Monday 31 January 2011

A-Z #23: Billy Elliot

You can pick up hundreds of DVD's for a buck each - it doesn't matter. Its never about quantity, its about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and justifying why I own the films...



#23 - Billy Elliot 

Why did I buy it?

I bought this film twice actually. The single-disc on its first release - and the special edition later on. I watched it at the cinema at the tender age of 17 and simply adored it. As lame as it is, there was a point during University whereby I sold off a bunch of older copies of DVD's only to purchase them for a very small amount as special editions. It didn't take long before I realised how truly crap some 'second' discs are. If I'm honest, this 'special edition' only has a couple of 10-minute featurettes on the musical - hardly a worthwhile swap.

Why do I still own it?

I have the intention of writing a post comparing the film with the musical - I hope to do the same with Sister Act, The Lion King and Chicago. But, alas, this is the first post I write regarding the film and it is still in the collection because it is incredible. The soundtrack features The Jam and lots of T-Rex whilst the film presents outstanding performances from Julie Walters, Jamie Bell and that dude from Byker Grove in a minor role as the piano-player ("if you want my opinion, I think you look like a right wanker"). Stephen Daldry (The Hours, The Reader) directs and the writing of Lee Hall (currently writing the film-adaptation of War Horse) pefectly balances the frustrations and anger of the miners strikes during the eighties with a coming-of-age tale as young Billy ("Go-o-o-o Billy!") realises he is a flawless dancer.

Every time I watch the film, as the film ends and the Swan Lake ballet picks up pace, gathering momentum, only to freeze as the now-older Billy balances perfectly in the air mid-performance. It brings emotion to my face every time.

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4 comments:

  1. And which emotion does it bring to your face? ;)

    Never seen it...I think it's on my list of flicks to see this year, though...

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  2. Okay, lets define this 'emotion in the face' thing. Y'know the feeling you get before you cry - whereby all your blood rushes to your face - and often you won't cry (or will stop yourself from crying) - well, you can't stop that emotion-in-your-face... whether you cry or not. (sounds littlle perverse but c'mon... I'm sure extreme happiness and extreme whatever have some biological link)

    You must watch the film though Fletch - considering your aversion to anything pre-1977-that-doesn't-star-Paul-Newman (that would mean, with Brit cinema, no Hitchcock, no David Lean or Carol Reed...) I reckon this would be up there in a Top 5 Brit Films For Fletch list.

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  3. Crazy timing - i just saw this on Broadway on Saturday. Now I'm desperate to see the movie again. It's really such a terrific story - tackles the impossibility of making "Bally" macho.

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  4. Yeah - i saw the musical on the West End here in London! Like I said ... I must write a comparitive piece!

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