New posts

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 428027" data-attributes="member: 23">I've watched  a couple of films over the last evenings. First up was... Billy Elliot (2000) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fposterspy.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F05%2Fbilly10-0.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f5d214a5f04bad6ed091d726da36927b0ad85755093432855e45f3b1f57f0d84" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 629px" /> Why it's taken me a quarter of a century to finally watch this, though it's been somewhere on the periphery of my radar almost since the beginning. I've since watched Jamie Bell as an adult actor in a film or two  - most notably that pointless Fantastic Four film (or, as it was written on poster, "Fantfourstic"), so it was a little surreal to see him here as a mini version of who he would become. And he was just that, because this film takes a really refreshing approach to its focus on children. They're not the usual cutesy creatures we usually see - infantilised versions that match up with how adults see children. They're simply smaller people, honestly written and speaking as I remember peers speaking when I was their age. Whether he's interacting with adults or children, the writing and delivery for Billy is consistent. His awards - including a BAFTA - were well-deserved. Julie Walters (who also scooped a BAFTA and other awards for this role) was a nice surprise as I had forgotten she was in this until I saw her name on the opening credits. She's never less than wonderful, and as reliable as ever here, with lots of lovely little touches, such as the funny visual early in the film where she walks between two rows of children practicing ballet, leans in to physically move Billy's leg into the correct position, then casually retrieves her lit cigarette from the girl behind Billy, into whose hand she has propped it (I must confess some concern as to her character's motives early in the film after the close up of her touching Billy's leg. When Billy later outright asked if she fancied him, it was a relief to see her amusement). Such little visual treats are to be found throughout the film. Stephen Daldry's direction weaves in some quirky little moments without ever becoming distracting. An example of this would be Billy looking at a girl on the other side of the road.. a bus goes by and after it's passed she is nowhere to be seen. Visually, the film is also a love letter to mining towns, the working class and 1980s childhood. The rows of terraces with their are vividly shot, juxtaposing with the bleak colliery. There's a real sense of community here, with the people dotting the streets and back lanes adding to the rich texture. As the poster says, it's "an indelible portrait of time and place" and one can almost taste the mid-Eighties here. Like Pride - which I watched a year ago (though it feels like a couple of months) - this is set against the grim backdrop of the miners' strike. Here, as there, there is a joyful vein running through the film that would feel entirely inappropriate were it not for the fact that it feels it's honouring the principles and struggles of the people who were facing terrible difficulties whilst being maligned by both the press and the evil government causing the financial difficulties (Thatcher's "the enemy within" comment is referenced  here once again). There's an incredibly powerful scene where Billy's dad gets on the '"scab"bus to go to work in order to raise funds to get Billy to London. He is seen by his horrified older son who breaks into the colliery and convinces him not to give in. It's an efficient way of showing the desperation faced by the miners, bringing it to life in the context of this story. While I liked the scenes with Billy's cross-dressing friend having a crush on him, I really wasn't mad on the Michael we saw as an adult who was evidently both gay and dressed as a woman. It just seemed too much, and was arguably an unhelpful image (most gay men I've met don't cross dress. And most trans people I've met aren't gay. I'm sure there are exceptions, as here, but I just don't know what the takeaway would have been for a mainstream audience in 2000).  I did like that Billy's reaction was to be both uncomfortable (as would have been the norm the era) and ultimately accepting. And yet still conflicted enough to punch out another boy who touched his arm while calling him a "bent bastard". It's ugly, but very truthful given the era and Billy's background. I also feel the film could perhaps have gone a little harder and darker in terms of the opposition from Billy's family to his dancing. The household is made up of Billy and two miners (his father and older brother), and while their aversion and prejudices were touched upon, I felt they were won over just that bit too easily. But I suppose it can't go on forever and we have a running time of less than two hours in which to tell the story. All told, a really nice little film that I would watch again.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?