Volume 78 / Number 16, September 17 - 23, 2008
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933

Koch on Film

By Ed Koch

“Mister Foe” (-)
Those who remember the wonderful film, “Billy Elliot” and Jamie Bell’s terrific performance in bringing that character to life, will be disappointed in this movie. What a pity.

In “Mister Foe,” Bell plays the role of the disturbed 17-year-old Hallam Foe. Believing that his father, Julius (Ciaran Hinds), and his new wife, Verity (Claire Forlani), are responsible for his mother’s death in a boating incident, Hallam flees to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he is hired by Kate (Sophia Myles) as a hotel dishwasher.

Hallam becomes obsessed with Kate who reminds him of his mother. He runs across rooftops as though he were Quasimodo of Notre Dame, sans physical deformity, peering in windows observing Kate and her lover engaging in sex.

Scottish accents are sometimes difficult to understand, but the principals in this picture speak English without a Scottish dialect. The acting is ordinary and the emotions evoked are less than overwhelming. I don’t recommend that you see this film. I plan on purchasing tickets to the Broadway musical version of “Billy Elliot” when, once again, I will have the pleasure of seeing Billy dance and overcoming all odds.