Having spent time in Australia not long after the time period of this movie, when I was only a bit older than the two lead actors, I can appreciate the accuracy of the movie's portrayal of teenage life back then and the way things were in Australia. I love the authentic Aussie bluntness and a trip back to an age without PC fears and ubiquitous electronics. The surfing aspect of the movie is stunning - raw, real old school surfing before leashes and even wet suits were common as the boys begin with just shorts. The best thing about this movie are the two 14 year old surfie mates Pikelet (Samson Coulter) and Loonie (Ben Spence) who actor/director Simon Baker miraculously found. When filming a surfing movie with teenagers you have to decide between a known, experienced actor that can be taught how to surf (or you can insert doubles) or you find a genuine surfie who has never acted. Baker went the latter route and hit paydirt with these boys - they did some straight out stunning big surf scenes as the older hippie surfie mentor Sando (Baker) teaches them more advanced surfing skills and finds elusive big waves in the uniquely wild and beautiful Denmark region of the West Australian coastline. Coulter is tremendously sensitive and accomplished in what ends up being a difficult role and Spence is spot on as a dangerous thrill-seeking adrenaline junky teenager. These boys were authenticity on steroids and the gamble with no prior experience pays off.
Until now this movie was a solid 9 BUT, and this is a big but, the movie takes a dark turn in two areas. First, that a man in his 40's would take a 14 year old surfing addict alone with him for an extended surfing trip to Indonesia (a well known surfing Mecca for Aussie surfers) is dodgy even by 1970's standards. Far worse is the love affair that emerges between Pikelet and Sando's very physically and emotionally damaged wife Eve (Elizabeth Debicki) that was not only criminal in nature (adult woman likely late 20's/early 30's initiating sex with a boy known to be only 14) but in the midst of their torrid affair carried out when Sando is in Indonesia, Eve initiates Pikelet into her own auto erotic practices with a predictably damaging affect. Even allowing for Coulter being 16 at the time of the filming, the whole thing casts a shadow over what until then had been a fabulous movie. Imagine the outcry had they scripted this as a 14 year old surfie girl and Sando seduces her. The double standard over giving a pass when older women have sex with mid teen boys is on full display in this movie and it's unedifying. Aside from this issue, overall it was a fantastic movie. The location was raw and rough unlike pristine accessible beaches seen in most surfing movies, the cinematography was first rate, the acting, especially by the novice teens, was superb and the whole thing had real time and space authenticity.
Until now this movie was a solid 9 BUT, and this is a big but, the movie takes a dark turn in two areas. First, that a man in his 40's would take a 14 year old surfing addict alone with him for an extended surfing trip to Indonesia (a well known surfing Mecca for Aussie surfers) is dodgy even by 1970's standards. Far worse is the love affair that emerges between Pikelet and Sando's very physically and emotionally damaged wife Eve (Elizabeth Debicki) that was not only criminal in nature (adult woman likely late 20's/early 30's initiating sex with a boy known to be only 14) but in the midst of their torrid affair carried out when Sando is in Indonesia, Eve initiates Pikelet into her own auto erotic practices with a predictably damaging affect. Even allowing for Coulter being 16 at the time of the filming, the whole thing casts a shadow over what until then had been a fabulous movie. Imagine the outcry had they scripted this as a 14 year old surfie girl and Sando seduces her. The double standard over giving a pass when older women have sex with mid teen boys is on full display in this movie and it's unedifying. Aside from this issue, overall it was a fantastic movie. The location was raw and rough unlike pristine accessible beaches seen in most surfing movies, the cinematography was first rate, the acting, especially by the novice teens, was superb and the whole thing had real time and space authenticity.