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Barry wrote on 11/28/2009:

I was going to write a review of this when certain things came to mind. I do recall writing to TLA recommending they keep an eye out for this film way before it was released in the USA. I am sure they did not need me to tell them but I did write. I found this little home grown film here in Australia and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the photography, the boys and the story. The gay brother in the film is played by the very talented Xavier Samuel. I have him in two other very special Australian films '2.37' (2006) about a school tragedy with gay content and the brilliant 'September' (2007) about the relationship between a white country boy and an Aboriginal boy set against the society of 1968. I thought this actor is destined to be yet another who should make it internationally. Well I see he has a role in the next Twilight film in 2010. Surfing is not something I could enjoy, but wonderful cinema is. Heart, soul, comedy, drama and lots of stunning nudity, it has it all.

Green Giant wrote on 09/02/2009:

I was wary when i ordered this dvd since i had puchased TAN
LINES another Australian film about surfing with a main character
whose younger brother falls in love with his best friend. That film
was a piece of crap both technically and artistically.

NEWCASTLE is i am happy to report as close to a work of art as
any film i've seen about young adult male bonding. The film centers
on the friendship between four down under surfer dudes and the
younger brother of one who's gay. In the exploration of young adult
male sexuality both gay and straight it is a refreshing change from
most Hollywood films on the subject.

One aspect that makes the film a total visual delight is the absolutely
stellar surfing photography. In fact the camera so perfectly captures
the stunning physical beauty of the handful of main characters so as
to appear to be a gay porn video with hardcore sex scenes cut out.

Plus Israel Cannan who plays one of the main character's three best
buds has an gorgeous singing voice which we hear over the end
credits.

If one wants a stunningly photographed film with a truely stunning
cast and superb surfing footage this is a must for your collection.

JANORM wrote on 08/21/2009:

I accidentally came upon this film while surfing the list of movies available on my cable. It looked interesting and the the synopsis intrigued me. I was totally and unearthly captivated by the story line and its method of presentation. The interaction of the characters is what fascinated me. The Gay ahd Straight dichotomy presented on the screen in this story line is nothing short of inspirational. This provides the audience with an underlieing current of pathos. This movie provides the audience with a coming of age melodrama attached to a moral resonsibility of life! THE ROAD TO WISDOM IS NEVER VERY EASY! NJMJr!

Vernon wrote on 06/12/2009:

A Little Beauty

This is a great little film, a little beauty, in more ways than one.
It is a movie, with a heart.
One of criticism, is that peolple like me, non-surfers won't get parts of the film.
This is wrong, any one can get the logic, somone stealing a wave, a dead sea, I got it no waves no surf.
The surfing is the key to this film but it is the relationships that is heart of the plot.
The realationshp of the brothers, first love and family are what this film all about.

This is really bad review for a great film, all I can say to wrap this up, is buy this fim or watch it. You won't regret it you will love it.
Please read the review by Armos Lassen it is far better than this one.

Cheers
from New Zealand

Amos Lassen wrote on 05/27/2009:

“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 beautidul 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 stuggle 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.