Review of Billy Elliot (2000) by Ben B — 07 Aug 2014

I absolutely love this film. I love the story, the performances, and the musical that came from it. 'Billy Elliot' is about an eleven-year-old boy named Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) who grows up in a mining village in north east England, so of course this movie is full of geordie accents.

Set in the historical backdrop of the 1984-85, miners strikes, Billy's family struggles to get by while the miners union is on strike. His father Jackie Elliot (Gary Lewis) and brother Tony (Jamie Draven) are caught up in the strike and have little time to pay attention to Billy.

Billy's grandmother is elderly and Billy is often left to care for her while his father and brother are at the picket line. Billy's father forces him to take boxing lessons, which he does not particularly enjoy.

One day, he discovers a ballet class taught by the crass Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters). From then on, Billy begins to grow in love with dancing and has to balance his family's disapproval, the struggling community he lives in, and his own will to keep doing the thing he loves.

He is supported along the way by his friend Michael (Stuart Wells), who is having his own journey of self-discovery. Michael is gay which contributes to a larger theme of expressing yourself. You see, 'Billy Elliot' is about doing something you love and facing adversity, no matter what people say.

This story is about Billy facing these obstacles. My goodness it is an inspiring journey to watch, even if it is not 100% true. The performances in this film are absolutely spectacular. Lewis and Draven, playing Billy's father and brother respectively, are perfect at conveying their personal struggle and their initial intolerance to Billy's new-found joy.

They play off each other very well and provide emotionally poignant moments. Walters was the one who got the Oscar nod and deservedly so. As Mrs. Wilkison, she is a hard egg to crack, but when it comes to caring and mentoring Billy, her soft side comes through spectacularly.

Then there's the star of the film... Billy himself. Jamie Bell puts in one of the greatest youth performances of all-time. He nails his geordie accent for a start, but also portrays how his personal situation has toughened him.

Of course, acting as an eleven-year-old, Bell is able to show vulnerability and innocence. He carries the film more than ably. He makes you believe that he is Billy and you will root for this kid from the beginning of the film.

Director Stephen Daldry and Lee Hall should also get credit for bringing this masterpiece to life (which later becomes the hit musical). The balance between the actual history and the inspiring story is laid out perfectly.

'Billy Elliot' is not just sweetened. There is a gritty realism that you should fall in love with. It explores themes of self-identity, family, doing what you love... What more would you want in a movie like this? Definitely will go down as one of my favorite movies of all-time.