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The Boys Are Back (DVD)
by joey92
The death of Arty's mother and Joe's wife sparks a turbulent family situation for the boys. Left alone in a large Australian house to look after themselves, with Joe a busy sports journalist and Arty a precocious 5 year old, Harry comes to stay, Joe's son from a previous marriage, who has never visited him in Australia in all the time he ... has been there.
I found this film a touching account of family relationships, exploring the ins and outs of love and hatred.
I wouldn't say that the storyline is packed with action, rather that the directing of the film is creative and absolutely stunning. I was gripped by this film because of how the director put it together, it has just the right amount of pace at times when it is needed, and events unfold very quickly and then slow down very quickly. One of the bad points is perhaps that we are expected to presume that Arty and Joe fly over to England near the end of the film to visit, rather than being shown planes taking off or something to indicate this!
I thought that camera angles and perspective were spot on, I'm no film critic, but from this film I got a lot because of the artistic way in which the story was told.
I literally couldn't stop watching this film, it did make me cry in places, and I felt myself relating to the characters emotionally even though I haven't personally experienced a close family bereavement.
I think the story has sharp doses of reality in it and is not simply an over dramatized account of a life, but really focusses on all the small parts of family life, which gives it that taste of being able to relate to all the characters.
The fact is that tragedies like this can happen to anyone, and this film brings it home how it would affect a family which made it an emotional ride from the viewers perspective!
The film asks questions from Harry's point of view, the older child who is left in England by his dad at a young age as his dad has a new baby (Arty) with an Australian girl and asks questions from Arty's childlike point of view as he struggles to come to terms with his moms death. Then the main character Joe is seen as a very flawed character, leaving the boys home alone for a night, having left Harry in England and we watch his emotional rollercoaster throughout.
--Acting--
I wouldn't say it was flawless acting, but the actors were convincing. The children did not seem like false child actors but very genuine, particularly Arty as the little boy, and Harry made a good angsty teenager.
--Value for money--
The film is on iplayer currently which is where I saw it, but the current price quoted on Amazon is about £5, which I would say is good value for money, provided you are a fan of a sentimental film.
--Soundtrack--
I enjoyed the sound track, and found it complimented the film well, notably featuring tracks by Sigur Ros.
In summary, this film is highly recommended for those of you who enjoy a thoughtful film, not a Hollywood drama, with quality acting and thoughtful directing. Five stars from me, I enjoyed this film a lot.
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The Black Balloon (DVD)
by thedevilinme
Star - Toni Collette
Certificate - 15
Run Time 97 minutes
Genre - Dromedy
Country - Australia
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Jackie Masters: Close your eyes, what do you see?
Thomas Mollison: Black.
Jackie Masters: Look harder.
Autism is often portrayed as a bit of ... cliché in film and television, punters fed the popular misconception that autistics are often above average intelligent savants capable of impressive mathematical and memory feats. In reality most autistics are anything but as they are unable to be properly schooled and often suffer from hyper active conditions and so not good learners, sticking to actions and routines that make them feel secure, why they are so good at those things. The Black Balloon, an emotionally pleasing Aussie drama, is the first film I have seen to portray an autistic as that low IQ disruptive character they know doubt mostly are. You don't see many autistics in everyday life as they are kept behind closed doors due to the chaos and shame bought to families. Middle-class parents with disruptive kids often claim their children are on the low end of the autistic spectrum or suffer with ADD to avoid responsibility for an average intelligence child that may not be that clever and so no university, the middle-class right-of-passage, in some cases even getting their kids extra marks in exams by claiming they have some sort of disability. Autism diagnosis has gone up 600% in twenty years. In reality having an autistic child is a real strain on families and relationships and anything but a romantic movie, this films point.
-------The Cast------
Rhys Wakefield ... Thomas Mollison
Luke Ford ... Charlie Mollison
Toni Collette ... Maggie Mollison
Erik Thomson ... Simon Mollison
Gemma Ward ... Jackie Masters
-----The Plot-----
The Mollison's are moving again, an Aussie military family and the owners of lively autistic son Charlie (Luke Ford) Mollison, two big reasons why they can never settle, mom Maggie (Toni Collette) expecting their third child and so extra stressed. 15-year-old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) is normally on the end of his often uncontrollable big brother's antics and so also living a life of responsibility he never expected or wanted, amongst Charlie's bad habits pooing on the floor and smearing it on himself when unattended.
Although Thomas is being picked on at his new school in the leafy Sydney suburbs, he soon falls for aloof and interesting pretty blonde Jackie (Gemma Ward), but only from a distance, Jackie soon to meet Charlie, although not how she expected, Thomas chasing Charlie down the street in his underpants and into Jackie's bathroom, where she is showering.
As Thomas gets to know Jackie the rest of the school finds out Charlie is his brother and the teasing stepped up a few rungs, resulting in Charlie having a freak-out on the way to special school, so Thomas having to take him to the special school on the special school kid's bus. Can it get any worse? But as Thomas and Jackie near their first kiss, stealing stolen moments between their time with Charlie, little brother seems to be growing away from big brother as he clearly cramps his style, resulting in a big bust up at home and dad (Erik Thomson) having to pull them apart when blood is drawn. The family is battered and bruised by Charlie's condition but not broken. But can their stressful brotherly love be rekindled as Thomas coming of age and need to break the chains of Charlie is beginning to break the family apart.
Thomas Mollison: Dad, do you ever wish Charlie was normal?
Dad Mollison: All I know is he's my own, and you're weak as piss if you don't look after your own'.
---------The Result--------
Some critics say the film is not realistic but that, for me, is the point, they, or we, unable to know what autistic are really like because the autistics often hidden away so we never find out about how they really behave and the dramas and pains the family unit go through, the real point of the movie. It's the same as locking away pensioners with dementia and why no one really wants to recognize the size of the problem, especially the NHS. Out of sight, out of mind.
The film tackles the difficulties through the eyes of a somewhat selfish brother because the parents have already done their fare share of the worrying and hard work to get this far and so no emotion for the viewer to be had there. I think that's the dynamic that makes it works and why the independent film festivals liked it.
As the subject matter is tricky and the teen love story peripheral it only did $5 million world-wide and half that in Australia. The acting is super stuff in that offbeat Aussie way that makes their films so quirky and enjoyable. The color palette and the films obvious quirky style is also pleasing to the eye, Luke Ford brave and impressive playing the volatile Charlie. Neighbors graduate Rhys Wakefield is the films token blue-eyed dreamboat totty for the teen audience falsely teased in here and Toni Colette as brilliant as ever as the stoic mum.
It's pitched as a romantic comedy but in truth it's really about family and the ties that bind. If we were totally honest we wouldn't all pick the families we live with and if we could walk away guilt free many would, and have. In true Aussie filmmaking style this movie manages to get the family dynamic contradiction spot on so Thomas growing feelings for Jackie drain the same emotions away from Charlie.
Time has been spent on making the film look more than it is in its claustrophobic suburbia and appears not too Australian, considering. Often foreign filmmakers can get nervous and try to appeal to a wider international audience by indulging in cliché and 'landmark bingo', happily no lingering shots of the Sydney Harbor Bridge or Opera House here. The Director has kept the film in natural settings to give the families struggle more authenticity when it clashes with the outside world and on the whole a thoughtful and gently funny and emotional 90 minutes because of.
-----Ratings------
Imdb.com - 7.4 /10 (4,245 votes)
Metacritc.com - 68% critic's approval
Rottentomatos.com - 88% critic's approval
------The Critics-----
LA Times - 'This unblinking family drama packs a visceral punch. Thomas' journey toward acceptance is blessedly free of noble lessons and filled with real people'.
Hollywood Reporter -'Young love triumphs in a terrific Australian indie that deals with autism in an authentic, unsentimental way'.
The Guardian -'The film's vision is neither a grim wallow nor falsely cheerful. It's compassionate but unblinking, and in the end we can't help but admire the genuine strength of how its characters accept their special challenge'.
The Times - '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'.
Arizona Star -'The outlines are broad and obvious, and Thomas such a bore, that The Black Balloon loses air'.
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District 9 (DVD)
by Elaineee
Directed by Niell Blomkamp
Written by Niell Blomkamp and Terri Tatchel
Cast: David James, Jason Cope, Kenneth Nkosi, Louis Minnaar, Mandla Gaduka, Nathalie Boltt, Sharlto Copley, Sylvaine Strike, Vanessa Haywood
In 1982 an alien space craft appears hovering over South Africa. After waiting for some sort of contact ... from the inhabitants of the ship the humans decide to go aboard. What they find are alien refugees, the only survivors of their planet. The aliens, or 'Prawns' as the humans call them, are set up in a camp in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argue over them. Now, after 20 years of tensions between the aliens and the humans they are to be evicted from District 9 to a new camp out of Johannasburg. Wikus van der Merwe, a field operative in charge of the operation, comes into contact with an alien substance and begins changing his DNA, ironic as he has treated the Prawns as dumb animals, and will now learn what it's like to be the persecuted.
Merwe quickly becomes the World's most wanted man. On the run he returns to District 9 in the hope of a cure. He finds help in the form of 'prawn' alien, Christopher Johnson who promises to help him- but will he. Christopher tells him he needs the substance that was taken to fuel the Mother ship to reverse the mutation, so together they must break into the lab to try and get it.
Sharlto Copley, whom I've never heard of before, is fantastic- he manages to bring realism and humour to the role. The film is is well made and the special effects are outstanding. The characters are 'believable', and the selfishness and self preservation of the main character really comes through, although as the film progresses he becomes more and more 'empathetic' towards them.
This documentary style film shot in 2009 is based on Apartheid in South Africa and in parts is uncomfortable to watch but a great must see film.
I stumbled on this film by accident while flicking through the TV channels a few weeks ago, I'm glad I did as I haven't enjoyed a film so much in ages!
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