same gamut of human emotions. What shines through in this film, in addition to the moving script and high standard of acting, is the beauty of the film making. The choreographed scenes where the excellent young actor 'dances' his frustration out against walls and bins and outhouse doors are fantastic. A hit at Cannes, it deserves to replicate this success on it's release in September. Thoroughly recommended.