"Elissa Down's semi-autobiographical film always manages to counter its indie clichés with a sober sense of the volatility that comes from living with an autistic individual." - Nick Schager

Really affecting, well made film. Great acting across the board and some really memorable, touching and sometimes uncomfortable to watch scenes. Great cinematography and was very well paced.

Great. Strong story in which we get a view in the life of an autistic person, but we also get to see how his family has to deal with this. Strong, personal and moving. Great performances by all the actors. I was especially amazed by Luke Ford's performance; impersonating an autistic person as strong as he did deserves credit.

Why is it called "The Black Balloon"? The world may never know.

A great and touching film that follows a family with an autistic child, and the struggle that his older brother Thomas goes through trying to help him. There are many outstanding acting performances from both Rhys Wakefield and Luke Ford, plus Toni Collette is very convincing as the boys mother Maggie. Some scenes are very confronting and also memorable, and are brilliantly acted and well-written. Overall a great Australian film I would definitley reccomend, and one that hits close to home also.

Sure, why not... Every one of these quirky indie films are a far cry from "Little Miss Sunshine".

This one is a heartwarmer. It is bittersweet, especially for those who know and love someone with special needs. The writers have cornered the market on the blessing and burdens of this family dynamic in a way that is both thought-provoking and humerous. As always, Toni Collette is utterly convincing, and I look forward to seeing Gemma Ward in future films.

Obviously a very personal movie, the strong script and tasteful cinematography mark Elissa Down as an upcoming director to keep an eye on.

Took me two days to watch this, stopped it 10 minutes into I just couldn't get into it. Finished it the next day and the rest of the film was much better. Rhys Wakefield's performance of a teenagers view how everything seems to be against him was what made this film interesting.

I found it very touching, and it really made me reflect on just what the parents of some of my students must go through at home. I did have trouble at times believing that the two boys were as young as they were supposed to be. The humour and romance were typically Australian, which is to say delightfully understated. I especially enjoyed the long poignant silences and meaningful looks.