The Black Balloon (2012) directed by Josh and Bennie Safdie
Viewed on July 6, 2019
Synopsis:
A man, herding a large group of kids across a city street, loses control of the balloons he is holding. They drift across the city. One balloon, the titular black balloon, is caught in a tree, where a park attendant grabs it and throws it into the garbage. The black balloon winds up in a garbage dump but, miraculously, arises from the dump and floats back to the city, where it gets involved in several lives.
First is a comedian who has recently been fired from his TV show for using a racial slur (jokingly, he claims) about President Obama. He pleads with a young woman to whom he ha given her start in TV to help him, but she refuses. He goes to a clothing store and, with the help of the black balloon blocking the security camera, he steals an expensive dress. He tries to give the dress to the girl, but she realizes it was stolen and turns him away. Next, the balloon latches onto a man on the street who goes to visit his son who works in a restaurant. The son is angry with him, but agrees to give him some food from the kitchen. Finally, the balloon happens on a teenager who is in the park with her mother and her boyfriend. The mother tries to distract her by having the girl go after the balloon, so she can make out with the man. The girl attempts to pop the balloon, but it flies away.
Finally, the balloon spots a white BalloonNYC van filled with party balloons. The black balloon bangs on the window of the van repeatedly, eventually breaking the window and allowing some of the balloons to escape. (Some are popped on the glass in the attempt.) The freed balloons fill the sky.
Commentary:
Clearly a takeoff on The Red Balloon, but with a much darker edge. It has its moments, but it doesn't do what the Safdies claims for its intentions on IMDB: "It learns that humans are complicated creatures with extreme highs and lows, but full of life nonetheless. A film intended to be for children that turned into a sci-fi urban fable." The film is less successful in anthropomorphizing the balloon than its predecessor since the balloon never forms an attachment to any one of the humans it encounters. And it's certainly not science fiction.
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