Review of Ballast (2008) by Heather M — 04 Oct 2008

Moving and understated. A wonderful first film.

This review of Ballast (2008) was written by Heather M on 04 Oct 2008.

Ballast has generally received positive reviews.

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More Reviews of Ballast

Review of Ballast (2008)

By Owen Gleiberman (3,271) for Entertainment Weekly (6,953) on 01 Mar 2011

The final shot, of the three characters now united, may be the quietest affirmation of life I've ever seen in a movie, and one of the truest…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Movie2187 (13) on 03 Jan 2012

With no hip hop soundtrack or flashy editing, Ballast is one of the truest portraits of family dynamics and seemingly real characters (which…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Shib Shankar S (12) on 11 Jan 2014

The prevalent theme is the feeling of sadness…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Tom Dawson (244) for Total Film (3,532) on 10 Mar 2011

Powerful, semi-improvised performances bring us closer to the isolated characters, who movingly earn themselves the possibility of redemption…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Shaun Munro (472) for What Culture (594) on 20 Mar 2011

This airy, quiet meditation on the struggle of three people to transcend abject poverty and unexpected loss will likely play as too dialled-down…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Kyle A (307) on 30 Jun 2011

Hauntingly realistic (without going too far down the violent and gritty route in the process) and moving drama which is beautifully shot…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Chris Kaltenbach (562) for Baltimore Sun (1,823) on 04 Nov 2017

It's a frustrating film in that its characters resolutely defy convention, and its story offers no epiphany, no one moment when everything…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Lucy Popescu (34) for CineVue (2,163) on 07 Nov 2018

Ballast packs a punch and its raw, visceral quality is hard to forget…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Alistair Harkness (1,042) for Scotsman (1,471) on 09 Apr 2011

Hammer manages to do enough with his actors and his nuanced script to make this exploration of the way even disparate people can provide stability…

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Review of Ballast (2008)

By Mike Mayo (16) for Washington Post (9,851) on 09 Aug 2012

Ballast, though, is less than completely satisfying in a dramatic sense. Events that seem to be important are dropped and left unresolved…

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