It's a well-meaning film, marked by Luke Ford's sensitive portrayal of a disabled character. But the main character is bland, imparting the same vibe on the rest of the film.
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08/14/09
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The Black Balloon (2008)
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:35
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: A tender and witty portrayal of a family coping with autism, The Black Balloon is heartfelt without being schmaltzy or moralizing.
Theatrical Release:Dec 5, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: The Black Balloon is a story about fitting in, discovering love, and accepting your family. It’s not easy being Thomas. He’s turning sixteen; and moving into a new house, and school. His older... [More]
Starring: Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Erik Thomson
Director: Elissa Down
Reviews for The Black Balloon
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04/23/09
Elissa Down approaches autism without being maudlin, placing the messy action in a summery realm where bronzed kids learn to grow up, fast.
12/03/08
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.
03/06/09
Collette aside, there is no wow factor in The Black Balloon -- just a not-bad story told with better-than-average skill.
03/06/09
The Black Balloon is neither 'Rain Man' nor 'The Other Sister. This Aussie charmer charts its own course.
05/03/09
The Black Balloon, a splendid Australian film about a teenager and his older autistic brother, gets it, from the happy/sad imagery of the title through the uplifting, but not saccharine, finale.
03/06/09
Small Aussie family drama about a likeable teen's acceptance of his severely disturbed older brother is a sweet and sunny charmer that will be a tough sell at theatres but should find its way home to smaller screens.
12/08/08
The youth-oriented movie introduces a glowing young Australian actress with true star potential -- the international model Gemma Ward.
10/18/08
A touching Australian film about a young man's coming-of-age and the re-negotiation of his relationship with his older autistic brother.
12/04/08
Feels stitched together from countless coming of age tales and dramas with mentally impaired characters.
12/04/08
The Black Balloon is marked by the fiercest bravery you're likely to encounter on screen this year.
04/16/09
Where Baz Luhrmann's 'Australia' is bloated, this Aussie pic is a look at a single family in a suburban Australia town, a group that are alternately heartwarming and frustrating.
11/20/08
A writer-director portrays life with an autistic brother to heartwarming effect.
01/12/09
A film that mostly skirts artifice and sentimentality for a truer portrait of a family battered and bruised but nowhere near broken.
04/09/09
Toni Collette gives it the old Little Miss Sunshine try in The Black Balloon as an edge-of-kooky, very pregnant mama presiding over a chaotic household.
12/03/08
Top CriticThis small gem has a very satisfying ending.
12/05/08
Top CriticIt’s a very auspicious debut for this young Australian filmmaker.
03/19/08
Young love triumphs in a terrific Australian indie that deals with autism in an authentic, unsentimental way.
03/06/08
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.
05/01/09
Top CriticLatest News for The Black Balloon
December 09, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
December 07, 2008:
The Black Balloon wins big at the AFIs
Check out the frocks, shocks, trophies and tantrums at the AFI Awards. More...
July 01, 2008:
Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the Scottish city. More...
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