Film / The Black Balloon
I don’t know what’s going on with me. My two favourite films of the last six months are about a bloke who can only move one eye and a suburban Australian family with an autistic son. I used to like action. These were not two films I was desperate to see and it proves that it’s not the story or number of explosions that makes a great film, but how it’s told. The Black Balloon succeeds where so many Australian films have failed as it is insightful and emotional without being clichéd. It does not shy away from the more confronting issues of mental illness and features some truly uncomfortable scenes handled with an honesty that makes them unforgettable. The characters themselves are also unrelentingly human, struggling in an extraordinarily difficult situation. And while they make mistakes, their good nature shines through. The suburban Australian town and its inhabitants are also lovingly shot, without the condescending eye common to similar films.
Tagged: Australian movies
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