Raetsonwe Redundant and unnecessary.

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

SnoopyStyle Fifteen year old Thomas Mollison (Rhys Wakefield) moves to a new place with his parents (Toni Collette, Erik Thomson) and his autistic brother Charlie (Luke Ford). Thomas is awkward and embarrassed about his brother. Charlie runs into Jackie Masters (Gemma Ward)'s home to use the toilet while she's in the shower. Maggie's pregnancy gets difficult and she has to stay in the hospital. With their father away with the Army much of the time, Thomas becomes stuck taking care of Charlie. Jackie befriends Thomas and Charlie.Thomas is a whiny embarrassed teenager. That can be very off-putting. I can't blame the character but it keeps the movie from being a lovable coming-of-age story. It's a tougher more painful thing. It comes with poo and all. Gemma Ward injects a lightness to the movie. It does miss Toni Collette for long stretches. Her absence is keenly felt. The movie drags on a little too long after the climatic blowup but it's still a compelling family drama.

immortalorchid1990 The Black Balloon tells a story of teenager's (Rhys Wakefield) life with his autistic brother, Charlie (Luke Ford). 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. He develops his first crush (Gemma Ward) who seems like she is more accepting to his brother's condition than he is.Director, Elissa Down, made this film wonderfully – adding a touch of truth and love behind the hardship of raising an autistic member in the family. I am very impressed on the actors of the film as I thought they did an outstanding job on their performances. Even though this is Rhys first film to appear as the main character, he made his acting believable and emotional throughout the whole film and same as the rest of the cast.As a result of watching The Black Balloon, I give this movie 10/10 for best acting and great storyline!

apoormonkeybutler Lots of water symbolism in this movie, like with Charlie's Noah's Ark play, and his brother Thomas' lifeguard training. And there's a bathtub scene at the end! There's also a scene at an abandoned army training field with Thomas' girlfriend who kind of looks like Amanda Seyfried that probably also has some symbolic undercurrent, like after Thomas gives her a "beautiful" empty ammunition shell pendant (during a rain storm), she tells him to close his eyes, and says she imagines beyond the fuzzy blackness, she can see her mom. Charlie is there too!Thomas' mom's name is Maggie, which is a diminutive of Margaret, which derives from the Greek word for pearl. So maybe the shell had something to do with mom (pearl)? Mom's portrayed by Toni Collette, who later had a role on the United States of Leeland (Tara) as a mom of a daughter who sat on balloons for a web-cam fetish site. Coincidence!?! Probably! She's a good actress! Thomas' dad works for the Army. His name is Simon and he consults a teddy bear named Rex for advice, and his home life is a disaster! The part where he finally outwits the bullies and rides around the block on his big-wheel is probably the best part of the film!See this movie, even if it's Australian and doesn't have Noah Taylor. It features an artistic kid rubbing poop into carpet and has a great soundtrack!

slatimer-2 Having a child with severe autism, i approach every autistic related movie with caution. The trailer pulls on your heartstrings, the movie however spells out things that parents and siblings experience on a day to day basis. The movie running at 93 minutes, can't ever convey a life with autism, but with the director, seems to have brought her life experience to the screen in a thoughtful and observant way (small observations only people touched by autism would recognise and find funny and painful). Im not sure if viewers with no experience would understand these, which is the most heartbreaking aspect of the whole movie. I wish, i really wish everyone could see this movie, and if one single clip could make a difference, i think the world would be a better place. Overall, its an uplifting movie, but unfortunately it wont change the way most of the world think of this disability. Siblings experiencing or who have lived with autism, I think, will see this movie differently. it does seem to preach to them, how they should behave and what their responsibilities are. We (parents, siblings and autistic children) are still waiting for the definitive movie, that will open the world's eyes.