dansview I'll sum it up: A bunch of white trash Australian guys, drink, fight, swear, and surf. They come from unsupervised backgrounds with no God, no dad, and no guidance. End of story.That same story is playing out as we speak all over the world in various cultures. It's not the slightest bit interesting or intriguing.When young men have no soul, they resort to brutal, pagan tribalism.Boooring.Why not tell us about their schooling, their ladies, their other hobbies, their religion, and how they make a living?Gangs need a source of income.Do the schools and police let these guys just do their thing? Doesn't anyone flag their behavior along the way as they are growing up, or is it just too common, and therefore hopeless?Well, their ancestors were criminals, so I guess the apple does not fall too far from the tree.

lil_dancer_chik When the word documentary is mentioned the words boring and horrible pop into my head. I imagine wild life images with extremely boring narrators' voices that will put any normal person to sleep. The Bra Boys is anything but this sleep filled image. Filled with action and adventure it tells the story of notorious Abberton brothers, Jai, Koby and Sunny. The narration is by the manly Russell Crowe.In summary this movie is the Bra Boys response to everything in the media about the notorious beach gang in Maroubra. The world finally gets to hear the Bra Boys version about Crunalla riot, Mark Matthew's 21st, and the murder of Anthony Hines. Maybe even more importantly it show's how these events affected a gang of boys, who in the media is portrayed to have no feeling at all. Yes it's highly bias, but wasn't the media's side of the story as well? It is shot in a very amateur way and in parts goes on too much. A lot like the boys are bragging about the things the get up to. There's a lack of women, and in some cases a lack of clothes. If you can get past these minor factors it's a good watch.What is interesting and not deliberately put in is how well these boys have actually done to become at least half decent. Yes their idea of fun is jumping of a cliff a light, or bashing someone to a pulp, but at least they try to get the most out the life they have been given. They do the most they can to use surfing to get them out of the rut of their lives and then become good role models to the younger boys in the group, or at least compared to their home life. It's rather touching to watch considering what a lot of them cop at home. It's touching to see how much the Bra Boys support these boys and how much the gang is truly their family. It's very confronting because the viewer starts to realize they can't dismiss these kids as trouble makers, there's just so much more to their story.They add to the story by showing a lot of Australian culture and the history behind it. There's some humour included when talking about the laws put in place that included men wearing skirts and other such ridiculous things the Maroubra authorities put in place.This is why the film a worthwhile watch. It helps people see why these boys do such things. It shows a bigger picture of what the gang mentality is all about. It stirs empathy inside of the viewer.What does get old in the movie is the amount of fighting that is put into the film. For a 'defence film' it was a wrong choice because it makes them look horrible. It's like they can't make up their mind if they want to be strong and tough, or terribly misunderstood. I guess there giving us the whole of themselves not just the filtered through good bits, and then it's the viewer job to decide how exactly they should stereotype these guys.Nicole GYC

jess white Bra Boys is a bias documentary about a gang of Maroubra surfers with the focus on the Abberton brothers- Sunny, Jai, Koby and Dakota. Using the beach as a saviour for troubled kids, Sunny, Jai and Koby tell their story of struggle and hardship whilst growing up with a heroin addicted mother. This left them in the care of their grandmother, which they called Ma.This film was made to make the bra boys look good. By putting a young member of their gang in the documentary and saying that they encouraged him to give up drugs and live for the beach, otherwise he was not allowed to be apart of their gang anymore, gives the boys a reputation that they are heroic. Saying that they used the beach as a saviour, maybe they did but it still does not account for the miss leading and left out evidence in the documentary.An example of miss leading evidence is in the murder trial of Anthony Hines. It clearly states that Jai was found not guilty of murder but does not mention the compelling evidence against him and how he managed to get off. It also fails to mention that Koby did not get off all his chargers instead it states that his charge was dropped due to unsubstantial evidence. Failing to state anything about the other chargers, this makes the boys look like heroes to their fellow gang members and the audience watching the film. In the absence of film on the Cronulla riots proves that the boys were somehow involved more than they said. Stating that they were just attacked out of now where is the only footage of them fighting and making the peace action between the Lebanese community. This demonstrates to the audience that they can do no wrong. Thrown in with the preservation of the bra boys title is Australian aspects. With the narration of Russel Crowe and comparing the bra boys defending their land as the aboriginals did when white settlers came puts us on the bra boy's side to begin with. Throughout the film it gives more and more evidence and suggesting that the boys are good and when it comes to the boy's trial it creates a feeling that you want them to get off. But after analysing it you recognize that the documentary is bias and is just a way for the boys to defend and appraise themselves in the community. This documentary directed and written by the eldest brother, Sunny shows the bra boys side of events in Maroubra and defends their status as notorious gangsters. The documentary includes their side of the Cronulla riots, the murder trial in which Jai was found not guilty of murdering fellow Bra Boy Anthony Hines and Koby's chargers of perverting the course of justice. In the documentary it states that all of Koby's chargers were dropped which in fact is not true and this cause some confusion to the out come of Koby's trial. Bra Boys is also a story of struggle and brotherhood who stick together when it counts.Jess GYC

ogracer i have been out of Australia for several years and had not heard of the bra boys although i have been to maroubra beach as a young lifesaver in the early 90's.this documentary unravels to reveal quite a moving story of the Abberton bros. their struggle growing up, their love of their family & friends, surfing formidable waves and ultimately their fight for freedom.i enjoyed this documentary greatly and hope to see russell crowe involved in a movie based on these surfers lives.highly recommended