Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
jc-osms
A good-time, 60's musical drama set in the unlikely locations of rural Australia and the U.S. Army bases of Vietnam as we follow the on-the-road adventures of four young Aboriginal cousins who form a close-harmony girl-group but who get frozen out at local talent shows due to white prejudice. Then, with the help of boozy, seat-of-his-pants, soul-music loving Irish musical arranger, Chris O'Dowd, they escape their small-town surroundings and get a gig touring said army bases having been made-over by him into a Supremes-type, crowd-pleasing outfit who of course go over big with the young, mostly black G.I.'s who make up their audience. Various romantic entanglements follow, not unnaturally as the girls hit their hormonal stride as well as other highs and lows as they end their dramatic tour-of-duty and return back home for the predictable but still welcome happy ending for pretty much everyone.Drawing on the shared racism by black Americans fighting for their country while back home the civil rights movement is in full swing with the less well-known racism experienced by the Aborigine community at the hands of the majority white "gubba" population, the film attempts and largely succeeds in improbably mixing this in with the more showbizzy musical backdrop as the girls knock out highly creditable versions of the great soul numbers of the day from the Motown, Stax and Atlantic labels.Somehow then this unlikely mix of "M.A.S.H." crossed with "The Commitments" works, largely down to the commitment (sorry) of its cast. The four girls gell well together, each with their own defined characteristics, handily explained to us late-on by O'Dowd's Dave Lovelace character while O'Dowd delivers another entertaining turn as the hard-bitten manager who softens to his protégés once they hit the road.The story is naturally episodic as the girls fall into one adventure after another and not all of them come to the light, to quote Sam and Dave, but its heart and soul are in the right place and if you're a dyed-in-the-wool soul boy like you'll love the dynamic soundtrack of sweet late 60's and 70's soul music too.
sandra-jacksonml-25-544020
I loved this movie the actors were amazing, such great Aussie talent and gorgeous girls to boot. The setting in Vietnam showed the lighter side of war, which did occur when the musicians played and love affairs abounded. The story line was awesome and if people look up who the cummagunjarra people were they will find they were very story people who walked off a mission because their white over-sears were bully's. Aboriginals love music, I don't think Aussie's understand their love of music and why they are great musicians,its a highly recommended movie for people who want to learn about the aboriginal people. The first people of Australia.
witster18
There is some good and some bad in "Sapphires".. mostly good.O'Dowd the boyfriend from "Bridesmaids" is the star of the show here, but the cast of girls does a fine job.It's a well-made film without much action(there is a little), effects, or Oscar winning performances, but the film flows nicely, has few if any odd/could-have been snipped scenes, and the voice-over detail is fantastic. NObody actually sings(live) in these types of movies nowadays, but here the lips and the music are masterfully synced. Somebody really spent time on getting it right. That REALLY helps in a film like this. "Pitch Perfect" is a 'perfect' comparison, but personally I thought the characters, the voice/lip syncing, and the heart of the overall story to be much stronger in "Sapphires". Truly superior in every way.The soundtrack is fantastic.The cultural, socio-economic, and racial subtext works in more cases than not.SOme of the relationship fodder isn't well examined, and there's nothing in particular that stands out as amazing about this release. It's not 'perfect'.I can recommend this. It's not my cup-o-tea necessarily, which might actually strengthen the recommendation. I'm scoring this one 72/100.YOu MIGHT like this if you liked(best similar rec*): Pitch-Perfect(very close but just below this), Mental*(just above this - fellow recent Aussie release you SHOULD ck out), and The Kite Runner(slightly better).I don't like it when ANY film has too much singing, and this film isn't over-run with those scenes. Not bad mate.
statuskuo
If there was any justice, this movie would destroy tripe like "The Butler" in the Oscar races. Since they both deal with racism, but this one isn't so ham fisted and preachy. This is a fun romp with great music and genuine heartfelt performances. Great characters and wonderful. I loved it. It may surprise people come March.What I most enjoyed about this movie is that, as an American, I got to see another part of racism that parrots our own. The insidious ways in which the "upperclass" continually find ways to gentrify a culture. This message is NOT overt though (like in "The Butler") It's subtle in it's slow burn. And these girls also face real problems. One is a single mother, another racked with guilt over the past, one that dreams of bigger stardom, and one that just loves seeing the world. This is an amazing ensemble that feels so real. The people feel real. The moments are recaptured on such a low budget scale, it's impressive. I marveled at their ingenuity and really happy I saw it. One of the best of the year.
