Las Zafiro

How refreshing to see a movie starring aboriginal girls, who aren't portrayed as drunken, drug taking hopeless cases. I'm not denigrating those films—some are world-class—but its wonderful to skip out of a movie that shines with positivity telling a unique aboriginal story.

The four girls who play The Sapphires are real gems (excuse the pun). Deborah Mailman as the tough-nosed big sister is a true talent and, of course, Jessica Mauboy fans will enjoy her fabulous voice and she can really act too. All the minor actors are a treat. Chris O'Dowd, most famous for his recent hit "Bridesmaids" has chemistry but he seems to portray the same character in every film. Time for him to move on to a psychopath before he is typecast. Please go see this and support quality Australian cinema. This one is very deserved of your dollar.

I am a musician who loves soul and a sucker for war movies, so this movie would have to be pretty bad for me to dislike it. Was it perfect? No, far from it - but parts were darned near. That the only face on the screen I knew was one I quite like (Chris O'Dowd) and the lead female (Deborah Mailman) ate the camera up - a refreshing thing to see an unconventional beauty do. Without giving overmuch away, the good: The back story is heartbreaking, the Vietnam bits looked great, the main actors were excellent. The bad: Some of the performances seemed a bit canned, the lead singer sounded like a '90s pop star (with even some auto-tuner) and not everyone on camera was much of an actor - but it's an indie film, so I'm willing to forgive.

If you enjoyed The Commitments, know you some 'Nam films, know something about Australia & the sad treatment of the Aboriginal people and you like old soul music, you'll like this movie. It struck me as nearly a perfect date movie for folks willing to think just a bit, with things for guys and gals alike.

In the vein of 2006's Dreamgirls, import The Sapphires briskly chronicles the rise of a fictitious all-black female singing troupe, this time comprised of Australian natives and a roguish Irishman who instructs them to the spotlight. While completely unimposing and heaped with clumsy clichés, it's all more than a little bit charming and benefits from strongly executed covers of some famous soul hits.

Fashioned from rather obvious genre tropes, The Sapphires nevertheless provides a genuinely unique setup and subsequent execution of how these women – three sisters and their cousin – find a measure of recognition. It certainly makes more than a modicum of sense to have this journey set in the land down under seeing as this is from where the film heralds, though having these ladies be of aboriginal descent is fresher. There is no Motown, Harlem or sleazy record labels here.

Furthermore, the venue where this group find their fame is none other than the Vietnam War, performing their newly acquired affection for soul to the homesick American troops. For Western audiences particularly, it's a unique mash-up of cultures and one that ultimately serves as a character of its own.

The principle cast (and filmmakers for that matter) are mostly comprised of first-time actors and unknowns, and for the spread of talent, it's all rather impressive. Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell are as green as performers can get and Jessica Mauboy, though used to being in the spotlight thanks to her music career, is equally unfamiliar to acting. Of this family, it's only Deborah Mailman as the eldest sister who has any kind of a resume, though she does not detrimentally outshine the others, nor is she slumming it by any means.

Bringing most of the infectious energy and charisma however is Chris O'Dowd, who has been gaining some serious recognition with roles in Bridesmaids, Friends with Kids and This is 40. A whisky-swilling Irishman who stumbles across The Sapphires (though not their name at the time – a source of much frustration) at a talent show, he becomes their adoptive manager. O'Dowd scores almost all of the film's laughs and again adds in another cultural dynamic that is much appreciated.

Less appreciated is the smattering of clichés and familiar story arcs that allow The Sapphires to indulge in all the contrivances attributed to an afterschool special. Will all these ladies find love on this foreign journey? Will one be able to speak fluent Vietnamese at a life- or-death situation? Considering the setting, will there be a shoehorned- in action sequence? Is the Irishman the only heavy drinker? Will these sisters struggle with inner rifts and power struggles? Of friggin' course.

It's the latter overused trope that is both the most obnoxious, though oddly is it also the one most unlike I've seen before (but don't think it's any less obvious or limp). Instead of some sort of self-destructive descent into the world of show business being the driving factor that drives a wedge between the group, it just seems to be petty bitchiness. There is an underlying history between two characters that hopes to heighten the clashes, but for Mailman's Gail in particular she just comes off as a massive rhymes-with-witch. Of course she gets her redemption, but the writing doesn't do her any favours.

Additionally, considering the time period, it's reasonable to expect heavy does of racism, even when we're dealing with countries often less associated with it. Unfortunately The Sapphires massively overplays its race card, inserting bigotry at the most awkward junctures and introduces it even amongst the family. In doing so it utterly dulls the much-needed message and dose a disservice to the film as a whole.

But, of course, first and foremost a lot of people will be interested in this film because of the music, and it doesn't disappoint, despite not being a full-fledged musical. Though the numbers are strung together without much of an underlying structure, the covers ranging from I Can't Help Myself and I Heard it Through the Grapevine always impress, as do the actors delivering them. Even O'Dowd proves he has some decent pipes on him.

For what it ultimately is, and for what it ultimately seems to be vying, The Sapphires is more than a bit appealing. The rifts are well delivered, the acting strong and the execution has enough of an identity to distinguish it from other musical dramas. It may not possess enough heft to always deserve its interesting setup but it's more organically amiable than most of the movies you've seen this year.

As a lover of Australian film who was lucky enough to be at the Cannes premiere, I was filled with pride at the accomplishments of The Sapphires. Not only does the film tackle a huge story- it does so with heart, humor and a stellar soundtrack. It's exciting to see an Australian film diverge from suburban monotony and celebrate our countries vibrant culture and history. Deborah Mailman made me cry, Chris O'Dowd made me laugh and the superb Jessica Mauboy had me singing in my seat.

The Sapphires is a timely dose of optimism that had me falling in love with soul music all over again.

It's easy to be cynical about this film -- yes the plot is a little clunky and some of the lines are cheesy. But it is a hugely enjoyable movie, with lots of good points. The four girl actors are all great and they don't over-play their parts. When the girls arrive in Vietnam you get a sense of how very young and wide-eyed they are, despite their wisecracks. Chris O'Dowd as the Irish manager is hilarious, although he doesn't venture far from his character on Bridesmaids, or TV's IT Crowd -- that is, the bumbling but endearing Irish sweetie. The music and costumes are fantastic and the cinematography is lovely. I loved how Aborigines were portrayed as being strong and loving, and how many Aborigines have white as well as black blood, and struggle to straddle both cultures. The film provides a slightly sanitised, but still worthwhile, picture of an interesting time in Australian, and world, history.