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Title: Gotta dance...
Review: Like "The Full Monty," this film is a comic (but in no way belittling) treatment of hard times in a socially-challenged small town. The accents are thick and some of the cultural references are a bit curious, but there's no denying the true heart pumping through the story.*** Billy Elliot is an 11-year-old boy who secretly ditches his boxing lessons for ballet class. His father and older brother are both participants in a bitter miner's strike gripping their town in northeastern England. The whole family is also still in recovery-mode following the death of Billy's mother.*** Billy's exuberance and talent (and actor Jamie Bell's) are such a joy to behold. It makes it all the more poignant when he has to face his dad and brother's discovery of his dancing (as the audience knows they must). Billy is the title hero here, but by the film's end, every character has made their own stunning contributions.
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