Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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.

grantss Outback Australia, late-1960s. An Irish entertainer, Dave Lovelace, is working as an MC at a small pub. He is impressed by a trio of Aboriginal women who sang country tunes in a pub competition. Seeing an advert for musicians needed to entertain the troops in Vietnam, he convinces them to try out for the gig. Their cousin in Melbourne also joins the band. One thing - they will sing soul music. Sweet, energetic movie with great music. Plot is okay, though a bit cheesy and formulaic. Some scenes feel contrived - the race issues and discussions, while necessary and relevant, often seem to be jammed into the plot without much context. The basic set up of the movie - manager convinces bunch of struggling musicians to switch to soul music, rest is history - feels very derivative of The Commitments, especially as the manager is Irish.This all said, it is well-intentioned, is never dull and has a great energy and vibrancy. Some good humour too. Despite all the flaws you don't mind so much, due to the innocence and energy of it all.Best of all, the music is great. Many soul classics, performed and recorded well.

malle99-101-862075 It is unrealistic, and just plain stupid.and the songs are absolute sh**. the story is just stupid and f*****. please do not waste 103 minutes of your time and avoid this movie!It is both racist to the Aboriginals and insulting to the Australian people. The acting is f***** horrible and nearly makes me spew. it is very hard to believe this even made to the cinema and DVD, it deserves no awards or any grossing money it got. This movie has no entertaining bits in it, nor good music or acting. avoid this movie at all costs DO NOT WATCH

JPfanatic93 One of various movies to deal with Australia's painful past regarding its treatments of its aborigine population, The Sapphires embraces a lighter, oft comedic tone while focusing on that which unites people of all creeds and races: music and love. Set in 1968 and starring Chris O'Dowd (of Bridesmaids fame) as washed up, constantly drunk musician and would-be talent manager Dave Lovelace, who stumbles upon the discovery of his life when he meets a group of young aboriginal girls determined to break through at the music scene. Problem is, these young women, family too, have their own emotional baggage, don't always get along and prefer to sing country songs. Not to mention their ethnicity is not favoured on stage, as they experience during a local talent contest where they are booed and harassed off stage despite being the only contestants with actual talent. It's up to Dave, who admires their passion and perseverance, to shape them into a worthy song group that will capture the hearts of millions, admittedly also for his own commercial benefit, as soon as he has convinced them to go with the times and adopt soul as their style. They swiftly decide touring for the American forces in Vietnam is their best bet to get noticed, the dangers of war notwithstanding. A thrilling string of performances throughout Nam follows, where the girls taste the joys of success and love, but also the sorrows of loss and death. The movie employs an overall feel-good approach, but obviously can't ignore the harrowing past of social inequality and blatant racism aboriginal people had to live through in the days, which is grippingly fleshed out in less scenes than maybe should have been the case considering the heavy subject matter of cultural genocide and overall alarming sights of discrimination the movie also covers. Despite the delightful and swinging tone that rules much of the film, it's the scenes of rampant prejudice that stick with you the most, an inescapable fact that sometimes makes the movie feel unbalanced. Fortunately there's also plenty of sequences that cover the feeling that 'the times, they are changing' for the better, slowly but surely, which allows the girl band to rise to stardom under the stage name the Sapphires. The foursome of singers makes for many a smashing musical scene, while it's gratifying to see the lead actresses weren't cast solely for their vocal talents, but also for their ability to carry emotional scenes compellingly. It's O'Dowd (a white guy!) that steals the show though, as a sleazy con musician ultimately revealed to have his heart in the right place, which does make for a rather sappy, cheerful ending. But after all the Sapphires have been through, you feel they've earned it.