Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Gorgeous Chocolateness Hand held camera, over amplified traffic noises, mumbling dialogue. This movie has artistic merit and is worth watching if gritty depressing, but sometimes beautiful films are your cup of tea. It is interesting to see what actors with no formal training came up with, and some of the picture shots are impressive. I found myself working hard to find things to like about the film, but the overall impression is one of poverty, bleakness and disconnection. There are a very few moments of hope, colour and love. The ending made me laugh. I felt hoodwinked - what? I just sat through That for This? Incredulous! But sometimes thats what life is like - a dull and depressing ride with no meaning.

Mike B Melancholy is an apt description of this film. It takes place in Mississippi during the winter. Its' about a woman with her son whose ex-husband has just died (from suicide). His twin brother also attempted suicide.These 3 main characters (mother, son and ex-brother-in-law) slowly undergo a transformation during this film for the better. Initially the young boy is mixed up in the wrong drug crowd and is giving his Mom a tough time. As the film moves along, she re-opens the store that her ex-husband had and the boy is gaining some equilibrium. We get to know a lot of what is ailing the mother and son, but there is not much revelation as to why these suicide and attempted suicide took place. There is also not much to explain the combativeness between the mother and her ex-brother-in-law.So the story moves along until….It abruptly ends.I thought there was something the matter with the DVD. Did they run out of money? Was it a budget cut?

evanston_dad "Ballast" takes a while to draw you in, and you might give up on it before it does, but it's a film that rewards patience.The three characters at the film's focus are Lawrence, Marlee and James, all eking out existences in the Mississippi Delta. Marlee is a single mom whose wayward son, James, is flirting with drugs, guns and other anti-social tendencies. Lawrence is the twin brother of Marlee's late husband, who has committed suicide as the film opens, and Lawrence himself is fighting depression and his own thoughts of suicide after the loss of his brother.This bleak scenario does not become clear all at once. It takes time to figure out who these people are and what their relations are to one another. And even then, the film isn't forthcoming about everything. Marlee and Lawrence clearly have a contentious past, and we get the gist even if we don't ever learn the details. The three form a kind of tentative bond as they realize that they're all the family any of them have, and as Marlee and Lawrence begin to partner in running the convenience store the two brothers inherited from their father."Ballast" is one of those indie movies that makes wherever it's set look like the most depressing place on earth. There are long static shots of mundane images, like trains passing or birds taking flight, and I do have to admit that much of it felt like indie-movie cliché. But it boasts an interesting premise and a collection of good little performances, and it's certainly worth a look.Grade: A

druid333-2 'Ballast' is Lance Hammer's first feature film (he also directed the film short,'Issaquena'--unseen by yours truly),and is a quiet,powerful portrayal of three damaged souls & trying to pick up the pieces,heal and move on. The story opens as Lawrence (played by Michael J.Smith,Jr.)is living in a comatose state of shock,after his twin brother had committed suicide sometime earlier. His nephew,James (played by new comer Jim Myron Ross)is a 12 year-old youth that is just a breath away from mixing with the wrong crowd & is potentially embarking on a life of crime,and is not surprisingly angry with life in general. His embittered Mother,Marlee (played by Tarra Riggs)is divorced from Lawrence's brother & carries a chip on her shoulder the size of the Mississippi Delta itself (where it was filmed in the dead of Winter,to give the film it's bleak look). It seems that the two brothers once had dreams of making it big in radio,but ended up co owning a convenience store. There is bad blood between Lawrence & Marlee (she tells James to stay away from his Uncle,but sneaks away to see him--'tho not for always the most honorable purposes). It's up to these three to make amends for what has happened and try to find a way to move on from the past. Lance Hammer writes,directs from his own original screenplay,as well as edits this small,quiet story of desperation & redemption. I really admired the use of cinematographer,Lol Crawley's hand held camera work,which conveyed the sense of perspective. The near,non existent use of music also worked well for this film (no original music score---only a few snippets of music appear in the background,generally on television or radio). The film's slow pacing may tax the patients of some who can't deal with a film that isn't fast paced,with scenes only lasting no longer than ten seconds. This small film won praise at the 2008 Sundance festival. It's easy to see why. Seek this one out. Not rated by the MPAA,this film contains pervasive strong language,a bit of non graphic violence,and much smoking.