68
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- For the most part, this unblinking family drama packs a visceral punch. Thomas' journey toward acceptance is blessedly free of noble lessons and filled with real people.
- 75New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickDoesn't sugarcoat the difficulties faced by this family, but this small gem has a very satisfying ending.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertLuke Ford's performance as Charlie is a convincing tour de force. You may recall him as Brendan Fraser's heroic son in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." Rhys Wakefield, in his first feature role, is a good casting decision, suggesting inner turmoil without overacting.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsAt its sharpest Elissa Down's feature directorial debut is guided by intense, rough-edged emotional swings that feel authentically alive, even when the script settles for tidiness.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterMuch has been made of supermodel Gemma Ward's doll-like features, but there's nothing plastic about her debut performance in the charming Australian indie The Black Balloon.
- 70VarietyVarietyCollette acts as an anchor for the ensemble, but the young leads credibly hold their own onscreen.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceWithin its resolutely mainstream parameters, The Black Balloon courses with a firsthand feel for languorous Aussie summers, the shifting scales of love and hate in sibling relationships, and the earned wit that helps families cope with difficult situations.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMs. Collette’s Maggie is the film's prime mover. This wonderful Australian actress, who hasn't a shred of vanity, virtually disappears into the complicated characters she plays, and Maggie is one of the strongest.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumToni Collette gives it the old "Little Miss Sunshine" try in The Black Balloon as an edge-of-kooky, very pregnant mama presiding over a chaotic household.
- 30Chicago ReaderAndrea GronvallChicago ReaderAndrea GronvallCringe-inducing when it's not cliched, this brassy, vulgar 2008 comedy from Australia mines mental disabilities for laughs.