THE SAPPHIRES – The Review

Once again film makers are taking movie goers to that far off time of 1968 when barriers were broken, laws and minds were changed, and the air was filled with really great music. Just a few months ago David Chase brought us a semi-autobiographical film about playing in a band, NOT FADE AWAY, which used pop songs to accent the big changes in society during that decade. This new film also tells about a musical group of the 1960’s, except this time the tale is set in Australia. And said group is composed of the continent’s indigenous people, the Aborigines. As the announcers would say into the mike on those makeshift stages, ” Ladies and gentlemen,… THE SAPPHIRES”.

The film begins with four little girls singing for their appreciative families outside their meager homes in the dusty outback. Flash forward to 1968. Now young women, three of the quartet are still singing. There’s the eldest sister Gayle (Deborah Mailman), the leader and guitarist, Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), a wild free spirit engaged again to a fella’ that can’t seem to say “I do”, and the baby Julie (Jessica Mauboy), who’s got a powerhouse voice and a baby of her own. They travel into town, and much to the disdain of the locals, compete in a talent show. They don’t win the prize, but they do impress the event’s sodden host Dave Lovelace (Chris O’Dowd). But he thinks that they’re not suited for singing the country tunes of Merle Haggard. These gals should be belting out the soul hits so popular on the radio and juke boxes. He wants to manage them and soon finds them the perfect gig: performing for the armed forces over in Vietnam. But the girls believe they need the full foursome from their childhood days. They travel to the big city and track down their cousin Kay (Shari Sebbens). Because of her light skin, she had been snatched up by government agents and given to a white family. Fortunately Kay has a love of the new music, along with a need to escape her straight-laced world, and joins the girls as they practice for the big audition. Can they make the sweet harmonies of their youth once more? And can Dave really guide them safely through the brutal battlegrounds of Southeast Asia?

This slighty, breezy flick’s MVP is definitely the snarky O’Dowd (so funny as Kristen Wiig’s cop suitor in BRIDESMAIDS). We first meet his Dave character as he awakens from the back seat of his beat-up set of wheels, hung over, punching in his Sam and Dave 8-track, and stumbling about in his tighty-whiteys. He’s a lush, a rascal, but deep down he’s got a heart of gold. And he truly loves these country gals. With his brogue, O’Dowd plays him almost as a Gaelic Bill Murray. Unfortunately he’s much more compelling than the title characters. The actresses try to bring some energy to their roles, but seem more like types than real people (the bossy one, the sexy one, the shy one, the over-confident one). Some of the ladies are veterans of the original stage production of this story, so they still seem to be emoting for the balcony seats. It doesn’t help that the less pleasant aspects of the decade are given a nice glossy sheen ( that’s kind of ugly, but aren’t these dances and fashions adorably tacky?). In the prologue we’re told that the Australian government referred to the native Aborigines as “flora and fauna”, and the story of Kay being snatched up by those mysterious “men in black” because of her white features is pretty horrific, but aside from some learned bigotry spouted by the returning Kay, nothing seems to dampen the bouncy attitude of the heroines (gosh, we’ll win em’ over!). Evan the ‘Nam sequences are softened considerably. It all seems to be like a noisy, messy Summer camp. When violence does intrude on the upbeat proceedings (most of the gals get their own super-cute soldier boy), the film makers back off when a major character is affected. TV news footage clips are used to cue up emotional scenes along with more somber “message” ballads for some clunky dramatic moments. The film as an interesting view of an era that’s been presented in countless other films, but it backs off the more tragic themes in order to be more of a feel-good “girl power” trifle. At least we get to see some photos of the real women that inspired this tale over the end credits. They’re the real jewels in this story of THE SAPPHIRES.

3 Out of 5 Stars

THE SAPPHIRES plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas