Ballast (another Frozen River, wallowing in the miseries of the underclass) is designed to provoke bourgeois moviegoers' pity.

"Lance Hammer's Ballast suggests and suffers from the influence of the Dardenne brothers." - Ed Gonzalez

Definitely one of the more difficult movies to process that I've seen in a while. Incredibly dry and achingly realistic. It may also be one of the most brilliant works of the last ten years. Inspirational in ways that other films cannot even begin to relate to. Heart-wrenching in certain scenes the way no film has perhaps ever been. This film is independent to the bone and has no trouble letting that get in the way of looking absolutely gorgeous. It will take a while for me to process, though.

Could've done without the gangsta bullies. Instead, I would've preferred more scenes at the beginning between the neighbor and the protagonist, Lawrence. The very first scene and the entire last hour is sort of perfect. Lawrence is a unique and intriguing character. Through sparse (but always naturalistic) lines, Hammer feeds us information on his backstory in an arthouse-realist style. With performances switching between the subdued and intense, this is a quietly compelling piece of cinema.

Well, it has some really good, emotionally hefty moments but also some really flat ones. I'm not complaining about the simplistic plot. Sometimes, the quiet moments are the most emotionally stirring. It's all about making a connection between the characters and the viewers. Making us care. This film attempted to do just that but falls quite short.

The dissatisfyingly deliberate Ballast proves the power of arresting images within the cinematic form, yet its uniformly pitiful characters have been designed as if to drive home dusty old class condescension and indie-affected delusions of social relevance. Evoking the Dardennes in tone if not sincerity, Lance Hammer lacks the soulful smartness they exhibited in the excellent L'Enfant - a movie which beautifully emphasized the need for endeavour and community that Ballast morosely simulates.

Bit depressing, sometimes intense. There's not much dialogue but it works perfectly. Sometimes you wonder if the people are acting or not, really really good

This current - albeit very limited - wave of American neorealist cinema really appeals to me. The non-actors (all great), the intelligent switches between silence and raw, cacophonic outburts and the amazing cinematography (look for the sunsets, sunrises, misty rural areas and - especially - the silhouettes) all come together in an empathetic and depressing movie mastering the "show - don't tell"-technique. Obvious double bill together with David Gordon Green's "George Washington".

The Mississippi River delta location is shot beautifully. This, coupled with the depressing content, creates an intense atmosphere. Perhaps the camerawork is too jerky for the content, and the cuts too often, but the atmosphere and acting (despite the non-actors) shines.

21 Aralik 08, sinema-tarih bulumasi, gmall macka cinebonus, salon5, 2ytl , & gercekci bir anlatima sahip, etkileyici bir film. sonunda kursunlari suda gorunce yureginize oturuyor.

Definitely captures what it intended, with a pervasive sorrow tinged with the slightest hint of hope. The situations feel like they could have been pulled out of a local paper, if they had escalated just a little bit further. The characters don't dance as if upon a stage, but saunter through the film like the faceless masses wander past us on the streets. This is a slow film, one that asks you to expect little, and requires you to delve into it to find meaning.

Beautifully minimalist picture with an underlying "life and death" dialectic. Moribund Lawrence, a solitary man coping with the death of his brother, struggles with thoughts of suicide, while Marlee, a harried single mother, struggles to raise her mischievous son so that he may have a better future. As their arcs slowly bring them together in synthesis, Lawrence discovers something new to live for and Marlee is forced to explore dormant feelings for her late husband. Powerful stuff.

I am so encouraged to see American filmmaking like this: patient, meditative, affecting, thought-provoking, humanist. The list goes on. The closest analogy I have for this film is the work of Bresson, but even there the analogy works in some ways but not others. Hammer often makes wonderful and thoughtful use of edits and pans. The third act might move a tad quickly for what occurs, but the film has so many beautiful moments, that the slight narrative misstep is easily forgiven.

Not nearly atmospheric enough to justify its simplicity (that's right, not "subtlety").