Bell's Billy, on the other hand, is a creation that ultimately comes most alive when the camera gives him some distance and the dialogue stops altogether. Fat tears and loud cries, big speeches, mighty roars, those are the sorts of things that win Oscar gold. The Academy, reflecting mainstream ideas of what constitutes good acting, tends to appreciate the sort of performances that either shine in closeups or indulge in portentous pontification. Regardless of his age, Bell would have been an odd Best Actor nominee, though not an undeserved one. In Billy Elliot, Daldry guided fourteen-year-old Jamie Bell through his first cinematic role, creating a performance of expressive physicality and sublimated angst. Most of all, he's a consistently great director of actors, as agile with consummate queens of the big screen as with youthful newbies. Daldry knows his way around spiffy editing rhythms and an ebullient soundtrack, that's for sure. Nonetheless, I'd be lying if I said the flick doesn't work.įor all its inconsistencies, its facile mechanisms, Billy Elliot's heart is in the right place, and the power of its emotions goes a long way into making it sing a devastating tune about a boy's coming of age. It's messy, often confused about such issues, without a clear perspective despite good intentions to spare. The movie's considerations about gender are only outmatched by its purviews on class and politics when it comes to the matter of incoherent undefinition. Set during the miners ' strike of the mid-80s, there's a perpetual cloud of socioeconomic anxiety looming over every step of the narrative. Stephen Daldry's debut feature is a sentimental triumph about a young English lad who dreams of dancing but feels like he must conform to societal expectations about what's appropriate for a boy. In 2000, the latter was definitely in the Best Actor conversation for the sleeper-hit Billy Elliot…
Kim ( Minari), Jacob Tremblay ( Room), Tom Holland ( The Impossible), Thomas Horn ( Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), Freddie Highmore ( Finding Neverland), and, of course, Jamie Bell. Over the past two decades, several boy wonders have been ignored by the Academy, despite buzz in their years. Only six male children have been nominated in Oscar history in comparison with over a dozen actresses. You can even see this dynamic at play with underage actors. Male actors tend to be rewarded later in life, while the industry often ignores women after they hit a certain age. One of them is the disparity of ages when men and women are recognized for their talents. The ingrained sexism within Hollywood, in general, and AMPAS, in particular, has many consequences. He later took home a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the flick.In preparation for the next Smackdown Team Experience is traveling back to 2000. “One should always be critical of tapping,” Bell laughed.īell starred as Billy Elliot in the 2000 film. RELATED: Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald Star In New Trailer For White Supremacy Drama ‘Skin’ “I gave him so much there.”Īfter revealing his love for the dance form, “I love tapping, I’m very critical about tapping.” He got up and show off his skills. “Billy Elliot here just started grilling all the tapping in ‘Fosse/Verdon’, and that’s all I get after showering him with compliments,” she joked.
RELATED: Jamie Bell And Kate Mara Welcome Their First Child Together - See The Pic!ĭuring their interview, Qualley recalled her last run-in with the “Rocketman” star, when Bell criticized the “Fosse/Verdon” cast’s tap-dancing skills. The actor joined “Fosse/Verdon” star Margaret Qualley on James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” Thursday night and brought out his dance moves. Jamie Bell is getting back to his “Billy Elliot” roots.