The Black Balloon
NeoClassics Films | Release Date: December 5, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
0
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesSheri Linden
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. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Funny and fierce and deeply moving. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties faced by this family, but this small gem has a very satisfying ending. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Luke 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. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
At 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. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
It's compassionate but unblinking. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMegan Lehmann
Much 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. Read full review
70
VarietyRussell Edwards
Collette acts as an anchor for the ensemble, but the young leads credibly hold their own onscreen. Read full review
70
Village VoiceScott Foundas
Within 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. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Ms. 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. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Toni 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. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Cringe-inducing when it's not cliched, this brassy, vulgar 2008 comedy from Australia mines mental disabilities for laughs. Read full review
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