Film recommendation for "The Sapphires"
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1
Marta and I celebrated Valentine's Day by going out to dinner. We came home to watch a movie. We saw a trailer for "The Sapphires" a few weeks ago and put it on the rent list. Other than the trailer we knew nothing about this gem of a film.
In a period film we are transported to the Australian outback in the 60's. After a few typed intro paragraphs the movie opens to some young Australian Aboriginal girls singing. Cute. Later we will flashback with an explanation of what we are seeing through new eyes. We learn something that was cute turned into tragedy. Did I mention this is based on a true story?
What follows is educational about the treatment of Australian native Aboriginal people, without being the center of the film. It isn't preachy. It is fun. A few twists sprinkled in. A great song soundtrack. A thumb up for good date OR anytime film.
OS
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Sapphires-Blu-ray/75863/
Hosts, my understanding on film posts in GD are they are allowed. Who is dating whom, box office, rumors, etc. are not.
= new reply since forum marked as read
There was controversy over their DVD release cover and they reached out to the NAACP as a result http://www.democraticunderground.com/11874003
The music was great and it was a great story. I loved the narrative on the Stolen Generation which is a huge indigenous issue in Australia. As a black American woman, I was beyond perplexed at the depictions in the film of black American soldiers calling them "sister." Most black folks reserve that endearment for other black (of African heritage) people which these indigenous women are not. That was pretty jarring for me actually, but I loved the rest of the movie and Jessica Mauboy can SANG. Not "sing," SANG.
She played the surly mother that refused to let them go to Vietnam without her. She is adorable and an amazingly gifted singer.
And thank you for the link!
We added it to our buy list. We will wait for a price drop.
OS
A review: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Sapphires-Blu-ray/75863/#Review
The Sapphires Blu-ray Review
Do these Sapphires sparkle?
Reviewed by Martin Liebman, August 1, 2013
We'll see you in Saigon.
What a terrific film. The Sapphires shows that goodhearted, well-meaning, uplifting, and downright fun movies can work on a number of levels, making a go of it and beating all expectations even without excess digital manipulation, needless violence and language, phony emotions, stereotyped characters, or forced humor. While the overreaching plot arc isn't particularly novel and the film plays out largely as the audience expects, The Sapphires embraces its characters and finds in them a harmony beyond their singing voices, a beauty beyond their physical appearances, and a soul more prominent than even that of the music they sing. Director Wayne Blair's telling of this real-life tale of discovery, togetherness, overcoming all sorts of odds, and finding true love both on the stage and off of it is perhaps 2012's best of the largely overlooked, a movie that has it all and that plays with a heart as big as its characters, a gentleness worthy of its themes, and a toe-tapping rhythm that's irresistible from the first note to the last.
FULL review at link.
