- NEWCASTLE (DVD MOVIE)
You re Only Young Forever Once.
A week before the Junior Surf Pro final, Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) is determined to snatch the title from his best mate, Andy (Kirk Jenkins). Victory would mean a one-way ticket out of Newcastle and a career beyond his predestined future working on the dry dock with his father Reggie (Shane Jacobson) and older half-brother, Victor (Reshad Strik), a surfing champion himself until hit with a serious injury and now the local bad boy.
Jesse resolves to succeed where Victor failed to become a world-class champion surfer. Yet before Jesse gets his chance, he is disqualified for reckless surfing in the lead-up trial.
As a diversion, Jesse s surfing mates Andy, Scotty (Israel Cannan) and Nathan (Ben Milliken) plan a momentous weekend of waves and hedonism with some local girls Debra (Debra Ades) and Leah (Rebecca Breeds). Much to Jesse s dismay, Fergus (Xavier Samuels), Jesse s geeky, fraternal twin brother who has never even set foot on a surfboard, gets to tag along. Upon reaching the sand dunes, the teenagers swim, surf, flirt and party long into the night. Fergus is entranced by Andy, who is not at all threatened and accepts Fergus for who he is.
First light and the posse hit the waves. Andy introduces the painfully, uncoordinated Fergus to surfing. Fergus manages to catch a wave after many attempts and is elated but not for too long. When Victor and his gang arrive at the isolated beach and decide to claim the surf break, an unofficial contest ensues. The angry waves close out on the inexperienced Fergus. Victor, Andy and Jesse struggle under a rogue wave. Boards fly in the white water.
Fergus desperately reaches the surface to discover a tragedy unfolding.
Throughout it all, Jesse struggles to find his own identity and a reason to surf.
Buy “Newcastle” For Only $16.93
April 29, 2008
#1
The dud bombed badly in Australian cinemas .The local critics hated it.A very tedious film that goes nowhere and would have to be the most boring film ever to emerge from that country.A good looking cast doesn’t help when the script is woeful.It’s Australian dvd release came and went without a whisper and it was sold for very cheap price.Probably only the cast were desperate enough to want to buy a copy.You have been warned
April 29, 2008
#2
Having seen so many good reviews about this movie, I even pre-ordered it months in advance. How disappointing I was when my BF and I watched it the day it arrived. We got through about 30 minutes before looking at each other and turned off the DVD. First, the actors have such heavy accents that even the English they are speaking is largely unintelligble. OK, fine, if that were the only flaw, I can live with that. After all, I own many foreign language films. Of course, they have subtitles. Second, the story line was disjunct and didn’t even make sense. It jumped all around. Third, when the movie was over (yes, I eventually watched the whole thing, painful minute by painful minute), I didn’t feel an ounce of connectivity to any character. The movie’s tag line (You’re Only Young Forever Once) makes no sense in the context of the story (a la lack thereof). Waste of money.
April 29, 2008
#3
A dumb movie, no sex scenes at all. Almost a ‘chick flick’ really not worth any amount of money. boring.
April 29, 2008
#4
“Newcastle”
A Surprising Gem
Amos Lassen
Not being a person who usually goes to see surfer movies, I was apprehensive about “Newcastle” and was very surprised at how quickly it pulled me in and got me hooked. It is absolutely an amazing film.
Set in Australia, the movie has some of the most beautiful cinematography I have ever seen. Couple that with a complex family driver and you have a winning combination. Three brothers, Jesse, Fergus and Victor are caught in a struggle for individual freedom and respect for one another. Victor, the oldest, has missed the chance to be a championship surfer and he has a sense of resentment for Jesse, 17, who is showing signs of becoming a champion. Fergus is a rebel with an enigmatic personality. The father tries very hard to hold the family together but they are a working-class family and he simply does not have the time to be around very much. There is also a good deal of peer pressure surrounding the brothers and they reach a point on a beach outing that everything drastically changes.
The film focuses on relationships between the brothers and their feelings for each other and their parents, their friends and their girlfriends. Jesse and Fergus have a heartwarming and heartbreaking relationship. Victor (Reshad Strik) is living a ruined life because of a knee injury and a drinking problem. Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) is a want to-be surfer who lives in the shadow of Victor while Fergus (Xavier Samuel) dyes his hair purple and paints his fingernails black is discovering that he might be gay.
The film opens with gorgeous footage of the tryouts for a surfer competition that will give the winner a spot in international competition and then the film looks at the lives of the three boys and their friends and this is interspersed with the most beautiful photography that I have ever seen. (Now this would be an amazing film to see in IMAX).
The film reaches a turning point when the youngsters decide to lie to their parents and take a camping trip to the beach where they smoke pot, have sex and drink and of course hit the waves. Victor comes there and finds Jesse practicing to be the next champion and egos get the best of the brothers and a fierce competition results in tragedy.
Directed by Dan Castle, this is a coming-of-age story that is beautiful to watch. It is also a sports film, a dysfunctional family film, and a teen flick and that is what, if anything, hurts the film. Victor and Jesse who are our heroes are the kinds of people that most do not like and the film’s lack of direction hurts it. This is too bad because basically this is a good movie that explores masculinity but succumbs to pleasing teenaged moviegoers.
April 29, 2008
#5
This is not a gay film. The gay character is a fringe one and a shameful stereotype. There is plenty of heterosexual sex scenes but absolutely no man-on-man action. No touching, no kissing, no simulated sex between the boys.
Another interesting point about this film is the bonfire scene at the beach. This is an Australian film, filmed in Australia, with Australian actors, yet the characters are eating and mention “smores”. This is not something most Australians would have any idea about and it is blatantly inserted into this scene to appeal to an American audience. I was watching with a group of other guys and all of them were like “smores?”
Don’t waste your time or money. This film does not deserve your pink dollar/pound/yen/whatever!!