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Ballast is a stirring and contemplative drama that portrays the lives of three African Americans living in the Mississippi Delta, an area that has been historically neglected and subjected to racial and economic injustice. The film, directed by Lance Hammer and released in 2008, is a powerful exploration of grief, redemption, and the complexities of human relationships.

The story centers around a family that has been fractured by tragedy. Lawrence (Michael J. Smith Sr.) is a middle-aged man who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his twin brother. Overwhelmed by grief and despair, he attempts suicide but is saved by his estranged ex-wife Marlee (Tarra Riggs). Meanwhile, Lawrence's teenage son, James (JimMyron Ross), is trying to navigate the challenges of adolescence in a community that offers few opportunities for young people. He becomes involved with a local drug dealer, leading him down a dangerous path.

As the three characters try to rebuild their lives, they are forced to confront the pain and secrets that have kept them apart. The film's slow pace and minimalist style give the audience space to reflect on the emotional landscape of the characters. The actors deliver incredibly nuanced performances, conveying complex emotions with subtle gestures and expressions.

One of the film's most striking features is its depiction of the Mississippi Delta landscape. Shot on location, the film captures the desolate beauty of the region, showing wide expanses of marshland, rusty abandoned buildings, and cotton fields under a gray sky. The natural world is a significant presence in the film, serving as a metaphor for the characters' emotional states.

Overall, Ballast is a masterful piece of storytelling that blends social realism with moments of poetic lyricism. It is a film that invites the viewer to contemplate the ways in which individual lives are shaped by systemic inequalities and personal trauma. The film has been praised for its unflinching honesty and its refusal to offer easy resolutions. Rather, it portrays the complexity of human experience in all its messy, contradictory glory.

The film was well-received by critics and won several awards, including Best Director at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It has been described as a "quiet masterpiece" and a "visually stunning meditation on grief and resilience." While it may not be suitable for viewers seeking plot-driven action or comedy, it is a film that rewards patience and contemplation. Ballast is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking cinema that is grounded in the realities of the human experience.

Ballast is a 2007 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 84.