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Amazon.co.uk Review
Foursquare in the gritty-but-hearwarming tradition of Brassed Off and The Full Monty comes Billy Elliot, the first film of noted British theatrical director Stephen Daldry. The setting is County Durham in 1984, and things 'oop North are even grimmer than usual: the miners' strike is in full rancorous swing and 11-year-old Billy's dad and older brother, miners both, are staunch on the picket lines. Billy's got problems of his own. His dad's scraped together the fees to send him to boxing lessons, but Billy's discovered a different aptitude: a genius for ballet dancing. Since admitting to such an activity is tantamount, in this fiercely macho culture, to holding up a sign reading "I AM A RAVING POOF", Billy keeps it quiet. But his teacher, Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters, wearily undaunted) thinks he should audition for ballet school in London. Family ructions are inevitable.
Daldry's film sidesteps some of the politics, both sexual and otherwise, but scores with its laconic dialogue (credit to screenwriter Lee Hall) and a cracking performance from newcomer Jamie Bell as Billy. His powerhouse dance routines, more Gene Kelly than Nureyev, carry an irresistible sense of exhilaration and self-discovery. Among a flawless supporting cast Stuart Wells stands out as Billy's sweet gay friend Michael. And if the miners' strike serves largely as background colour, there's one brief episode, as visored and truncheoned cops rampage through neat little terraced houses, that captures one of the most spiteful episodes in recent British history. --Philip Kemp
Video Description
DVD Special Features:
Breaking Free Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Film Biographies
Interactual Production Notes
English subtitles
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives in a working-class village in northern England, where his father and brother, both miners, have been on strike and times are tough. Billy, who is eleven, loves music, and one day he leaves his boxing class at the local gym and joins the girls' ballet class, taught by Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters). With a lot of practice, Billy becomes so good that she thinks he should audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. This would be the chance of a lifetime, but Billy's father doesn't know he's been dancing; he thinks ballet is for just for girls.
I love this movie. It is charming, honest, and uplifting. Gary Lewis is wonderful as Billy's father. We see him change from a bitter, defeated man to a proud and happy dad. Julie Walters gives a heartfelt performance as the tough teacher with a heart of gold. Jamie Bell, in his movie debut, is natural and sweet, a good dancer, and a sensitive actor. This is a movie you'll want to enjoy more than once because it's such a touching, feel-good story.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
From the opening titles i knew i would love this film, and i did. Its so fantastically written and brilliantly acted. Anyone who enjoys a nice personal small scale story will love this film. Its a well known story, but for those that dont know, it basicalls evolves around a young boy (Billy) who aspires to be a ballet dancer much to the disapproval or his recently widowed father and his older brother. All this happens in the midst of the mining strikes that dominated the news in much of the 80's. The same strikes that his brother and father are caught up in. Its wonderfully witty, poignant and very powerful in places. Its a great film!
Anyone who has seen the film already and wants to know what the difference is between this DVD and the one previous, well theres a lot more to be seen on this new edition. It has some great making of's and features on the characters that have never been seen before. Theres also two great documentaries about Billy Elliot The Musical (which looks to be great!) There are some great previews and teasers that will have you booking tickets to go and see it!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The most imaginative film for years. Made even more significant by the stage play at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London - Billy Elliot The Musical. For anyone who remembers the 1984 miners strike and the heartbreak it caused to thousands of people, the film and play create a beautiful harmony of tears and joy. For anyone going to watch the musical, watch this DVD first. Once seen, the musical becomes even better. Stephen Daldry (The Director) and his fellow Producers capture the scenes perfectly in both. The same creative team who wrote the film also wrote the musical with the addition of Elton John who adds the music. The actors in both the the film and stage play are exceptional. The boys that play Billy are highly talented as are the experienced casts. Don't miss either this film or the musical. Some advice about tickets for Billy Elliot The Musical... they are very hard to get as the performances are VERY booked up! However, the wait is definately worth it and you will be left with a memory of seeing the best London theatre show in your life!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
BILLY ELLIOTT DVD
Good family film with a strong story line and excellent performances from the main cast members. Well worth watching and recommended to a wide audience.
Published 2 months ago by Mr. David J. Pugsley
Excellent
Totally excellent dvd. Fab music and storyline to Billy Elliot. Delivered promply by Amazon. Would highly recommend this dvd to everyone if you havent already seen it.
Published 2 months ago by Emily
Billy Elliot DVD 2 Disc Special Ed.
My 10 yr. old Grand Daughter and I went to see the stage show in London, for her birthday. We loved it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Letty
classic fun
Ordered this for my Mum-in-Law for Christmas as she wanted it to replace her video copy. It is an excellent film that deserves many a watch
Published 5 months ago by K. L. Naylor
Great Communication
Thank you, you had great communication and i am pleased with my order. Highly recommended to everyone and anyone. Thanks again and
Published 5 months ago by luckie
What a joke!
This is a truly awful film. First of all, only one of the actors was a Geordie - and, yes, I know it's difficult to imitate that accent, but surely they could have been coached! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Brenda Bergerre
Billy Elliot
Feel good film, of a young lad being himself in pursuing his ambition and passion to dance and gaining the full support from his Dad, who thought it was very uncool for a boy to... Read more
Published 11 months ago by H. R. Rogerson
How on earth did Billy manage to get into the Royal Ballet School?
Ballet is one of my passions and so I did not like this film. How on earth could Billy have been accepted into the Royal Ballet SchooL? Read more
Published 11 months ago by Pamela Lake
Gritty , realistic, passionate and spellbinding
A gritty, heartwarming, and engaging movie, one of the best of it's decade about the struggles of Billy Elliot, to establish himself in his love of ballet against the opposition of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Gary Selikow
Fantastic film and seriously great price!
Well Billy Elliot is famed for being fantastic anyway and I dont disagree one bit. The film was a joy to watch! Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. French
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