Empire Magazine have unveiled their 100 Best British Films Ever poll, and Jamie’s debut film Billy Elliot has been ranked 17th on the list! Check out below what they had to say about the film:

Billy Elliot (2000)
What made this coming-of-age drama feel so fresh was not just the refreshingly unobvious mix of topics, but the deftness with which they were brought together. The devastating Miners’ Strike of 1984 is the backdrop, but in the foreground is an 11 year-old boy who wants to learn ballet. The problems he faces are immense: money, class (even if that’s just a little overegged in the audition scene) and his town’s complete lack of experience with boys who like ballet. Teacher Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters) finds herself almost having to translate between the ballet and miners’ worlds. In the end, though, the mutual bafflement between Billy and his gruff father, and the real love that is revealed underneath, are the key to making this soar even higher than those final jetes.

dempewolf said:

I would also call Jane Eyre (2011) a classic British film. In fact I think the latest film version of the Bronte classic surpasses all the previous versions.

October 8th, 2011