Matthew ShallueBra Boys
Bra Boys (2007)
Genre: Documentary
Writer/Director: Sunny Abberton
Built around a sewerage plant, rifle range, and maximum security prison, the south-eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra was never going to deliver many silver spoons. Bra Boys, written and directed by surfer Sunny Abberton, tells the story of the infamous Maroubra surfing tribe and his – and his brothers’ -- involvement in it.
Sunny and his brothers, like so many of the children growing up in Maroubra, were keen to escape from the poverty of home life with their alcoholic mother and drug-addicted stepfather. Surfing permitted the desired escape, and the boys and young men of the area formed ties amongst themselves that were stronger than many had with their blood families. The Bra Boys became as notorious for their larrikin behaviour and fights with the authorities and other tribes as for their dedication to the surfing lifestyle. It certainly wasn’t all fisticuffs and beach parties: many of the Bra Boys, including three of the Abberton brothers, became big-name surfers who gained sponsors and went on to surf the world circuit. But just when Koby Abberton was making a big splash in the surfing world, Koby and Jai Abberton found themselves embroiled in a murder charge and facing lengthy prison sentences.
Bra Boys gives the impression that as much is withheld as revealed, and the circumstances of the murder charge – in which Jai was accused of killing local standover man Anthony Hines – are never clearly explained, and are not verified by Jai in an interview in the film. While the documentary does not seem to indicate that Hines was a member of the Bra Boys tribe, federal police reports had previously labeled Hines as the leader of the Bra Boys during investigations for international drug trafficking. An unbiased report cannot really expected from Bra Boys, however, and the personal stories take precedence over the laying down of facts. Despite the lingering coverage of Koby and Jai’s charitable habit of taking disadvantaged grommets under their wings, and the deliberate distancing of the Bra Boys from the 2005 Cronulla race riots, the film does not often stray into the realms of blatant propaganda.
Primarily comprised of interviews with the Abberton brothers, other Bra Boys, and members of the surfing community, Bra Boys also contains some entertaining footage from the area that is appealing to surfers and non-surfers alike. The stories and interviews are touching without seeming contrived, and the audience would be hard pressed to walk away without some admiration of the Abberton boys, who create a family for themselves when they had none at home, and who chased success and accomplishment in the same way that they chased waves. Bra Boys also offers an unabashed look at the larrikin Aussie attitude, with the ‘she’ll be right’ dismissal of life’s more unpleasant challenges and the accompanying broad ocker accents.
6.5 out of 10
Genre: Documentary
Writer/Director: Sunny Abberton
Photo courtesy of Google. Photo may be copyrighted.
Built around a sewerage plant, rifle range, and maximum security prison, the south-eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra was never going to deliver many silver spoons. Bra Boys, written and directed by surfer Sunny Abberton, tells the story of the infamous Maroubra surfing tribe and his – and his brothers’ -- involvement in it.
Sunny and his brothers, like so many of the children growing up in Maroubra, were keen to escape from the poverty of home life with their alcoholic mother and drug-addicted stepfather. Surfing permitted the desired escape, and the boys and young men of the area formed ties amongst themselves that were stronger than many had with their blood families. The Bra Boys became as notorious for their larrikin behaviour and fights with the authorities and other tribes as for their dedication to the surfing lifestyle. It certainly wasn’t all fisticuffs and beach parties: many of the Bra Boys, including three of the Abberton brothers, became big-name surfers who gained sponsors and went on to surf the world circuit. But just when Koby Abberton was making a big splash in the surfing world, Koby and Jai Abberton found themselves embroiled in a murder charge and facing lengthy prison sentences.
Bra Boys gives the impression that as much is withheld as revealed, and the circumstances of the murder charge – in which Jai was accused of killing local standover man Anthony Hines – are never clearly explained, and are not verified by Jai in an interview in the film. While the documentary does not seem to indicate that Hines was a member of the Bra Boys tribe, federal police reports had previously labeled Hines as the leader of the Bra Boys during investigations for international drug trafficking. An unbiased report cannot really expected from Bra Boys, however, and the personal stories take precedence over the laying down of facts. Despite the lingering coverage of Koby and Jai’s charitable habit of taking disadvantaged grommets under their wings, and the deliberate distancing of the Bra Boys from the 2005 Cronulla race riots, the film does not often stray into the realms of blatant propaganda.
Primarily comprised of interviews with the Abberton brothers, other Bra Boys, and members of the surfing community, Bra Boys also contains some entertaining footage from the area that is appealing to surfers and non-surfers alike. The stories and interviews are touching without seeming contrived, and the audience would be hard pressed to walk away without some admiration of the Abberton boys, who create a family for themselves when they had none at home, and who chased success and accomplishment in the same way that they chased waves. Bra Boys also offers an unabashed look at the larrikin Aussie attitude, with the ‘she’ll be right’ dismissal of life’s more unpleasant challenges and the accompanying broad ocker accents.
6.5 out of 10
