Review of Billy Elliot (2000) by Hannah M — 29 Jun 2009

The first half of this movie is more compelling than the last, and the two don't seem to be connected. Characters suddenly end deep-rooted traits and go a completely different direction, and that part doesn't work. But taken as, say, two individual parts of a trilogy where the middle part is missing, those two parts are both quite good. Jamie Bell is very good as Billy, a very typical boy who just happens to enjoy ballet. The scene where he dances down the street in anger is absolutely brilliant - he doesn't even necessarily know what emotions he's feeling or fighting off, but he can't just sit there. He has to dance.

Not a perfect movie, by far, but a good one that I enjoyed a lot.