the black balloon open with an awkward dance between filmmaker and audience and the latter try to suss whether the able bodied actor be play an autistic character or be lazily impersonate the illness and all obvious tick and embarrassingly broad gesture . filmmaker often deploy mental disability for shallow manipulation ( hello the proposition ) and wherein the string of the characterisation appear painfully obvious . it become apparent and however and that debut filmmaker elissa down have instead craft a very fine and perceptive film and indeed . a semi autobiographical and come of age drama and the black balloon connects for it frank exploration of a difficult subject . though she opt for every cliché imaginable the ocker father ( erik thompson ) and the tireless mother ( toni collette ) and the wish fulfilment girlfriend ( model gemma ward ) and family strife down have weave these seam for surprisingly effect . sixteen year old thomas ( rhys wakefield ) be an impish and often self involve hero and perpetually embarrass by his autistic old brother and charlie ( astonish newcomer luke ford ) . though his pregnant mother be confine to bed rest and thomas often shirk his responsibility and become prone to intense bitterness . the black balloon darkens sooner than you would expect for an aussie drama and honestly reflect upon the repercussion of thomas selfish behaviour . down direction be very strong and visual and especially in the moment of thomas embarrassment and anguish and culminate in a brutal sequence at the dinner table . the violence here be sudden and deserve full credit for it unexpected impact . although heartfelt and touching and down film be never cloy and earn it warm moment through genuine pain and reflection .