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Very best movie i ever watch

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Blistering performances.

"Ballast" takes a while to draw you in, and you might give up on it before it does, but it's a film that rewards patience.The three characters at the film's focus are Lawrence, Marlee and James, all eking out existences in the Mississippi Delta. Marlee is a single mom whose wayward son, James, is flirting with drugs, guns and other anti-social tendencies. Lawrence is the twin brother of Marlee's late husband, who has committed suicide as the film opens, and Lawrence himself is fighting depression and his own thoughts of suicide after the loss of his brother.This bleak scenario does not become clear all at once. It takes time to figure out who these people are and what their relations are to one another. And even then, the film isn't forthcoming about everything. Marlee and Lawrence clearly have a contentious past, and we get the gist even if we don't ever learn the details. The three form a kind of tentative bond as they realize that they're all the family any of them have, and as Marlee and Lawrence begin to partner in running the convenience store the two brothers inherited from their father."Ballast" is one of those indie movies that makes wherever it's set look like the most depressing place on earth. There are long static shots of mundane images, like trains passing or birds taking flight, and I do have to admit that much of it felt like indie-movie cliché. But it boasts an interesting premise and a collection of good little performances, and it's certainly worth a look.Grade: A

If I want to spend a few hours out of my day to get to a cinema and spend my money to watch a film, any film, then I want it to be worthwhile. Believe me, Ballast I would have paid for twice, it's that good. And I'll be buying the DVD too.During the Glasgow Film Festival this year, this (to us) obscure, indie film played at a multiplex and my husband - who actually met the director at the London Film Festival - urged me to see it. Why? Because I'm also a filmmaker, so I share with the director, Lance, the desire to eschew the commercial imperative when it comes to telling straight stories.Lance, if you read this - I adored this film. It's everything - flaws and all - that I want to see on screen. The integrity of the cast, no matter where you found them, the screen craft - the photography, script, design, sound, edit, costume, makeup - or judicious lack of - all fell into place. It's what they say about making films - so many get made, but so seldom do the planets align to make a beautiful one. This to me is the bomb. I love it.I wish you every success in your future projects.May Miles Thomas, Elemental Films, UK

I have seen the stereotypical depression and desperation of poor black people, particularly single women, too many times on film; consequently I simply can't get excited about this film. There is nothing new and fresh about the characters or their plights. The isolated location is the only thing new and different. Usually this story takes place in a poor urban environment. As a single black mother with a 12 year old son who resides in Mississippi, I demand something more promising and hopeful. It would be great to see a story that transforms this group of people or that focuses on an aspect of their lives that is positive and uplifting. I'm fed up with being reminded of the agony of being a black woman in the South.

We saw this at Sundance 2008, and found it to be deliberately slow, but also quite thoughtful as it told the story of a man whose twin brother's suicide devastates him. The story extends to the dead man's ex wife and son and explores the aftermath of the suicide and its effects on these three characters. What makes this film impressive is that the actors involved in almost every role had never acted before. The director revealed to us at the Q&A session that he had gone to churches in the Mississippi Delta and recruited people to be in his film. Also notable is the sound, or lack thereof. Instead of a busy, noisy soundtrack, this was a quiet film with very little music, relying instead on the ambient noise of the area in which it was filmed. We enjoyed the film and wish the director and the actors much success.