Irishchatter I honestly would never thought a Boyle man like Chris O'Dowd can sing brilliantly and be involved on a Australian musical film. He was awesome like, this is such a big step for his acting career to take off further.The soundtrack was pretty great too and the four girls singing the songs were just so talented. I have to say, this is the best movie I've ever came across and I'm going to definitely put this on my best movies list, it's so underrated and just fantastic, no further words needed!

Colin Billett I had to check that this was directed by a man, just to confirm what seemed blatantly obvious. The women appear to make choices, but all as a direct result of what the men want them to do - manager, lover, boyfriends, soldiers. Every female action seems to be as a response to the men. The film seemed to me to lack charm or interest. It started off beautifully with a super rendering of Mockingbird, but nothing better than that later. The scenes jumped improbably, and I kept asking myself why? What happened then? How did we get here? And the music I found quite insipid, having seen most of the original artists themselves when I was but a youngster. Try this one - MLK has been shot, so go and shake your hips for those poor black boys. It might be true, but it don't make it smell nice. Sorry folks - nice try, but I didn't like it at all.

Roland E. Zwick From Australia comes "The Sapphires," a charming true-life tale of four young Aborigine women who form a singing group in the late 1960s, then travel to war-torn Vietnam to entertain the troops. Gail, Julie, Kay and Cynthia are the girls (three are sisters and one, Kay, is their cousin) and Dave is the cut-rate impresario who becomes the girls' manager when he is the first to recognize the group's commercial potential. First, though, he's got to get them to stop performing that blasted country-and-western "shite" that, for some reason, they seem to be so fond of, and to start belting out the blues.Though it doesn't shy away from depicting the very real issues of racism and segregation that were so much a part of those times - Aborigines, after all, were not even officially declared humans in Australia till 1967 - "The Sapphires" is the furthest thing from a social commentary screed. It is, instead, a mostly light-hearted, joyous celebration of youth, talent, ambition and the power of music to blast through all social and cultural barriers (they don't call it the "universal language" for nothing).The screenplay by Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs nicely differentiates each of the girls, allowing them to have their own quirks and personality traits, and doesn't just treat them as a homogeneous group. Gail, the oldest of the singers, in particular, is quick to get her back up when she feels her position as lead singer is being threatened or her talent challenged, but she is also willing to be a team player when personal sacrifice is what's needed for the good of the group. But as Dave states at one point, the abrasive and often obnoxious Gail is simply the "mother bear" protecting her sister cubs.But all is not sweetness-and-light, as the girls cope with long-simmering tensions over race, personal identity and internecine relationships, as well as the dangers and tragedies that are an inevitable part of life in a war time setting.There are splendid performances by Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell as the girls and Chris O'Dowd as their manager, and the singing is a wonder to behold.Skillfully and unobtrusively directed by Wayne Blair, "The Sapphires" is a "feel-good" movie in the best sense of that term.

bob the moo I had heard nothing but generally positive things about this film but yet I had not really come across it anywhere till recently. The plot is based on a true story but I'm sure has been simplified down into this very simple telling where you'll pretty much know where it is going from the start to the end. In this way it is a very safe film and indeed the marketing plays on this a great deal; suffice to say it is very much a film that delivers just what you expect it to. In this regard it is pretty obvious but what makes it work is the spirit in which it is delivered; it has energy and fire which it really wears well.The soundtrack does a great deal to help it, but the energy in the comedy and the characters really helps. Everything is delivered with a good sense of fun with rough edges and it is very charming and effective throughout. The musical performances are great and moreso thanks to the cast. O'Dowd is a good bit of casting as he is in that middle ground of being a famous face but perhaps not yet leading a film on his own name. His character may be simple enough but he is good at it. Of the four women there is a sense that the film is rough with the realistic casting, looks and shapes; this is not to say they are not beautiful – just that they are not so in the way that films would traditionally put forward. Mailman is the best example as she is a great central character. Mauboy has a great pair of lungs on her and drives the performance while Tapsell is very good in support. Sebbens was probably the least engaging of the group as she has more "issues" to carry and is less naturally rough and fun.It may be a simple film on the face of it, but it has a lot of energy in the characters, the comedy and the music. Infectious and fun – it is not a great film but it is a very easy one to enjoy.