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In the realm of earthy suburban dramas in
2007, we were given the Sundance hit Clubland
(about a teenage boy having to deal with a brother with autism) - in
2008 we have The Black
Balloon... about a teenage boy dealing with a brother with
autism.
It's
a real shame too, because this superb Aussie flick deserves so much
more than being labelled (as it most certainly will) as
"just another Clubland".
The
flick follows (the surprisingly buffed - for a fifteen year old at
least) Thomas Mollison. He's about to turn 16, and his autistic brother
Charlie (The Mummy 3's
Luke Ford) embarrasses him - as do his parents.
When his pregnant Mother (Toni
Collette,
who is at her best in a long time here) is confined to stress related
bed rest, he is put in charge of Charlie and with the help of his new
girlfriend Jackie (Gemma
Ward), Thomas faces his biggest challenge yet.
Aiming less for laughs than Clubland
achieved, The Black
Balloon
hits all the right notes in the realistic drama department - and most
importantly, never out stays it's welcome. The performances are superb,
with Collette giving such a rich and layered performance (bar the odd
over-the-top use of Aussie twang) while newcomer Gemma Ward (a former
flame of the late Heath
Ledger, and appears in creep fest The Strangers)
is
instantly lovable.
The youngster possesses such poise and confidence,
its astonishing to think that she hasn't been snapped up by casting
directors prior to this.
While some may question the need to make Balloon
a 1980s "period piece" (it really has no effect on the story, and there
are a ridiculous amount of era-continuity problems ranging from subtle
to glaringly obvious), director Elissa Down presents such a lovely
visual scape throughout the entire film.
The real strength of
the film is how well Down enables the audience to empathies with the
film's characters and their struggle dealing with such unfortunate
circumstances. Charlie (who has both autism and
A.D.D) gets so insanely annoying and frustrating to watch (think of the
most annoying 3 year old you've ever encountered at a supermarket), you
can't help but feel the anger and frustration swell inside of you. Then
it hits you - imagine what it would be like to live through this every
day (just as thousands of Aussie families do)?
It is nothing
short of heartbreaking - but to see the genuine love that Collette's
character has in her eyes everytime Charlie walks into the room is
nothing short of heartwarming as well.
An extremely well-made,
relatable Aussie flick (without a croc, "struth", or kangaroo reference
in sight) which is yet another step forward in the quest for Australian
films to be compete on the same level as any international fare.
We only get to see half a dozen Aussie flicks a year, let's just hope
this is the last time we see doubles of each!
DVD EXTRAS
Not
to much to write home about in the extras department - but you get the
feeling that an Aussie film would struggle to raise enough funds for
the film itself, let alone a slew of fluffy DVD extras.
What is on offer is an insightful commentary from the films director,
as well as a bunch of interviews with the cast and crew.
And,
of course, a photo gallery.... I thought they'd stopped putting them on
DVDs in 1996 - but they seem to be making a comeback.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 55%
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