The Black Balloon (B+ or 3/4 stars)
When Thomas' family moves to a new home & he enters a new high school, all he wants is what every teen wants ... to fit in. And when his very pregnant mom is ordered to bed rest, his father puts him in charge of his severely autistic older brother Charlie in 'The Black Balloon', an Australian indie directed by Elissa Down. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend, must learn how to deal with Charlie as his autism starts to take a toll on him personally. This is a film that's funny, sad, gripping & heartwarming. There's nothing groundbreaking here (regarding Autism). But the movie is extremely well acted, & very easy to watch.
Caring for Charlie (Luke Ford) is not easy. He's big in size, unable to speak properly, & has A.D.D. to boot. Mom (Toni Collette) does the very best she can; keeping things light & fun. And dad (Erik Thomson) goes with the flow, as well; great to see a father figure who isn't freaked out by a disabled child. Thomas loves his brother very much, and is as patient as one could hope for. But this all starts to change for Thomas when he becomes interested in Jackie (model, and Amanda Seyfried lookalike, Gemma Ward), a girl in his swimming class. Luckily, Jackie is not embarrassed by Charlie; which delights Thomas to no end. Things go splendidly (btwn. the threesome) at first, but a few incidents creep into the friendship which threatens Thomas' tolerance of his brother.
Charlie tramples on eggs in the kitchen; runs though the neighborhood in his underwear; rubs his own feces into his bedroom floor; and pitches a fit in the supermarket. Thomas is able to shake-off these occurrences. But before long, the kids at school start ridiculing Charlie. His behavior becomes erratic. And the balloon bursts (so to speak) when he does something obscene in front of Jackie at Thomas' birthday party. Thomas has had it. A fight breaks out. And everyone in the house is affected. Can Thomas forgive & forget (as he used to)? Or will he forever detest his brother?
'The Black Balloon' is mostly uplifting; and it ends on a fantastically high note. But there are some strong visceral moments sprinkled throughout; and memorable. i.e., whenever Charlie cannot control his rages. The outcome of several of these tantrums is quite violent; shocking, even. I was literally bracing my armrest at points. The acting in this movie is incredible. Luke Ford (bland as anything in The Mummy 3) is a revelation, here. I did not even recognize him in this role; and I thought an actual autistic actor was playing Charlie -- riveting performance.
Toni Collette is wonderful as the patient, understanding mother. Gemma Ward is beautiful & sweet. But she also nails the cautious-yet-supportive girlfriend role. Rhys Wakefield is a newcomer, but what a great find he is. His Thomas is incredibly realistic; perfectly inhabiting both the nurturing side AND the tortured side of the character. He is the one who has to perform the most damage control for his brother. With assistance from his parents & Jackie, he overcomes his adolescent obstacles, accept his brother's problem, & accept himself for his shortcomings. I really enjoyed this film.
Side note: 1) if I were to venture a guess, the black balloon that flies away in the beginning of the movie could signify Charlie as a black sheep of the family/society/school. Here's hoping that a movie like this brings light & positivity to all those dealing with Autism. 2) The Australian suburbia setting (particularly during the leisurely Summer months) makes me want to jump on a plane to Australia more than ever.
Caring for Charlie (Luke Ford) is not easy. He's big in size, unable to speak properly, & has A.D.D. to boot. Mom (Toni Collette) does the very best she can; keeping things light & fun. And dad (Erik Thomson) goes with the flow, as well; great to see a father figure who isn't freaked out by a disabled child. Thomas loves his brother very much, and is as patient as one could hope for. But this all starts to change for Thomas when he becomes interested in Jackie (model, and Amanda Seyfried lookalike, Gemma Ward), a girl in his swimming class. Luckily, Jackie is not embarrassed by Charlie; which delights Thomas to no end. Things go splendidly (btwn. the threesome) at first, but a few incidents creep into the friendship which threatens Thomas' tolerance of his brother.
Charlie tramples on eggs in the kitchen; runs though the neighborhood in his underwear; rubs his own feces into his bedroom floor; and pitches a fit in the supermarket. Thomas is able to shake-off these occurrences. But before long, the kids at school start ridiculing Charlie. His behavior becomes erratic. And the balloon bursts (so to speak) when he does something obscene in front of Jackie at Thomas' birthday party. Thomas has had it. A fight breaks out. And everyone in the house is affected. Can Thomas forgive & forget (as he used to)? Or will he forever detest his brother?
'The Black Balloon' is mostly uplifting; and it ends on a fantastically high note. But there are some strong visceral moments sprinkled throughout; and memorable. i.e., whenever Charlie cannot control his rages. The outcome of several of these tantrums is quite violent; shocking, even. I was literally bracing my armrest at points. The acting in this movie is incredible. Luke Ford (bland as anything in The Mummy 3) is a revelation, here. I did not even recognize him in this role; and I thought an actual autistic actor was playing Charlie -- riveting performance.
Toni Collette is wonderful as the patient, understanding mother. Gemma Ward is beautiful & sweet. But she also nails the cautious-yet-supportive girlfriend role. Rhys Wakefield is a newcomer, but what a great find he is. His Thomas is incredibly realistic; perfectly inhabiting both the nurturing side AND the tortured side of the character. He is the one who has to perform the most damage control for his brother. With assistance from his parents & Jackie, he overcomes his adolescent obstacles, accept his brother's problem, & accept himself for his shortcomings. I really enjoyed this film.
Side note: 1) if I were to venture a guess, the black balloon that flies away in the beginning of the movie could signify Charlie as a black sheep of the family/society/school. Here's hoping that a movie like this brings light & positivity to all those dealing with Autism. 2) The Australian suburbia setting (particularly during the leisurely Summer months) makes me want to jump on a plane to Australia more than ever.