GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Holstra Boring, long, and too preachy.

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Gorgeous Chocolateness Hand held camera, over amplified traffic noises, mumbling dialogue. This movie has artistic merit and is worth watching if gritty depressing, but sometimes beautiful films are your cup of tea. It is interesting to see what actors with no formal training came up with, and some of the picture shots are impressive. I found myself working hard to find things to like about the film, but the overall impression is one of poverty, bleakness and disconnection. There are a very few moments of hope, colour and love. The ending made me laugh. I felt hoodwinked - what? I just sat through That for This? Incredulous! But sometimes thats what life is like - a dull and depressing ride with no meaning.

Alex Fernandez The Director certainly did a wonderful job of putting this film together. He used very short scenes, avoiding a lot of editing that would come about with long scenes and poor acting. Great job of getting the audience into the mood of the film with very frequent cuts as people move about in the film and interact with each other.These frequent cuts can also be annoying to some viewers.The actors aren't very good and although the very short scenes hide this fairly well, the scenes with a lot of dialogue have a very flat and rehearsed mood. This is especially true when the boy is speaking to the main character about suicide, while holding him at gunpoint. The flat, uninspired acting works well for the guy who is dealing with the suicide, but not so well for the other characters.I am surprised this film has nominations and wins for acting. Though not too surprised to see some nominations for new director.Overall, I thought the directing was solid, making maximum use of minimal talent. Storyline is cliché, but still OK.

kosmasp Another reviewer compared the technical making of this movie, the look of it to the Dogma style. You can say that, but it doesn't stop there. The story as it is, the pacing of the movie, the characters etc. are all kept with a minimum amount of "action". Of course this serves the overall appeal of the story (drama) very well and the director does a fine job here.It still will leave a few people wanting more excitement, something more magical, something more active. Because to call the main character of the movie active, would be a very big stretch of the word! While I do liked his performance and the movie overall, I struggled with the vote ... I could also have given it a 7 (or a very stretched, for me at least, 8), but I decided against that, because I do think that the movie could have used a little bit more "spice" (something extra)

ephes3 A movie about life after suicide can be very hard to depict, Ballast brings out the reality of life after suicide and the consequences of those actions. Filming in the South was excellent. The realness of what can happen after suicide was depicted in James' character. So many kids who loose a parent (especially a father) turn to the rough side of life. Marlee and Lawrence's characters were so real. Both of them should be commended for their acting skills. This is a must see film. The entire cast was very good. Lance Hammer did an excellent job in writing, directing, and producing this film.I was wondering if this was written from true accounts? The plot is so real to what is happening today, especially in the south. James and Lawrence's characters were very believable. Using local non-professional actors was risky, but all of them did an awesome job. There is so much talent in the south. Kudos to the entire cast including those who spoke only by body language.I hope this film wins lots of awards. I hope to see more of Lance Hammer's work.