Les Saphirs

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.

I had heard nothing but generally positive things about this film but yet I had not really come across it anywhere till recently. The plot is based on a true story but I'm sure has been simplified down into this very simple telling where you'll pretty much know where it is going from the start to the end. In this way it is a very safe film and indeed the marketing plays on this a great deal; suffice to say it is very much a film that delivers just what you expect it to. In this regard it is pretty obvious but what makes it work is the spirit in which it is delivered; it has energy and fire which it really wears well.

The soundtrack does a great deal to help it, but the energy in the comedy and the characters really helps. Everything is delivered with a good sense of fun with rough edges and it is very charming and effective throughout. The musical performances are great and moreso thanks to the cast. O'Dowd is a good bit of casting as he is in that middle ground of being a famous face but perhaps not yet leading a film on his own name. His character may be simple enough but he is good at it. Of the four women there is a sense that the film is rough with the realistic casting, looks and shapes; this is not to say they are not beautiful – just that they are not so in the way that films would traditionally put forward. Mailman is the best example as she is a great central character. Mauboy has a great pair of lungs on her and drives the performance while Tapsell is very good in support. Sebbens was probably the least engaging of the group as she has more "issues" to carry and is less naturally rough and fun.

It may be a simple film on the face of it, but it has a lot of energy in the characters, the comedy and the music. Infectious and fun – it is not a great film but it is a very easy one to enjoy.

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.

The Sapphires (2012)

Wow, can I just say, "super cute" and leave it at that? It's a total feel good story about four Aborigine Aussies who can sing! And they sing their way (via Motown and R&B) to Vietnam in front of American troops, who love it.

And so you have to love it. The music soars, the tragedy of the war is held out of view but is implied in different ways, and the abilities of these young women make it all heartwarming. And impressive. Against the odds kind of material.

The one additional actor who is key is Chris O'Dowd, playing a down on his luck musician. He sees, barely, the talent of these women and decides to "manage" them, which he really does pretty well, helping them apply to a contest. And so on, to the "top" of the short ladder they are climbing. There are no gold records here, just good music. O'Dowd is comic relief, but also at ease and stabilizing to the movie, adding a necessary second layer. A good fit.

That's the long and the short of it. The Sapphires were real (and at the end of the movie you see a tiny bit of the real women). They were a cover band, you might say, but a really sweet and talented cover band. And they chose music that had soul, that mattered to the times, the late 1960s. Good stuff. Just enjoy it.