Don't you reckon that Billy Elliot film is a bit fucking sad?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

The way it makes out that as long as you indulge your fucking fantasy and stop being such unimaginative and oppressive working class louts then you'll have it made and then laid out on a plate. I mean, come on, its shit isn't it and they way that the guy was able to leg it over the fence into the pit despite the fact there were millions of riot place all over the gaff. What a joke.

― DANNBOY, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

No, on the contrary, I thought it was a lovely film, all the ballet and everything, up there with my fair lady.

A real rages-to-riches seasonal gem of a film.

― SOMersetADAMS, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

It was a fucking awful film.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I cried.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Not a bad book, though.

― luna (luna.c), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Good use of T.Rex, though.

― don maynard (don maynard), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitive "works like a charm the first time you watch it, but watch out for those diminishing returns" film. I liked the gay stuff the first time around, but the second time I was like "it's just window dressing for another goddamned Rocky."

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a completely redundant film; the only surprising thing was the two twelve year old boys touching willies or whatever. "Do you think he'll make it as a dancer?" "No, I think he'll get shot in the face by a nutter."

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I can handle one anachronistic song in a film but I mean wasn't four fucking TRex songs from the 70's and the film was set in nineteen eighty fucking four.

― dannyboy, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry about all the swearing, especially to any of the fuckinhg children reading this

― dannyboy, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, it got ME into T. Rex, for what it's worth.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Then clearly it is a holy film filled with love.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Boy-love!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

melodrama roxx u r all scabs

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Get orf my picket-line!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked it when the kid rolled his eyes at smarmy Haley Joel Osment's "Aren't We Brilliant?" speech at the Oscars. Go, kid.

― Arthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I can handle one anachronistic song in a film but I mean wasn't four fucking TRex songs from the 70's and the film was set in nineteen eighty fucking four.

Yeah, cos no-one still listened to T-Rex in 1984.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

''I mean, come on, its shit isn't it and they way that the guy was able to leg it over the fence into the pit despite the fact there were millions of riot place all over the gaff.''

the main reason the police were there so that the miners who wanted to work didn't get killed.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down,
the medicine go down,
the medicine go down.
Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down
in the most delightful way.

― Aimless, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The fillum is maybe overrated.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

On re-watching Billy Elliot after watching Kes I realised that it was a pure commericial rip-off. It was shameless. How did the director have the audactity to shamefacedly lift the stealing of a 'library book' from Kes? The authenticity of the film Kes, stands out a mile when placed next to Billy Elliot.

― kayT (kaytee), Thursday, 1 January 2004 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

It was obv a kes rip off but still that's no reason not to watch this.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 1 January 2004 13:09 (twenty-one years ago)

What did it give that Kes didn't do better?

― kayT (kaytee), Thursday, 1 January 2004 13:12 (twenty-one years ago)

kes didn't do ballet? (I watched it a few years ago)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 1 January 2004 13:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Well observed. It was all about passion and motivation. They didn't use child actors in Kes. They were kids from the local estate. I guess many couldn't understand the Yorkshire dialect in Kes, as I am sure they had to put sub-titles on for southerners.

― kayT (kaytee), Thursday, 1 January 2004 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

While I dislike Billy Elliott, I really feel the need to say (again) that authenticity is not necessarily a desirable quality.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 1 January 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

It is a desirable quality when its a film about the reality of poverty, poor education and emotional neglect. An authentic approach is considerably more powerful than the contrived approach adopted by the Billy Elliot film-maker.

― kayT (kaytee), Thursday, 1 January 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

so what was it about the approach that was contrived?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 1 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Contrived? Snooty school with severe issues of class-ism lets a poor picketing miner's son hoof with them on a near free ride?

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

well they didn't give any insight on 'class' issues at the royal ballet school.

and what gave you the impression that they allowed him on a 'near free ride'?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 1 January 2004 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Is the whole movie not about class? I thought the Margaret Thatcher era was invoked for a reason.

Re: the free ride... He finished didn't he? Ain't no way he could afford it. Ain't no way Julie Walters could afford it.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 1 January 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't the point that he was so good that he won a scholarship?

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 1 January 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah i thought he got a scholarship.

I'm not saying isn't over-sentimental and of course there's lots of class issues that has been covered elsewhere but what i liked was the bits that dealt with the emotional neglect that the boy went through and the family's struggle to overcome the mother/wife's death.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 1 January 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a dreadful film from the point of view to its slavish dedication to cause, effect and utter, utter predictability. It's quite charming in places, I guess.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 1 January 2004 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

er...'predictable', like most movies are.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 2 January 2004 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

This demands a thread on "homage" vs. "ripoff" and where the line is.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Friday, 2 January 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, yes Julio. But even Hollywood movies have levels of predictability, and it's easier sometimes to suspend cynicism. Not with BE.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 2 January 2004 10:10 (twenty-one years ago)

there are no levels of predictability. it is or isn't.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 2 January 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Yesterday I found myself agreeing with a post of yours. I was surprised. Now I know that normal service has been resumed.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Of course there are levels of predictability! How on earth aren't there? Are you saying when you find a film predictable you suddenly deduce what will happen in every scene until the end?

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 2 January 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I think with most (not all) movies you can pretty much guess what will happen in the end if the storyline is kind of similar to other movies. this apllies here with Billy elliot/kes.

but how does a movier being predictable make it bad?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 2 January 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.