In a British mining community in the early 80s, in the midst of a union strike his bitter father and rebellious brother are taking part in, a sensitive young boy catches the eye of the local ballet troupe during his boxing instruction and, against all logical probability, determines to be a dancer. Director Stephen Daldry's smash hit works great as series of self-contained scenes, but is jumbled and incoherent when strung together, especially the interspersed dances sequences. The same can be said of the strike scene are also superbly crafted but play no better than a music video and add very little to the picture. The movie does have true spirit, although many of its endearing turns aren't always believable That being said, Jamie Bell thrives in the title role and Julie Walters is a standout as his dance instructor.
