Billy Elliot: Put Your Dancing Shoes On!

Billy Elliot is a 2000 film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry.

Billy Elliot’s father (Gary Lewis) wanted him to be a boxer, however; Billy (Jaime Bell) has other ideas. He wanted to be a ballet dancer. His father and older brother, Tony (Jamie Draven) are both coil miners on strike. Despite not being able to earn money, Billy’s father sent him to the Sports Center to practice boxing. There he met dance teacher Georgia Wilkinson (Julie Walters) and joined her ballet class without telling his father. Billy showed potential and Georgia is convinced his skills should be developed more. She trained him to join the Royal Ballet School located in London. Meanwhile, Billy struggled with his best friend Michael’s sexuality and his bitter relationship with his brother. Eventually, his father found out when Billy’s boxing instructor asked him why Billy’s been absent from his boxing practices. When Billy’s father found out, he was furious and told Billy to stop his foolishness. He eventually accepted because he saw that his son has some real talent. His father and his fellow miners raised money to send Billy to the Royal Ballet School where he gets accepted.

Determination. Passion. Happiness. These are the themes of the movie. The movie teaches us to never stop reaching our dreams even if we sometimes fail. Passion for the things we love to do fuel us to be better and to never stop believing in ourselves. In never giving up, we learn lessons in life and grow more as persons.

Billy is a symbol of determination and strong perseverance. His father and brother, on the other hand, is a symbol of society’s norms and prejudices against homosexuality. Georgia is a representation of a dedicated teacher willing to forget teaching as a source of income but as a calling.

The movie has humor and that’s a big thing for an audience like me. It presents the irony and reality of life. It even made me cry just a little. I love how a young boy like Billy was able to be certain of his decisions although he is still young. He also matured when he began not to care for people’s biases about men dancing ballet. People around him are bringing him down but he doesn’t mind them and continues to make himself better. He is such an inspiration for his peers.

The movie’s music was good. Although the music repertoire was quite old, I still could not help moving to its beat. The choreography of Billy’s dances was also good. The movie’s cinematography was excellent. I also observed that there are many long shots and the point of view used was bird’s eye view. The location was also excellent because you can feel the “countryside vibe.” No doubt that the characters’ acting was superb. I sometimes felt surprised by the diversity of each character and how their personalities clash.

I recommend this movie for those who are feeling down and those who need a boost in their confidence. This movie inspires dreamers. Failure may come and test us once in a while but it is our choice to get back up and try again. This is a “feel good” movie that can give the audience a strong sense of self. It leaves us reflecting upon ourselves and upon the people around us.

Cinema Paradiso: Things Weren’t This Complicated

Cinema Paradiso, a three-hour long film directed by Giuseppe Tornatore revolves around true love, the fulfillment of dreams, the importance of family and the unbreakable bond of trust.

At the start of the movie, famous director Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin) returned to his hometown Giancaldo, Sicily after 30 years of not visiting the place. He went back home to witness the burial of his old friend, Alfredo (Philipp Noiret). Before he actually arrived in Giancaldo, he recalled the deep friendship he shared with Alfredo. He first met Alfredo when he was six years old. Alfredo worked as a projectionist in the Cinema Paradiso, Salvatore’s favorite movie house. At first, Alfredo saw Toto (Salvatore’s nickname) as a nuisance but then he grew attached to the boy and taught him how to use the projector. Alfredo taught Toto various aspects of filmmaking. In an unfortunate accident in the Paradiso, Alfredo became blind and Toto was tasked to work as his replacement. As Toto grew up to be a dashing young man, he also met the girl of his dreams. Elena (Agnes Nano), the daughter of a wealthy banker, caught Toto’s eye the first time they met. Toto worked hard to gain Elena’s affection and he did. However, all his hard work became useless as Elena’s parents greatly disapprove of their relationship. With more work from Elena’s parents, eventually the couple separated. To heal his wounded heart, Alfredo told Toto to leave the village and pursue his dream as a director. Toto became a successful director and returned to his hometown where he would soon meet Elena again.

Trust is a fragile thing. When it is broken, it will be hard to restore. This was evident in the movie when Toto discovered that Alfredo was behind him and Elena’s separation. He was hurt and he felt very stupid for giving Alfredo all his trust. He looked as if he won’t ever forgive the old man but alas, he did. Toto knew that Alfredo was doing it for his own good. Alfredo wanted him to realize his full potential. To realize his dream of becoming a film director.

The shots were okay. The location was perfect. (It was in Tornatore’s hometown!) The characters portrayed their roles very well.

My only problem is the length of the film. Honestly, it was so long that it lulled some of us to sleep. I only wish the director deleted unnecessary scenes because there sure were a lot of them. The movie would’ve been more interesting and appealing to the viewers if only some scenes were cut or deleted. It will save time and will give way to more efficient scenes.

There were symbolisms present in the film. One was the anchor. It symbolized the Toto’s difficulty in letting Elena go. The projection room was a silent witness to Toto and Alfredo’s fatherly bond. Cinema Paradiso symbolized the crowd’s past time activity. Alfredo represents the mentality of a father: protective, supportive and utterly caring. Lastly, the films gathered by Toto when he was young also symbolize his and Alfredo’s memories together.

Leit motifs include the lion-shaped peep hole of Alfredo, people doing different sort of things at a cinema, Toto’s worn out car, the projector and the films.

I recommend this movie to people who love watching films and those who like to observe the effect of mass media to society at large. It also presents a complex story of romance and commitment.

Make sure that in watching this film, you have lots of time to spare because this movie is indeed long.

Film enthusiasts, hopeless romantics and those who just feel like watching this film, enjoy!

Newbie on the Block

..And I am once again back on Blogger! Very happy to be able to share my thoughts again. Been busy these past two years. We actually have to post our film reviews on a blog. I originally wanted to post them on my Tumblr account but I decided, why not revive my Blogger account? I missed this so much.

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