Fantastic!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The Black Balloon, portrays the youth of Thomas Mollison (Rhys Wakefield) under the direction of Elissa Down. Inspired on the book, also written by the director of the movie being approached, it touches one point not as much exploited as expected. Thomas is 15 years old, and lives with his family. His older brother, Charlie (Luke Ford) is autistic and his mother (Toni Collette) is pregnant of the third child. The movie pictures how Thomas deals with is Charlie, now that his mother can't look after him and it's up to him and his father to handle things, while Thomas meets Jackie (Gemma Ward), who'd make him expose his brother. The movie is good, it's not over dramatic nor boring, but the situation between Thom and Jackie brings this movie to close to American Sunday afternoon crap, which is quite a pity. In spite of that, The Black Balloon gives you a whole new idea of how the modern times face the mental ill and what is they're place in our houses. Deep and good for meditation, and that's it, 6/10

Osmosis, I don't care whether you liked the film or not. That's a personal choice. Personally, I thought it was great. 'Fraudulently obtained' taxpayer money? Fraudulently obtained obviously because you didn't like it. It didn't fit into your box. Does a film that you like that I don't (that has been funded by Government Filmcorps) also fall into the 'fraudulently obtained' category. I'm guessing not. I've always been amazed at this line of thought. Money wasted you say. I'm quite happy to let Government bodies fund crap films until the cows come home. As long as about one in ten is a classic. Which usually happens. Good public money spent! And what is a quasi-plagiarist rip-off? You're either a plagiarist or you're not (no quasi about it) and plagiarist rip-off is the oxymoron of all oxymorons. And I've got to add: "Obviously the American Film Industry has been totally conned into believing our mainstream people have talent which explains the constant stream of ever worsening quality of films these days." That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Do you mean the American Film Industry has taken all our talent so now there's no-one left and as a result our films are crap or do you mean that Americans are making our films huge box-office hits, through their naivety (being conned), and so we keep making the films you don't like. The latter premise is nonsense because our films don't make big Hollywood money whilst the first premise is self-evident by your logic. As Tarantino had Michael Madsen say 'I'm betting you're a big Lee Marvin fan'. I'm betting you're a big Crocodile Dundee fan. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have it myself. But there's different ways to watch different films. I hate Elton John's music but I can understand why people like it. You obviously have an oligarchical problem with some film board. Script rejected?

Finally got to see this movie this week, and loved it, if that's the appropriate thing to say. I can appreciate that it would be hard watching for the family members of people with autism. For the rest of us, it's a well-needed window into their lives - created by a director with personal experience to draw on, so grounded in reality. From my knowledge of friends and a cousin with autistic children, the absolute unpredictability of autism, sitting in contrast with the autistic person's need for stability in their surroundings, does make for a challenging family life. I found the scenario unfolding in this movie credible and compelling, with the central role of Thomas, as portrayed by Rhys Wakefield (only otherwise seen by me in a local soap opera), a strong lead. You go through the roller-coaster of emotions with him, and can empathise with him as he faces the "ÿou're the spastic's brother" routine from his peers. For any country, it is good to hear your accent on film, and to see your streets. Especially when it's done this well.

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.