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THE SAPPHIRESMovie Reviews
Drama about four Australian Aboriginal girls who are discovered by a talent scout and sent to entertain U.S. troops in Vietnam. Cast:Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell, Tory Kittles, Eka Darville, Tanika Lonesborough, Nioka Brennan, Lynette Narkle, Kylie Belling, Tammy Anderson, Miah Madden, Ava Jean Miller-Porter, Carlin BriggsDirector:Wayne BlairRelease Date:March 22, 2013DVD Release: TBD From:The Weinstein CompanyRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 39 min
The Sapphires opened in key cities to very good reviews. • G. Allen Johnson wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "...a feel-good Australian musical comedy-drama about four singing Aboriginal soul sisters... a delight, packed with classic Motown covers... based on a true story..." More Reviews Below...
The Sapphires Positive Reviews (39 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...lovable thanks to its sparkling cast, notably Chris O'Dowd's boozy Dave and Deborah Mailman as the no-nonsense big sister. And then there's the music..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 112 words, 03/21/13
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "This Aussie hodgepodge is missing a lot... [but] even at its most unpolished and cheesiest, Chris O'Dowd and the film's bright spirit make it a tune hard to resist."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 640 words, 03/21/13
Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...irresistible if unpolished... O'Dowd is so effortlessly charming, the filmmaking hardly matters.... a movie for your heart (and your ears and moneymaker), not your head."(See all of Chris Nashawaty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 03/22/13
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a blast of joy and music that struts right into your heart.... Transitional bumps are easy to ignore when a movie ignites with this much spirit and humor."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 03/22/13
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...shines brightly.... A potent combination of rousing music, appealing performances and an uplifting story.... a bouncy tribute to the '60s..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 570 words, 03/22/13
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...beautifully cast and has great music, as well as a terrific true story at its core. It's too bad that the story ends up feeling fairly formulaic... Age 13."(See all of Jeffrey M. Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 03/26/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...solid, stirring... the film is determined to muscle its way into your heart, which would have to be a lump of gristle to resist it.... the performances are funny..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 03/22/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...charming.... In their bubble-flower-print dresses and white go-go boots, the four actresses, all winning, make it hard not to smile at their triumphs."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 03/22/13
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD "The script is corny and clichéd and goes the way you expect it to go. But those things never stopped any movie from working with an audience."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 03/22/13
Sara Stewart, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's so much fun... most viewers will be completely new to this eye-opening story of how some feisty Aussies made their musical mark in Vietnam."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 393 words, 03/22/13
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...borrows a little too obviously from recent girl-group movies.... it barely reaches the finish line, and it's mostly O'Dowd's disheveled charm that keeps it going."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 04/06/13
Nell Minow, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...clearly a labor of love for all involved. It's also a warm tribute to four women for whom success as performers was just the beginning."(See all of Nell Minow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 03/29/13
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...never quite soars, but it has its easy pleasures... likely to become one of those movies everyone sees, maybe more than once."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 03/27/13
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Go into the movie expecting little more than a Dreamgirls Down Under and you'll come out humming 'Soul Man' and feeling pretty good about the experience."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 04/05/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a calculated button-pusher.... an unimpeachably professional production, and the arrangements of the musical numbers are upbeat and appealing."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 226 words, 04/04/13
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Jen Chaney, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...pedestrian, derivative... its ambitions exceed its plucky, determined grasp. That's a shame.... as soon as the music stops, the whole enterprise sputters and goes clunk."(See all of Jen Chaney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 03/29/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "Dave and the Sapphires are caught in a nasty enemy crossfire. Will the girls ever see their Nanny back on the reserve again?... Oh, the suspense!"(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 03/29/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sparkles with sass and Motown soul.... Focus on the music, not the drama, and you'll leave with a grin on your face and a glow in your soul."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 04/05/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "It's a little shallow, sure, but, as with the girls' troubles, when they open their mouths to sing everything feels like it's going to be all right."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 04/05/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There's very little in Wayne Blair's movie you haven't seen before, and with most of the same clichés, but you still feel an exuberant kick..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 03/29/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...while the fish-out-of-water story remains a little overused, the sweet soul music still provides a terrific hook."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 03/22/13
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a feel-good Australian musical comedy-drama about four singing Aboriginal soul sisters... a delight, packed with classic Motown covers... based on a true story..."(See all of G. Allen Johnson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 421 words, 03/29/13
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...enjoyable.... movingly reminds us of a time of troubled race relations in Australia while keeping us humming along -- a tricky balance, but one that it maintains nicely."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 287 words, 04/05/13
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...hugely entertaining... its real pleasures lie in its terrific '60s pop-soul soundtrack and especially in its frequently funny performances."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 130 words, 02/08/13
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...capably covers a song we've heard a hundred times before.... But the music is infectious, and so is the scruffy bloke who evokes it."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 344 words, 04/05/13
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one of the best times I've spent in a theater this year, blessed with a stoned soul '60s soundtrack and a star-making performance by Chris O'Dowd."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 463 words, 05/03/13
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Sometimes it's all about the fun.... there's a love of music and a love of life here that can't be denied and should be enjoyed."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 04/05/13
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...at its best in the lighter moments, as the Sapphires, white go-go boots and groovy flowered miniskirts flashing, sing their songs of pain, joy and freedom."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 04/05/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...never quite soars, but it has its easy pleasures... likely to become one of those movies everyone sees, maybe more than once."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 03/27/13
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "The emotions of soul music are irresistibly universal. The same is true of soul-music clichés.... delivers the expected beats with aplomb..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 03/21/13
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant: WEAK(cg) "...it's all smoke and mirrors. The film's true concern remains overproduced musical epiphanies of the lowest order that fade from memory almost immediately."(See all of Glenn Heath Jr.'s reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 03/19/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a calculated button-pusher.... an unimpeachably professional production, and the arrangements of the musical numbers are upbeat and appealing."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 226 words, 04/04/13
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...may be the purest, most delightful example of the feel-good film I've ever seen: funny but never cartoonish, touching but never heavy, sweet without being saccharine..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 04/16/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...isn't flawless, but who cares? It's a joyous affair that's distinguished by its music, and by the buoyant spirit of its stars."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 09/06/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...solid, stirring... the film is determined to muscle its way into your heart, which would have to be a lump of gristle to resist it.... the performances are funny..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 03/22/13
Linda Holmes, NPR: VERY GOOD "There's nothing more welcome than a very good film that also happens to incorporate a lot of soul music and dancing, and 'The Sapphires' is that very good film."(See all of Linda Holmes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 402 words, 09/08/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "The script is corny and clichéd and goes the way you expect it to go. But those things never stopped any movie from working with an audience."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 03/22/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Guy Lodge, Variety: GOOD "Soul music's alleged redemptive powers are fully at work in this jumbled, sketchily written but vastly appealing true-life musical comedy."(See all of Guy Lodge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 05/20/12
Megan Lehmann, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "...a sparkling charmer following the '60s pop singing group... Wayne Blair has crafted an exuberant celebration of Aboriginality that fizzes with humor and heart..."(See all of Megan Lehmann's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 05/20/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "The script is corny and clichéd and goes the way you expect it to go. But those things never stopped any movie from working with an audience."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 03/22/13
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "A good deal of the joy derives from the feature's vivacious characters, four young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission... vibrantly directed..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 279 words, 03/13/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...solid, stirring... the film is determined to muscle its way into your heart, which would have to be a lump of gristle to resist it.... the performances are funny..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 03/22/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...isn't flawless, but who cares? It's a joyous affair that's distinguished by its music, and by the buoyant spirit of its stars."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 09/06/12
13.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Sapphires's reviews are separated by an average 13.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Sapphires (39 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Sapphires's reviews cover 67.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 17,413 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 446 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Sapphires Coverage, Volume & Length (39 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 22 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Sapphires's reviews on average broke 22 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Sapphires's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Sapphires (39 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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