Based on a true story, The Sapphires is an ultimately heartwarming feel-good tale of a group of three young Aboriginal sisters and their cousin who overcome the institutional racism and segregation of 1960s Australia to become a musical success playing to the American forces in Vietnam. It’s already proved a big hit in their home country, scooping 11 out of 12 nominations at the 2nd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress.
Three sisters, hot-headed Gail (Deborah Mailman), ambitious Julie (Jessica Mauboy) and happy-go-lucky Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), share a passion for music, but in their quest to become successful singers their social status as Aboriginals is undoubtedly their biggest obstacle. One day, the three enter a local singing contest in which they are the clear standouts, only to miss out on first prize due to barely-masked racism. The silver lining is that this contest brings them to the attention of Dave Lovelace (Chris O’Dowd), an alcohol-swilling, kid-at-heart music promoter, who sees their potential and introduces them to soul music.
After Julie sees a Vietnam recruitment ad for entertainers in the newspaper, the three sisters join together under the stewardship of Dave and a new name, The Sapphires, to chase their dreams of a music career. The plan involves reuniting with their long-lost cousin, Kay (Shari Sebbens), a victim of the state-sanctioned policy of kidnapping Aboriginal kids, due to her lighter skin. Their adventure to the foreign land doesn’t land the quartet pop superstardom, but it does provide a wonderful, life-changing experience.
The film has been dubbed the Australian version of Dreamgirls, an inevitable comparison given the subject matter, but The Sapphires is much more than a retread. Set against the backdrop of Australia’s shameful treatment of its Aboriginal population, director Wayne Blair imbues the serious subject matter with a welcome dose of optimism. While Dreamgirls focuses on the painful personal struggles of three dream-hunting ladies, The Sapphires follows a similar path but uses it to explore wide-scale issues of racism, discrimination and acceptance, although in a fun and entertaining way. Chris O’Dowd does an amazing job in portraying the clumsy Dave as a charismatic, real-life prince charming. The bold characters of the four ladies are totally lovable and the music throughout is spot-on—topped off by the beautiful voices of our heroines. The Sapphires is one story that’s sure to brighten your day and leave you with a smile on your face.
