JOHN RENBOURN The Black Balloon ratings distribution 5.00 (1 ratings) Essential: a masterpiece of rock music (100%) Excellent addition to any rock music collection (0%) Good, but non-essential (0%) Collectors/fans only (0%) Poor. Structurally and cinematically, The Black Balloon sticks to the coming-of-age basics, but [director] Down has a gift for conveying time and place. Nothing less than entertaining and enjoyable! Luke Ford was excellent with portraying Charlie and Rhys Wakefield's exceptional representation of having to live with a disabled sibling will hopeful make the public think about the family life of a disabled child/adult before they stop and stare and whisper. Toni Collette plays the mother of an autistic son. The Black Balloon opens with an awkward dance between filmmaker and audience, the latter trying to suss whether the able-bodied actor is playing an autistic character or is lazily impersonating the illness, all obvious ticks and embarrassingly broad gestures. There are no reviews yet for this film. is the unspoken challenge laid down by “The Black Balloon,” a harrowing, unsentimental portrait of a middle-class Australian family whose oldest son has severe autism compounded by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Much attention has risen from the production of this film by debut feature film director Elissa Down. A entertaining yet sometimes uncomfortable movie. Being a clinical psychologist myself, I have to work with autistic children. Australian filmmaker Elissa Down's THE BLACK BALLOON is a thoughtful film, down to earth with no apology in depicting a close-knit family of four (Toni Collette as Mom who is pregnant with a fifth member coming, Erik Thomson as Dad whose army life demanded constant moving, and two teenage sons: Luke Ford as Charlie the autistic one who is older in age but not in behavior, and Rhys Wakefield as baby-face Thomas in his uneasy growing teen period) - taking on living with autistic challenges everyday (sometimes by the moment). Scenes that make me laugh and scenes which make me want to punch something. Movie Info After a stressed man accidentally releases 100 balloons into the sky, a lone black balloon escapes the rest and comes to life. The Black Balloon. People who thought that this movie isn't worth watching should seriously get a life. If love means accepting someone the way that they are and the way that they are not, the biggest test of that love may come if you must spend your life with an individual that is so disabled that they require constant attention to ensure their safety and that of others. Erik Thomson plays a shy 16 year old who's constantly embarrassed by his severely autistic brother, an excellent Luke Ford. From a medical point of view, autism is a development disorder that affects behavioural patterns of the affected person. Rhys Wakefield portrays an adolescent teen amazingly. I felt guilty laughing in some scenes, hopefully it is not a sign of underlying mental issues! Deep and good for meditation, and that's it, 6/10. Balloon isn't as exciting as the real-life story that inspired it, but it remains a solidly made and often engrossing political thriller. In spite of that, The Black Balloon gives you a whole new idea of how the modern times face the mental ill and what is they're place in our houses. It is directed by first-time feature film director, Elissa Down. Overall, cinema-goers prefer the movie, giving it an average score of 83%, compared to film critics, who gave it a lower average score of 72%. When i saw this movie i was in tears. The story is touching, sometimes side-splittingly funny, sometimes tragically upsetting, but ultimately uplifting. His father serves in the armed forces and the family has to relocate regularly. I gave this movie a 10/10 because I felt the movie portrayed exactly how life is for a family with a disabled child. The Black Balloon was the big winner at the 2008 AFI awards: as well as the two acting wins, it took home Best Film and Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. | Review by defective_saint ★★★★ A truly great movie from Australia. The movie is good, it's not over dramatic nor boring, but the situation between Thom and Jackie brings this movie to close to American Sunday afternoon crap, which is quite a pity. FAQ It's brilliant; a beautifully balanced comedy-drama that makes you laugh as much as it makes you cry, sometimes in the same scene. This film is an effective coming-of-age drama with the backdrop of autism. It's a pity this film will not be more widely seen. External Reviews The story of two brothers: Charlie & Thomas, and the latter's coming of age - a thoughtful, heartfelt family film in spite of the tough subject of autism, A powerful, unsentimental cry from the heart, Australian #52FilmsByWomen #DirectedByWomen – In Progress. That my other cousin well her older sister had to do the same things that Thomas had to do when she was young and when i look back upon it now she never complained she was alway the quite one and she was always there for her sister. Ratings, review and more on Cinafilm.com | Never before have I ever been put on such a roller-coaster of emotion from mind-blowingly intense scenes to scenes which make me feel sick. Luke Ford is amazing as Charlie, reminiscent of Leonardo Di Caprio in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" The Black Balloon establishes this family with a delicate mixture of tenderness and pain. Select Your Cookie Preferences. Life isn't easy for Thomas. He develops his first crush (Gemma Ward) who seems like she is more accepting to his brother's condition than he is. Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle The movie is based on the everyday effects of living with a disabled sibling which I'm sure many siblings will relate to (I know my older girls will). It's good to see an Australian film that tackles such a difficult subject, and does so brilliantly. Wakefield anchors the well-paced quieter moments. The drama never becomes morose and there's a playful tone running through the film. Utterly charming, possibly one of my favourite shorts ever ? Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) has just started at a new high school. The Black Balloon is ultimately a small story, one that runs the all too familiar gambit of coming of age, first love, growing into maturity and negotiating your own sense of youthful acceptance. Awards With a notable essemble which include the likes of supermodel Gemma Ward, and prowess-much Toni Collette, a truly heart-warming and melodramatic storyline was intrinsic. A tender and witty portrayal of a family coping with autism, The Black Balloon is heartfelt without being schmaltzy or moralizing. Sign up here. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Open for comments. The film “The Black Balloon”, is a 2008 Australian AFI award-winning dramatic feature film that stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward; as well as a cast of newcomers.It is directed by first-time feature film director, Elissa Down, Despite being set in the early 1990’s, the movie, “The Black Balloon” still contains relevant messages for audiences in the modern … | Is The Black Balloon any good? Autism is a subject most filmmakers fear to broach, but not Aussie newcomer Elissa Down, she attacks the issue with honesty and passion. When looking for autism I happened to find some very brilliant ones, like Ben-X and this movie. This is standard Hallmark fare but to its credit it never tries to hide from that. Amateur reviewers were more … All rights reserved. The Black Balloon Movie Review. I just dreaded the idea of watching it, for some reason. Copyright © Fandango. But it describes those things in some unfamiliar territory through its frank and honest depiction of autism, and hence comes recommended. The Black Balloon is not so much a warts and all story as a warts, tears … Her autistic son Charlie is a trial for the entire family and for his mother, whose life is so static and day in day out, she has come to accept Charlie for the person he is and she does this through simple love. Thomas and Jackie's friendship, blossoming into a chaste romance, is the dramatic engine that powers The Black Balloon, but it's far from the most important relationship in the film. This one should have been left on the shelf, for true Aussie film obsessives only, can't imagine many but the home market would rave over this plain fare, very parochial indeed. With: Luke Ford, Rhys Wakefield and Toni Collette. Are you sitting comfortably? Within its resolutely mainstream parameters, The Black Balloon courses with a firsthand feel for languorous Aussie summers, the shifting scales of love and hate in sibling relationships, and the earned wit that helps families cope with difficult situations. The film shows in harrowing detail what it's like to take care of someone with severe autism. Dependable Toni Collette keeps it grounded, disappearing into her role as the incredibly patient mother. I have a cousin who is autistic she is not as bad as Charlie the character though and she can be a handful and quite annoying at stages and i never ever saw it from the other point of view. The Black Balloon (2008) - Reviews & Comments. | This week's films. The Black Balloon (2008) Movie Reviews - Cinafilm has 242 reviews of The Black Balloon from movie critics and film fans. T he Black Balloon occasionally sidles right up to the edge of heartwarming schmaltziness, but writer-director Elissa Down’s semi-autobiographical film always manages to counter its indie clichés with a sober sense of the volatility that comes from living with an autistic individual. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Read the complete critics reviews & previews for the hollywood movie The Black Balloon only on FilmiBeat. This Aussie charmer charts its own course. Thomas is 15 years old, and lives with his family. Congrats boys, once again you have floored me completely So it does make me more grateful for life. It's a film about a supposedly real-world set-up that never feels true, even though the people who made it clearly set out to treat their subject matter and the audience with respect. It’s not easy being Thomas. Such is the case for the parents and siblings of Charlie Mollison (Luke Ford) in first-time director Elissa Down's The Black Balloon, the story of a family that has to muster all of its strength to cope with their disabled son Charlie. There isn't a weak performance, and as usual Toni Collette gives a believable portrayal of a mother whose strength holds her family together. The black balloon itself is an excellent device for honing in on this collection of manic New Yorkers, proclaiming nothing but reflecting (both materially and abstractly) so much of the people it finds along its way. I saw 'The Black Balloon' last night as a charity event for our local disability services. A claustrophobic, kitchen sink type tale of two brothers, one "normal" , one not so normal. It's compassionate but unblinking, and in the end we can't help but admire the genuine strength of how its characters accept their special challenge. and the Terms and Policies, is the unspoken challenge laid down by “The Black Balloon,” a harrowing, unsentimental portrait of a middle-class Australian family whose oldest son has severe autism compounded by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A film that mostly skirts artifice and sentimentality for a truer portrait of a family battered and bruised but nowhere near broken. Approved third parties also use … Direction: Elissa Down. Charlie is neither a high-functioning Aspergers sufferer who initiates his own activities and challenges like Christopher Boone in Haddons novel, nor a savant like Raymond Babbit in Rain Man, with a phenomenal memory for counting cards. The Black Balloon is a 2008 Australian comedy-drama film starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is an authentic demonstration of what it's like to live with one of the most enigmatic of mental disorders, autism, which afflicts about one person in 1000 (the more common and milder Asperger's syndrome affects about 6 in every thousand). Offer help and do not fear them for they are angels in disguise. Today's best video Unable to speak or communicate with other than grunts and sign language, he is not only autistic but suffers from attention deficit disorder with hyperactive tendencies. Review: The Black Balloon. The text evaluates themes and events within the Australian film, "The Black Balloon." Would you find in yourself the seemingly infinite reserves of love and patience possessed by the Mollisons, the movie’s itinerant, highly stressed army … Who happens to be severely autistic. The audience at my screening were very quiet, yes I know it is a drama, but some aspects of Charlie behavior and reactions of others is quite funny. Elissa Down's The Black Balloon, a semi-autobiographical piece that layers the experience of autism within a suburban family over a more traditional coming of age story, is officially the first Australian cinema success story of the new year. In that bouquet, a lone black balloon scurries free from the rest. His older brother, Charlie (Luke Ford) is autistic and his mother (Toni Collette) is pregnant of the third child. The film was released in Australian cinemas on 6 March 2008. Metacritic Reviews. He's not able to speak and because he's the size of an adult, caring for him is not easy. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy And being a movie freak, I once decided to download as many movies as possible depicting mental illnesses. Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie. The movie provides a perspective on the effects of mental health upon a domestic environment and presents commentary on coming-of-age as an Australian teen. The article analyses the nature of the protagonist's family under the stresses generated by a severely autistic child and a disjointed familial relationship. A plea for understanding of a mysterious condition. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Black Balloon at Amazon.com. The other performances are great, especially Toni Collette's performance as the mother who struggles to keep everything together. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Her performance is real and a driving force in the film. The Black Balloon. At its sharpest Elissa Down's feature directorial debut is guided by intense, rough-edged emotional swings that feel authentically alive, even when the script settles for tidiness. It sometimes skirts melodrama territory, but the deep emotions ultimately are real and gratifying. The film's vision is neither a grim wallow nor falsely cheerful. All who attending the movie premier were people who live and breath disabilities. I suppose it was because I was afraid it would fall into the typical upsetting clichés about people with disabilities: kids taunting them, adults misunderstanding them and, in general, the world being a miserable place to them. Which reminds me they are coming up for Christmas so it will be a lot of laughs i cant wait to see them both. This paper is based on The Black balloon movie (2008), an award winning film that features how autism affects one military family. The Black Balloon is different as it looks steadily at a family living each day with an autistic teenager. As my folks both worked in mental health care facilities, this movie reminded me of visits to their workplace. It's tender, heart-wrenching, uplifting, and really pulls you in. He rubs his feces into the carpet. So i now find it so upsetting to just figure it out now what she had to deal with on top of her parents divorcing and what so many other people out there who have autistic people in there families have to manage with and they don't seem to make a fuss about it. The Black Balloon was released in 2008 and has generally received positive reviews. Collette aside, there is no wow factor in The Black Balloon -- just a not-bad story told with better-than-average skill. Read critic reviews You might also like I seriously loved this family flick. User reviews Read user reviews. He runs through the neighborhood in his underpants. Online reviewers have written 242 reviews, giving The Black Balloon (2008) an average rating of 72%. He throws a tantrum in a supermarket. To call him a 'handful' would be a gross understatement. I recommend it to anyone. The Black Balloon Movie Review. Luke Ford's portrayal of an autistic character is genuine. So, quite naturally, Thomas struggles with growing up. And after watching this movie it does make me see what my cousin is going through. The Black Balloon directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down, is a clever combination of two types of story, the coming of age romantic comedy, and a family drama with disability. Charlie is now a teenager but his mental age is around two. Informative and worth watching. His brother Charlie (Luke Ford) has severe Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder. This scenario has been played out numerous times before and on a couple of occasions much better than this one . The Black Balloon is marked by the fiercest bravery you're likely to encounter on screen this year. There are wrenching scenes that are brutally stark, yet there remains a steady sense of calm that is touching and sensitive without ever turning sentimental. Check out The Black Balloon critics reviews. Are you a tolerant, open-minded person reading this? They act extremely weird. Some events are predictable (like the taunting by class-mates and social awkwardness) but they are probably part and parcel of every coming of age drama. The Black Balloon, portrays the youth of Thomas Mollison (Rhys Wakefield) under the direction of Elissa Down. The amount of attention given to Charlie is felt by Thomas and the enormous responsibility of caring for a disabled sibling at the age of 16 years was heartbreaking for him. While his pregnant mother (Toni Collette) is on bed rest for some part of the movie and father (Erik Thomson) working, Thomas goes through some brother-to-brother challenges when taking care of him. The film “The Black Balloon”, is a 2008 Australian AFI award-winning dramatic feature film that stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward; as well as a cast of newcomers.It is directed by first-time feature film director, Elissa Down, Despite being set in the early 1990’s, the movie, “The Black Balloon” still contains relevant messages for audiences in the modern … I am a parent of an autistic boy and employed to work with special needs children, I found this movie to be funny, heart warming and realistic to memories of my own child. 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