R E V I E W S

Billy Elliot (2000)

Starring: Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven, Gary Lewis, Jean Haywood
Director: Stephen Daldry
Rating: R

Studio: Universal

Review Posted: 4.20.01

Rating: 3/4

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By Michael Brendan McLarney.

"Unchained Melody"

To young Billy Elliot, ballet isn't a mere path waiting to be chosen, but exists more like a seed of bountiful emotional energy planted deep within his soul - its energy incessantly vying to break free. His terpsichorean talent is the tunnel through which his emotive expressions are channeled. Whether happy, sad, or angry; he vehemently displays his feelings via the medium of dance.

"The secret to dancing is that it is about everything except dancing," proclaimed Martha Graham, and Stephen Daldry's "Billy Elliot" seems to embrace that notion. The story isn't about a self-assured boy who's consciously aware of his love of ballet and will fight through any odds to realize his dream, but rather a gentle coming-of-age tale about an insecure lad who slowly comes to the realization that... yeah, this dancing thing is kinda neat... no, wait... it's a whole lotta fun! His natural talent for dance is evident long before his genuine love for the art, which sneaks up on him as the movie progresses.

Yet being the son of a Northern England coal miner, Billy (winningly played by Jamie Bell) comes from the kind of background where his proclivity for rhythmic bodily movement may not be well received. Both his hard-working and recently widowed father (Gary Lewis) and his equally strong-willed and often overbearing brother (Jamie Draven) are left without an income as a union strike has been initiated. When they discover that Billy has been secretly using his money for boxing lessons (a sport he is distinctively unskilled at) for ballet lessons instead, their pent-up fury explodes.

They immediately forbid him from participating in what they feel is a less-than-manly pursuit. But that doesn't stop Billy's tenacious instructor (Julie Walters) from encouraging her protoge to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London - her confidence in his ability matched only by her understanding of his need to mature in an environment not engulfed by oppression, even if that notion isn't totally clear to Billy at his young age.

What makes "Billy Elliot" superior to other films dealing with a protagonist overcoming oppressive surroundings to accomplish a goal is the character of Billy himself. Lee Hall's screenplay is wise in that it allows the main character to realize his passion and destiny on his own terms, as opposed to understanding it outright and tossing contrived obstacles in his way. When Billy is banned from ballet, he doesn't rebel immediately. A bright, perceptive young man - he understands the situation his family is faced with and considers whether opposing his father's wishes is the best course of action. It is that initial hesitancy that makes the subsequent decision more powerful.

The marvelous performances throughout the film add credibility to the story even through moments where certain plot developments don't exactly ring true. Gary Lewis is terrific as a lonely single father struggling to make ends meet. His initial reaction to Billy's newly discovered talent seems a bit harsh - yet we know off the bat he isn't a bad person or heartless parent, but an inherently rugged man whose sudden death of his wife has severed his ability to emotionally reach out to his youngest boy. And while it's true, his change of heart is a tad abrupt, I wasn't bothered by it simply because the thought-process involved in realizing his son's ability is displayed by Lewis with the utmost passion and clarity.

Julie Walters also gives a wonderful performance, embodying a hard-working but too often underappreciated instructor who senses Billy's natural ability early on, yet is curiously cautious in conveying to him her belief in his talent. We get the sense that many naturally gifted dancers with the highest potential have slipped through her pedagogic fingers, perhaps because of her hard-nosed, obdurate approach to teaching.

And Jamie Bell brings together all the traits - the good and the bad - that make a naturally gifted, potential genius into a solid central performance. He possesses genuine artistic ability, but is also enormously perceptive - which can be a detriment to that very talent, making quitting a tractable option.

While the central character slowly realizes his ultimate goal, the movie has its aim pinpointed at the outset - to engage the audience and take hold of anyone who has ever possessed a dream. Some of my colleagues have dismissed the film as a failed effort, claiming its eagerness to please takes precedence over its need to make logical sense. I guess my eagerness to be captivated took precedence over my ability to be distracted by such criticisms.

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