The Sapphires (2013)

The Worst Film Ever

Just perfect...

How sad is this?

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

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!

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.

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.

To start off, this film isn't that bad at all. The four singers are really good actresses and two of them have superb voices. The start of the movie does show a reflection on how bad it was for aborigines in those days and it is bad, but I am sick and tired of movies where anyone who is white gets called coconut, banana milkshake, white boy, vanilla, honky… etc… but if the white person (which never ever happens because that person would be crucified) ever retaliates in the same fashion, they are the made out to be the bad person.This is a common feature of every day life and movies which happens over and over and over. When is society ever going to realise that everyone is equal. If a black person calls me a honky it should be classed as the same as if I called them a nigga (you notice the lack of *'s in the middle of that word).I know for a fact that I am going to get down voted by short sighted or stupid people who do not get the point that I am putting across. But all of the intelligent people out there have noticed that I have said good points on both sides.To finish off, this is a very good movie with very good actresses who have superb voices.