november 3.2000 * Ju st out. 3 7
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ARTISTS REPERTORYTHEATRE
Billy (Jamie Bell, left) shows his best friend, Michael (Stuart Wells), the ropes
Keep on moving
Dancing gets B illy E llio t and Go off on the right foot
by J im
B il l y E l l i o
t
R
egardless of sexual orientation, everyone
has endured childhood traumas involving
conformity, comfort and coercion. What
gives Billy Elliot such universal appeal is how it
rekindles these unpleasant memories while
maintaining an uplifting tone.
First-time gay director Stephen Daldry has
crafted what undoubtedly is the feel-good
movie of the year. This normally would be a
warning sign for most filmgoers to steer clear,
but keep in mind there’s a big difference
between manipulative “inspirational” rubbish
(Pay It Forward , Remember the Titans ) and the
real deal. Billy Elliot is the real deal.
It tells the story of an 11-year-old British
boy who stumbles upon a ballet class after
another frustrating boxing lesson. Despite the
fact that no other guys would be caught dead
dancing, Billy joins in and comes to learn he
has a hidden talent.
Before he knows it, he’s lying to his conser
vative family in order to conceal his secret
shame. (Sound familiar?) O f course, he soon is
caught, but he responds with defiant pride
(ahem) that’s nothing short of infectious. And
his close-minded father eventually learns to
accept him for who he is. (Do you detect a
theme here?)
Jamie Bell gives an Oscar-worthy perform
ance as a boy filled with energy for his new
found passion but also rage over his mother’s
early death. Julie Walters, an Academy Award
nominee for Educating Rita, is his chain-smok
ing instructor whose frustration with her stu
dent’s temper is matched only by her belief in
his potential.
Daldry shows great promise in his ability to
incorporate gritty realism— the movie is set
during the heated 1984 coal miners strike,
which is tearing Billy’s family apart— with
moments of sheer whimsical fantasy. He
recently was named best director during the
third annual British Independent Film Awards.
Although we never learn whether Billy
grows up to be gay, he does have a best friend,
Michael (Stuart Wells), who likes boys. When
he receives an unwelcome kiss, he doesn’t get
upset but calmly responds, “Just because I like
ballet doesn’t mean I’m a poof.”
This interaction is surprisingly brave for a
film that could do for tutus what The Full
Monty did for stripping and W aking bled Devine
did for the lottery. A n d given the presumptu
ous tenor o f the Measure 9 debate, how
refreshing to see a dignified representation o f a
preteen boy who already is in tune with his
homosexuality.
R adosta
Go
A
dance movie for the nonfrilly set awaits
renters on video and DVD. Whereas Billy
Elliot depicts the refined grace of ballet, 1999 s
Go explores the pumping rhythms of raves.
Director Doug Liman, who brought audi
ences behind the scenes into the world of hip
sters in Swingers, this time opts for a more chal
lenging crowd: Generation Xers who just want
to have some fun. He employs a nonlinear style
that is reminiscent of both Quentin Tarantino’s
Pulp Fiction and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon.
Go — like the best films of another hot
young auteur, Richard Linklater (Dazed and
Confused )—focuses on one night in the lives of
several people. Then, it rewinds and shows the
evening all over again but from the perspective
of a new character.
The story starts out from the perspective of
a supermarket checkout girl who makes a failed
attempt at drug dealing to avoid eviction. It
then is seen through the eyes of a British
sleazeball on a road trip to Las Vegas.
The final view is that of two gay soap opera
stars turned police informants. Then, the story
picks up where these three segments end, and
Liman brings it all to a surprising yet hilarious
conclusion.
Among the talented cast members are Tom
Cruise look-alike Scott Wolf (Party of Five)
and character actor Jay Mohr (Jerry Maguire) as
the closeted celebrities. Timothy Olyphant,
recently seen in The Broken Hearts Club, plays
it straight here as a drug dealer.
Go—as its kinetic title suggests— maintains
an energetic pace that never quits. These char
acters are living life on the edge, constantly
pushing the limits of the law, of their relation
ships and of sanity.
Both Stringers and Go take some wicked
jabs at both Los Angeles and Las Vegas and are
packed with regional lingo. John August’s
script includes dialogue like “Don’t go all 818
on me” (referring to the San Fernando Valley’s
area code) and nicknames such as “Orange
County” (a yuppie).
One of the most impressive aspects of Go is its
ability to explore racy issues without offending.
Recent films seem to be reveling in their depravi
ty, but Liman keeps the tone fresh and frivolous.
Although drug use is a major theme here,
G o manages to strike the perfect balance: It
neither glamorizes nor preaches about the sub
ject. T he ending simply speaks for itself. J f T }
A fter years o f study, Copy Editor
J IM R a d o s t a has mastered “The Safety Dance ”
He can be reached at pm @ justout.com .
T H R O U G H D E C E M B E R 1 7, 2 0 0 0
MURRAY HORWITZ & RICHARD MALTBY, JR.
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