The Sapphires (2012)

The Sapphires: Directed by Wayne Blair. With Tanika Lonesborough, Nioka Brennan, Lynette Narkle, Kylie Belling. It’s 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

“Itu0026#39;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 donu0026#39;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 Ou0026#39;Dowd as the Irish manager is hilarious, although he doesnu0026#39;t venture far from his character on Bridesmaids, or TVu0026#39;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.”