15 November 2012

Sapphires

It takes forty five minutes to march from our house to "The Showroom" cinema in the city centre. So this pale November morning I set off just after ten o'clock for the 11am over 55's showing of an Australian film called "The Sapphires". Not only did I get to see the film at a bargain basement price, I also received a free coffee and a piece of fruitcake.

The film reminded me of "The Commitments" and was equally pleasant as light entertainment. If you were going to pigeonhole it you might say that "The Sapphires" is a musical comedy, loosely based on the true story of an aboriginal singing group that entertained troops in Vietnam in the early nineteen seventies. If you're looking for gritty realism or a meaningful cinematic post mortem on the degradations heaped upon aboriginal Australians then you won't find it here. Instead, you'll find some tears and some laughter in a "feel good" movie that is interspersed with some of the classics of soul music.

Directed by Wayne Blair, "The Sapphires", released in August 2012, was genuinely entertaining and left a pleasant glow behind in the auditorium. As Betty said to three other grey-haired ladies in the carpeted foyer afterwards, "Did you enjoy that?" and they all smiled, replying "Yes", "Good fillm that one" etc.. I think Wayne Blair, his crew and the actors would have been delighted with such a positive reaction. Sometimes you don't want to see films that brand themselves deep into your memory - sometimes you just want to be entertained.
Driving through Vietnam, The Sapphires with their manager Dave are
alarmed when they come to a Vietcong roadblock.

6 comments:

  1. I agree - mostly I go to movies to be entertained, not challenged. I can get enough of that in other venues.

    ReplyDelete
  2. another ofmy fav places in sheffield
    I used to LIVE in the showroom!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MARY Z I must confess that I am often looking for serious movies that will challenge and surprise - like "Schindler's List", "Raging Bull" or "Midnight Express" but sometimes it's nice to bring lightness into one's film watching.
    EARL GRAY Ah! That would explain the pile of raggedy old blankets at the end of my row!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a good movie YP. I must go when it shows here - Dave

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:53 pm

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    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:54 pm

    thank you i like visit here tell about the sapphires online i can choose of your article the best and thank you to watch online the sapphires free Inspired by a true story, THE SAPPHIRES follows four vivacious, young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love

    ReplyDelete

Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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