The Sapphires

A friend who had been reading my reviews suggested I see this film and tell everyone what I thought. It's not a film that's out in theaters, and is not easy to find. I couldn't find it. Then, as I relaxed on this quiet Sunday afternoon while channel-surfing, there it was! The theme is reminiscent of The Commitments, except it highlights aboriginal politics instead of Ireland. I traveled to Australia in 2001 and while in "The Center", my then fiance and I visited the Aboriginal Cultural Center. We  read about the heartbreaking story of a race of people purported to be the lowest form of black person. It's hard to believe, but in The Sapphires, a cousin is called "a black dog" by a dying soldier hell bent on keeping her filthy hands off his bleeding-out body in 1968 Vietnam. This was the most heart-wrenching scene of the movie in my opinion.

The story begins in Australia at a remote mission where aborigines are forced to live. Four young girls sing for their family and friends with dreams of making it big someday. Their mother has the voice of an angel, and there is one special hymn she enjoys hearing them sing often. The older girls enter a town talent contest, while the youngest goes against her mother and sings with her sisters. The contest is run by whites, and when the aboriginal girls are the clear winner, the prize is given to a no-talent white girl instead. The host of the contest, Dave Lovelace, played by Chris O'Dowd is wowed by the girls' talent. They sang a song by Merl Haggard, and he just can't see black girls singing Country and Western. "You should be singing Soul," he screams as he breaks out into a rendition of a song by The Supremes. Not really. I just couldn't remember the song he sang. But, Dave was a self-subscribed soul music afficionado. And he knew talent when he saw it.

He was fired by the white woman in charge, who he obviously had a fling with (he made her feel like a teenager again), and became the manager for The Sapphires after securing them an audition to perform for the troops in Saigon and elsewhere in Vietnam. Dave is a drunk and a loser, but he threw himself into the role of manager. I love Chris O'Dowd. Have you seen Family Tree on HBO yet? Chris is fabulous. In Sapphires, he hones the girls into a great act and they become the talk of the Vietnam entertainment circuit.

The girls learn about love and forgiveness along the way. The music is very good (not quite of the caliber of Commitments in that I wouldn't buy the soundtrack), but the singing was excellent and the girls were really good. A cousin, Kay, who was taken from her people because she looked more white than black was strongly resented by the eldest of the group, Gail. Dave told her she was always angry because she was the "Mama Bird". We discover it was Gail's job to protect Kay, and when she was taken and lived the white ways, Gail hated her. But, after their tour abroad, Kay went back to the mission and was blessed back into the tribe by the elder grandmother, and Gail was the only sister present for this special cleansing ceremony. It was a very touching moment and I found it extremely emotionally moving.

As the credits rolled, I was smiling and felt uplifted. It's worth watching

P.S. I woke up this morning with this movie still in my head. I realized I didn't even acknowledge the aboriginal actors, especially Deborah Mailman who played Gail. Did I subconsciously adopt the attitude that these actors weren't worth acknowledging because of who they are and who cares anyway because nobody's ever heard of them? I certainly hope not. At any rate, Ms. Mailman's face stayed with me this morning. She has an unforgettable face and her acting in this film was perfect. She had grit, as in John Wayne's "Grit". She was tough with a gooey inside; wrapped in pain but healed by Love. Actually, she reminds me of the actress on Hawthorne (Jada Pinkett Smith's nurse show), Suleka Mathew. By the way, this film was based on a true story. Another important fact I left out. Geez, what kind of a reviewer am I really? Anyway, watch it and enjoy. Thanks for reading.