This was on local telly last night, and as I feel a little "patriotic obligation" with Aussie films, I gave it a go.Within ten minutes I had put nearly every character neatly back in the "central casting" pigeonhole they'd been taken from and was mentally writing the rest of the movie in dot points. In the end, the trendy, tokenistic gay element was the only thing I missed.As far as the characterisations and plot are concerned, there is nothing original in this film. That can be overlooked if it is executed well, but it wasn't. Fairly pedestrian, soapie-level stuff for the most part, with wall-to-wall white Aussies acting out a story seemingly cobbled together from old episodes of "Home and Away".Cast-wise, the youngsters weren't too bad, in fact certainly promising as far as their ability to express a range of emotions. By contrast, Shane Jacobson proved beyond doubt that he is a rubbish actor, possibly one of the most overrated actors of the last few years. Watching him "cry" was one of the funniest things about this film. He's that unconvincing. Shane, stick to "comedies" where you just play yourself, won't you? So why two stars? The younger cast members for one. Two, the surfing sequences are beautifully shot - and no, I'm not a surfie by any means.

I really liked this movie despite the lengthy surfing scenes and lack of real depth to the storyline. The actors in the film were all entertaining to watch. There was a array of characters with various interactions...some funny, some sad, some utterly bland but contributory nonetheless. The scenery was incredible. I think many modern films lack that beautiful setting which captivates the audience so it was nice to see it be different in Newcastle. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Xavier's and Kirk's characters. It felt real and very believable. I was upset that I missed the scene at the end of the credits. There should have been a heads up that the movie was not yet done. Overall, I give this movie a 9/10 as I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

This is one of the few movies that really leave me full of doubts whether I like it or not.It's about an angry teen boy, Jesse, who is a surf promise, and his difficult relationship with his two brothers. The older one, Victor, used to be a surf champion, but he had to quit and now he is a frustrated young man, who bullies his younger half-brothers. The other one is Fergus, he's Jesse's tween and he is gay. Around them there are a lot of other characters. All of them got some potential, but they are definitely too many. The parents are two good people who try to be there for their kids, but sometimes they just can't reach them. The grandfather is just adorable, wise, funny and comprehensive. And then there are Jesse's friends: Nathan, Andy and Scotty.Let's put it in his way, it is definitely enjoyable and pleasant, the cast is good-looking and the landscape awesome (dispite industrialization hang over the waves in each scene).Moreover, the characters and the story are quite catching and interesting, yet everything seems to be just skimmed. There are a too many characters, so none of them can get the depth he deserves. The same material used in a different way (maybe with a different format, like a TV series), may have lead to something much better.So, my suggestion is to watch the film if you are into this kind of staff, but do not expect too much, otherwise you'll be disappointed!

I just saw this film in LA at Outfest and I loved it. This film is well directed, acted, and shot. The subject matter may be challenging for some but the relationships were very real and contemporary. Young people are more open-minded about sexual identity and its many challenges and the director presents the issue of homosexuality in a way that makes it seem so natural to the situation. Mr. Castle elicits some strong performances from his neophyte cast which reminded me of Coppola's work with his young actors in The Outsiders. I also thought the adults were integrated into the story in a very real way--these aren't absent parents but people in their kids' lives. The surfing camera work is stupendous. Don't miss!