6 Balloons
To love an addict is a task that can be considered as nearly impossible. The addict’s addiction always defines the relationship and makes it feel like you are drowning with them, seeing their arms flapping or watching as they kick their legs in desperation for breath. Marja Lewis Ryan’s “6 Balloons,” premiering next month on Netflix after its world premiere at SXSW, is one of the rare films that shows this very well.
It is about two young actors who usually do comedy but are now appearing in a terrifying drama about how addiction affects those near to the addicts. We have had enough stories of junkies getting better but what really does one do when someone keeps dragging them under every time?
We first meet Katie (Abbi Jacobson from “Broad City”) as she was preparing a surprise party for her boyfriend. She goes to buy balloons with her mother (Jane Kaczmarek) and father (Tim Matheson), and friends show up early to set things up. However, her brother Seth (Dave Franco) has not turned up yet together with Seth’s four year old daughter who has also gone missing.
Her phone calls to Seth do not go through due to his phone being switched off or out of coverage range which brings out an expression on Katie’s face showing that she understands the reason behind all this. When she gets there with Ella ready for the party, he had left all his mail unopened, something that happened last time around.” Heroin addict.” This is how you describe Seth.
He agrees to detox once again because he always has that option still open before him and Katie will drive him there at least until he recovers from his addiction again or dies trying; either way works just fine with her sister too! Hopefully everything would go according to plan this time round through; however things don’t always work out like we want them too especially since our lives never really do, right? A 10-day detox at that first place would cost $5,000 though since his health insurance is not accepted there.
Also, Seth’s body/addiction starts revolting against him. Franco lost 20 pounds for the role, and he looks like he’s studied what withdrawal does to a person’s appearance.“6 Balloons” was sometimes downright scary with a four-year-old girl strapped into a baby seat next to these people doing it all as if their lives depended on it; this meant Ryan could have used her manipulatively but she did not do so. There is something else about “6 Balloons.” It is Ella being in the car seat.
While Katie’s friends are celebrating without her, Ryan punctuates their lives with self-help audio in every scene she uses to break up the Katie/Seth narrative almost like chapter divisions. When you hear the sound of self-help coming from downstairs you are going to think of those poor souls who have been waiting outside your door while trying everything they can just so that someone might come along and save them before its too late or something terrible happens which makes everything become even worse than before. The closing scenes of “6 Balloons” had my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes in ways that I wasn’t expecting. They’re incredibly powerful stuff.
This is because Ryan has confidence in his writing and directing abilities, coupled with the impact of Jacobson and Franco on these characters. Franco is a gifted comic actor who often steals scenes when he plays supporting characters, but this is the first time he has had an opportunity to truly shine dramatically and he nails it.
Another thing that stands out about Ryan and Jacobson’s relationship is that while it might be a little too direct at times, most of Katie’s emotional experience seems to be internalized by her. It is not like she has many big monologues; neither does she have as much dialogue as would have been expected from a lesser writer explaining how troubled she was emotionally. This can be seen in her eyes. In her body language, there are definite signs of confusion as to how she should help Seth yet refrain from hurting herself. This performance is great.
I do wish slightly that “6 Balloons” felt weightier in terms of narrative it runs only 74 minutes and, as silly as it may sound, I could have spent more real time in the car with Seth and Katie, just watching these two actors do what they here. They’re so fully realized that I wanted a bit more to their story, but I also admire Ryan’s no nonsense approach to a tight narrative. Katie throws Seth a surprise party in “6 Balloons,” which may well qualify as one of the most unanticipated moving moments of this year so far.
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