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Home Reviews “The Sapphires” is Quite the Charmer

March 25, 2013 By iluvcinema 7 Comments

“The Sapphires” is Quite the Charmer

The Sapphires (2012) is based on the 2004 stage play of the same name, itself loosely based on a true story. The film is directed by Wayne Blair and co-written by Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs, who also wrote the play (another ‘fun fact’ about Briggs – his mother and aunt are two of the real-life “Sapphires”).

thesapphires

The year is 1968 and before we anything taking place on the screen, we are given a little historical context for what we will see over the next couple of hours. As someone who has always been fascinated by the plight of indigenous populations, I knew a little about the “Stolen Generation” – that is the Australian policy of taking fair-skinned Aborigines who could “pass” from their settlement homes and integrating them into white society. The next (startling) factoid to appear in black and white was that, until the 1970’s indigenous Australians were classified as part of Australia’s “flora and fauna.”

Set against the tumult of the war in Vietnam, the audience is witness to the journey taken by four young women of the – headstrong Gail (Deborah Mailman), bubbly Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), cousin Kay (Shari Sebbens), who has been away in “mainstream” Aussie society and Julie (Jessica Mauboy), the young one with the powerful voice. A chance encounter with Dave Lovelace (Chris O’Dowd) failed entertainer extraordinaire takes them from Melbourne to the Vietnamese war zone in a mixture of comedy, tense drama and of course, MUSIC.

In terms of the acting, Chris O’Dowd again proves his comedic/romantic leading man bona fides as the feckless manager who falls for one of the singers. I am not as familiar with many of the other performers, but they are all entertaining in their roles. The other standout for me is Jessica Mauboy, who is featured as Julie, the lead vocalist of The Sapphires; in fact, Ms. Mauboy is a known quantity in her native Australia, where she is a popular R&B singer. SIDE NOTE: she sure has some pipes on her.

Let it be known there is a lot going on here. As I mentioned at the open, the fun of this film is set alongside some serious topics – war, racial discrimination and the like. This is particularly evident in the parallel drawn between the plight of the indigenous population and African Americans half a world away (and in one pivotal scene, on the Vietnamese battlefield. On one hand, it connects to the thread of the essence of what soul music represents – the struggle and the triumph of the human condition.

However at times I felt it was more window-dressing and used as a means of driving the plot and interaction between a couple of the members of the group and less about informing the audience. For my part, I admired the effort, even if the execution was not 100% to my satisfaction.

In spite of these quibbles and although in places, the film fell victim to the conventional tropes one finds in similarly themed movies about the rise (and in this case) stall of a girl group, that does not detract from the wonderful I say WONDERFUL film I had the pleasure of seeing yesterday. It left me laughing, tapping my feet and in some instances, crying. It is all heart and soul.

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: australia, musical, romantic comedy, the sapphires

Comments

  1. Paula says

    March 25, 2013 at 10:14 pm

    Hi Iba, as you know I really want to see this and have hopes of it actually ~getting here~ in a couple weeks (i know, crazy right? 😉 ) so I’m bookmarking this for later…thanks!
    Paula recently posted..If it’s Springtime, Why Is It Still Cold Outside Movie QuizMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      March 25, 2013 at 11:23 pm

      Glad to hear it Paula – can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it!
      iluvcinema recently posted..“The Sapphires” is Quite the CharmerMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Ja says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    Gotta luv overlooked gems like these…I definitely want to check this out. Thanks for sharing.
    Ja recently posted..The Filipino Flash Meets The JackalMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      March 25, 2013 at 11:22 pm

      It just came out in here in the USA last weekend. But I suspect it will be on video soon.

      Reply
  3. Todd Mason says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    Excellent…even with IFC Films picking up a number of options from the Antipodes, we simply aren’t seeing enough Australian and NZ film over here…I gather this one can sit comfortably with the tv series CHINA BEACH or the film GRACE OF MY HEART as well as with RABBIT-PROOF FENCE…
    Todd Mason recently posted..Saturday Music Club on Monday: after Lambert, Hendricks and RossMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      March 25, 2013 at 11:21 pm

      Ah my friend, on the same wavelength because you will never guess what my overlooked film for this week is 😉
      And I totally agree. So many Aussie/NZ films I have seen I have liked. Def need more exposure

      Reply
  4. sati says

    March 27, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    I does look quite charming and I adore Chris O’Dowd. Once I deal with about dozens of movies I promised people I’d see, I’ll try to watch this one 🙂
    sati recently posted..Soundtrack Wednesday – Game of Thrones (3)My Profile

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