Billy Elliot: I like dance movies, and Jamie Bell as Billy struck me as very
genuine. But it was a pretty forgettable film. After seeing it, I thought,
"Cute, but why all the fuss?" And then to be nominated for Best Film at the
Academy Awards? What on earth? The only part of it that sticks out in my
mind is the very last moment, when the grown up Billy leaps across the stage
in his Swan Lake costume. That image was beautiful and satisfying. I still
think on it with fondness.
I wanted to like The Panic Room, but all told, it was ... boring. Good
acting, but Fincher seemed to be playing around with his camera too much; I
don't care what the inside of walls look like. Really. I am still surprised
at how the film didn't seem to be about anything, considering Finch's past
work. If it went over my head, it did so by a mile.
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