CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Tayyab Torres
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
cadence921
An 11 years old boy Billy Elliot is sent to a boxing gym by his father, but he likes not boxing but dance. One day, he takes part in a ballet class which is given in the gym. He wants to become a ballet dancer, but his father opposes.I felt Billy's passion and his family's, especially father's affection for Billy. Parents love their children more than anything else with one thing or another.This film skillfully shows sense of hopelessness of the country town and the emotional conflict which the adolescent boy has.Music is rhythmical and pleasant.Scenes where Billy dances are very good because I was able to fell his emotion from his dancing.Also this film made me think about sexual discrimination again. I think that we mustn't take it for granted that boys should behave like boys or girls should behave like girls.I realized the wonderfulness of having a dream and supporting a person who pursues his or her dream through this film.
grantss
Charming story about how a boy from a mining town becomes a ballet dancer. Shows his trials and tribulations in convincing his rough-hewn father and brother to support him. Story is manipulatively sentimental, but has many funny moments. Maybe a bit too join-the-dots, and didn't dig deep enough into the characters. Direction is solid, though the movie loses pace in the middle section and drifts a bit. The use of music was great, though there is an over-reliance on T-Rex.Good performances all round. Julie Walters deserved her Oscar nomination.
ICanNeverThinkOfAGoodUsername
This film made me laugh and cry and overall it was an average film. I would have rated it higher if the storyline would have been developed more. I think the acting was really good and the storyline didn't show off the acting as well as it could have done.This is a famous film but I don't feel it's that good. It's okay. It's something you'd watch if nothing else was on not something you'd specially make time for. I really do think it could have been a lot better. The ending lets down this film apart from that it's not too bad.SPOILERS AHEAD: 1. One minute Billy's Dad hates the idea of him doing ballet and the next minute he's fine with it - this definitely should have been developed more.2. Why did his brother suddenly agree to it? 3. Why didn't Billy tell his ballet teacher? Why was there awkwardness between to them at the end? 4. We never actually knew of any Billy's feelings towards ballet...
SnoopyStyle
It's Durham Coalfield, North East England 1984. There is a violent strike against Thatcher and the scabs working the coal mines. Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives with widower father Jackie (Gary Lewis) and older brother Tony. Both of them are former miners who would take a dim view of Billy's love of dance. His Grandma is losing her mind. Instead of boxing, he starts going to Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters)'s all girls ballet class.Director Stephen Daldry is trying too hard to cute this one up. Billy doesn't have to dance in the boxing ring. He just has to be pathetic. Jamie Bell is a good little actor but he looks too angry to be funny. His jumping around is quirky but not hilarious. He's better to be quietly hiding instead of confronting his father. I wouldn't call this feel-good. It's Julie Walters and Gary Lewis who elevates the material. They're are a couple of veteran actors who bring substance to this fanciful tale.
