The Sapphires [PG]

The year is 1968 and four talented Aboriginal girls have the plan to go to Vietnam and entertain the troops with their all-girl group. Quickly picked up by a soul-loving smooth talker named Dave Lovelace who gets them their first gig and flies them to Vietnam, the girls all embark upon a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and love as they abandon their Cummeraganja Songbird country style and soon make a name for themselves as The Sapphires, a sparkling girl soul group. 

Based on a true story, this movie is absolutely a glittering treat on many, many levels. It boasts memorable performances, a spectacular soul soundtrack, thrilling action and dramatic romance. It’s a most beautiful movie that I enjoyed greatly from start to finish. 

The year is 1968 and four talented Aboriginal girls have the plan to go to Vietnam and entertain the troops with their all-girl group. Quickly picked up by a soul-loving smooth talker named Dave Lovelace who gets them their first gig and flies them to Vietnam, the girls all embark upon a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and love as they abandon their Cummeraganja Songbird country style and soon make a name for themselves as The Sapphires, a sparkling girl soul group. 

There is nothing that I could see as a flaw in this film. The story is solid and beautiful, the performances were memorable, and the music was phenomenal. 

Special applause has to go to Deborah Mailman who reprises the role she did in the play. Starring as Gail, easily the bravest and strongest of the four girls, Deborah’s performance was comedic when it needed to be, charming, and mesmerizingly dramatic. Deborah has a dazzling presence in anything she does and in this movie it was almost impossible to keep your eyes off her. You rock Deborah! 

On the surface, The Sapphires is the light hearted biopic of nervous small town girls who make it big in the world, particularly in a world where their ethnic background is met with hostility. But on a deeper level, there is much drama and a stronger story of change and self-discovery as well as the bonds of family and friendship. 

Starring Deborah Mailman, Chris O’Dowd, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell, and Tory Kittles, The Sapphires is a beautiful movie filled with friendship, romance, drama, soul music, action, and comedy. All over, it’s a perfectly cut gem of a movie and one that I would highly recommend as it holds something for everyone! I absolutely loved it!