A sensitive young boy from a rough industrial town in the north of England, fallen on hard times by the coal miners' strike, hardly seems like the stuff dance movies are made of. Jamie Bell turns in an astoundingly mature performance of a preteen who finds that he has untapped potential as a dancer, and struggles against his family to follow his dream. Most dancers can relate to the concept of dance as an emotional refuge from the rest of the world, which is something that Billy embodies throughout the film. While he's at an audition for an elite performing arts school, he struggles to put his emotions into words. When he's dancing, it's like electricity -- he's not thinking about his out-of-work dad or his dead mother, or worrying about what everyone will think of him, given the fact that everyone in his working class town derides male dancers as a bunch of poofs. It's pure and utter magic, and the look of joy on his face as his dances is captivating to watch.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
