Insider's angle a flimsy approach to 'Bra Boys'

By Steve Persall, Times Film Critic
In print: Thursday, May 15, 2008

Koby Abberton and his siblings are at the heart of the film co-created by their brother, Sunny.
	[Berkela Films]

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Bra Boys (R) (85 min.) — In the surfside suburb of Maroubra, in Sydney, Australia, lives the Abberton brothers' legacy of riding waves and trampling civility. They are the core of the infamous Bra Boys, a gang that prefers to be considered a tribe and whose violations of law and propriety are preservations of their culture, not criminal acts.

Who says? The co-creator of Bra Boys, who also happens to be eldest brother Sunny Abberton. Starting with an unconvincing link to Maroubra's historical past, the Abbertons and their surfing cronies are constantly posed as misunderstood free spirits. The mind-altering binges, reckless behavior and a murder charge all have some bogus rationalization in Abberton's view.

It isn't surprising that Russell Crowe, with his bad boy image, feels connected to the Abberton brothers, providing narration here and plans for a dramatic feature film on the subject. Crowe's listless line readings suggest his involvement is part of the deal rather than a labor of love.

Like the superior Dogtown and Z-Boys a few years ago, Bra Boys depends chiefly upon home movies, less tightly edited and more blurry in this movie. A more amateurish look is seldom seen in theaters. Even sloppiness might be excused if Abberton weren't so obviously self-serving to his clan. Brother Jai is charged with killing a drug dealer and the slant becomes too steep for credibility; even if he's innocent, conviction could be payback for any number of infractions.

The surfing sequences are impressive, as any footage in Australia's waves should be, and the Abbertons' rebellious nature may appeal to some viewers. But Bra Boys plays like a character reference at a sentencing hearing after the defendant pleads guilty: easy to see through and tough to believe. D+

Steve Persall, Times film critic