The Sapphires Blu-ray Review
Score: 64
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The Sapphires, with its phenomenal cast chemistry and exceptional A/V quality, is a highly entertaining, feel-good film, despite brief extras.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 69
The Blu-ray of 'The Sapphires' offers an exceptional 1080p transfer with vibrant and finely detailed visuals, showcasing a brilliant palette in both sun-drenched exteriors and military scenes. The image clarity, deep blacks, and accurate skin textures underscore a superb film-like quality, despite minor banding.
Audio: 79
The Sapphires' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a well-balanced, natural audio experience, with clear dialogue and vocal harmony, enriching environmental ambience, and dynamic war scenes featuring immersive surround effects and robust bass.
Extra: 44
The Blu-ray extras for 'The Sapphires,' including featurettes on the film's making, interviews with the original band members, and insights into its music, offer an engaging but succinct look at the film's authenticity, historical context, and musical influences.
Movie: 74
'The Sapphires’ is an uplifting and heartwarming film that combines fantastic music, authentic characters, and historical significance with stellar direction by Wayne Blair, creating a powerful narrative of overcoming discrimination and finding unity both on and off the stage.
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Video: 69
Anchor Bay’s 2.40:1 1080p HD transfer for "The Sapphires" is an exemplary presentation that consistently impresses with its vibrant and finely detailed imagery. The transfer boasts brilliant color accuracy, with early daylight scenes showcasing an exceptionally bright and natural palette. The film's various hues, from the rich oranges of buckets to the green grasses and multicolored rugs, are rendered with precision and vitality. Military fatigues and the darker shades of Vietnam are equally impressive, maintaining depth and authenticity. Facial textures are meticulously defined, revealing pores, wrinkles, and clothing details down to the last sequin of the stage costumes.
The overall image clarity is outstanding, with a light grain overlay enhancing the film-like feel without compromising sharpness. Black levels are deep and accurate, contributing to the realistic portrayal of various lighting conditions. There’s a touch of motion blur and very minor banding on rare occasions, but these are negligible in the grand scheme, not detracting from what stands as a superior transfer. The backgrounds of the Australian landscapes provide notable depth, while the military base camp scenes are rich with various shades of green set against blue skies and dynamic action sequences.
In conclusion, "The Sapphires" on Blu-ray delivers an outstanding visual experience. The film maintains remarkable sharpness, detail, and vibrancy throughout, with skin tones, black levels, and color reproduction all hitting high marks. This transfer exemplifies superior technical execution, making it a perfect blend of vivid presentation and authentic filmic quality.
Audio: 79
The Blu-ray presentation of "The Sapphires" boasts an exceptionally well-crafted DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film opens with a richly defined environmental ambience that captures the essence of the countryside, before seamlessly transitioning to smooth 60s music beats. These beats, while not overtly aggressive, are implemented naturally with a robust front stage presence and subtle surround elements. Vocal clarity is consistently excellent, crucial in showcasing the characters’ musical talents. The singing maintains a pure harmony, free from phony engineered elements, and this pristine quality is effortlessly conveyed through the lossless audio.
The track’s most dynamic elements manifest during the Vietnam sequences. Helicopters rumble with natural presence and weight as they move across the soundstage, while distant explosions and close-quarter battles are marked by well-placed, terrifying gunfire and the sound of artillery shells. The bass is generous but never overwhelming, maintaining a balanced auditory experience. Surround channels are utilized effectively for ambient crowd noises, nature sounds, and the chaos of war. Dialogue remains crystal clear throughout, emerging naturally from the center channel without any pops, cracks, or hissing. This meticulous sound mix from Anchor Bay ensures an immersive experience that feels almost live, with no compression artifacts to detract from its quality.
Extra: 44
The Blu-ray extras for "The Sapphires" provide an insightful and engaging behind-the-scenes experience. The selection includes three featurettes that explore the making of the film, its historical context, and its musical underpinnings. "The Making of The Sapphires" offers a thorough overview with input from the cast and crew, covering the film’s authentic historical representation, themed artistry, and costume/makeup details. The "Interview with the Original Sapphires" gives a poignant, albeit brief, glimpse into the lives of the original band members during the Vietnam War. Lastly, "The Music of The Sapphires with Jessica Mauboy" showcases the actress's perspective on the film’s captivating music. These well-produced extras provide both a visual treat and a deep dive into the cultural and artistic efforts behind the film.
Extras included in this disc:
- The Making of The Sapphires: In-depth look at the film's historical context and production.
- Interview with the Original Sapphires: Insights from the original band members.
- The Music of The Sapphires with Jessica Mauboy: Actress shares views on the film's music.
Movie: 74
"The Sapphires" brings a refreshing and uplifting narrative set against the backdrop of 1960s Australia and war-torn Vietnam. This engaging film, directed by Wayne Blair, artfully tells the real-life story of four Aboriginal women who, despite overwhelming societal prejudice, form a soul music group. The plot unfolds as they are discovered by Dave Lovelace (Chris O'Dowd), a down-at-heel talent agent who propels them into the R&B scene, setting the stage for their journey to entertain troops in Vietnam. The chemistry among the cast members is palpable, making their characters' experiences with love, self-discovery, and resilience feel both genuine and deeply moving.
Technically proficient and emotionally resonant, "The Sapphires" impressively balances its various elements. The film's period setting is authentically rendered, transporting viewers seamlessly between Australia’s civil rights struggles and the heart-pounding immediacy of Vietnam. It's the music, however, that truly shines. The performances are soul-stirring and infused with a palpable sense of joy and unity. Each actress not only embodies her character with heartfelt sincerity but also delivers powerful vocal performances, contributing to the film's magnetic attractiveness. Chris O'Dowd's portrayal of Lovelace adds another layer of charm and depth, elevating the narrative through his dynamic interactions with the main cast.
In conclusion, "The Sapphires" is a testament to what can be achieved with a compelling true story, skillful direction, and a fantastically coherent cast. It is an exemplary piece of cinema that conveys powerful themes of sisterhood, racial identity, and personal growth without succumbing to clichés or melodrama. The film’s balance of poignant storytelling with exuberant musical moments makes for an unforgettable viewing experience that is emotionally rewarding and culturally enriching.
Total: 64
"The Sapphires" on Blu-ray delivers a thoroughly engaging and heartwarming experience, as evidenced by its exceptional cast performance and remarkable on-screen chemistry. The film, centered around a group of young, talented Aboriginal women who aspire to make it big in the world of music during the Vietnam War era, excels in balancing humor, drama, and musical elements. The cast's performances are not only entertaining but also deeply touching, providing a solid foundation for this feel-good movie. The soundtrack, featuring an array of soul classics, is an undeniable highlight that enhances the viewer's emotional connection to the story.
From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray release is commendable. The video quality is crisp and vibrant, capturing both the authenticity of the period setting and the vibrancy of musical performances. Audio is particularly noteworthy, offering a robust and immersive listening experience that complements the film's engaging musical numbers. Although the supplementary materials are somewhat sparse, the core features more than compensate for this shortcoming with their impressive A/V presentation.
In conclusion, "The Sapphires" may not break new ground in cinema but manages to hit all the right notes. Its spirited performances and uplifting narrative ensure it remains a memorable and enjoyable journey. The Blu-ray comes highly recommended for both its standout technical merits and the film's inherent charm and emotional depth. Despite the limited extras, this release prove worth adding to any collection.
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 90
It's vibrant and finely detailed, very crisp and well-defined from start to finish and under every lighting condition....
Audio: 90
There's a pure harmony to the singing, not phony engineered elements, and that beautiful sound comes through effortlessly with the lossless audio presentation....
Extras: 30
The Making of The Sapphires (9:42): A broad overview piece in which cast and crew discuss the real history behind the film, the plot, themes, the work of the cast, the importance of crafting an authentic...
Movie: 90
They sing as well as they act, too, and their music proves fully invigorating and soulfully satisfying, creating a harmony that's not just expected of the film but one that's defined by something deeper...
Total: 70
Better, the film is very tender, goodhearted, well-meaning, and thoroughly enjoyable as an uplifting can-do picture about overcoming and beating the odds even in the most challenging of places and times....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
The detail looks great with explicit facial textures showing the actor's pores and wrinkles, along with fine clothing detail....
Audio: 100
The dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to understand, with no evidence of pops, cracks, or hissing....
Extras: 20
The Making of 'The Sapphires' (HD, 10 mins) - Here is a short look at the making of the film that features the cast and crew talking about the origins of the story, the real life band, and the production...
Movie: 80
The film reminds me a little of 'Remember the Titans as we see a group of people who are heavily discriminated against, but form a band or team that becomes the best in the business, to which most people...
Total: 60
'The Sapphires' is a feel good film that is highly entertaining and features some award-worthy performances....
Director: Wayne Blair
Actors: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy
PlotSet in 1968, the story follows four Aboriginal Australian women with a passion for singing. Against the backdrop of a racially divided Australia, sisters Gail, Cynthia, and Julie, along with their cousin Kay, form a musical group. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they are discovered by Dave, a talent scout with a fondness for soul music. Recognizing their potential, Dave encourages the women to embrace soul and offers to be their manager. Despite the initial challenges and tensions, the group agrees to his proposal, hoping it will be their chance to break away from their oppressive environment and showcase their talent.
Under Dave's guidance, the group evolves into a polished act known for their vibrant performances. They secure an opportunity to entertain U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam, marking a significant step towards achieving their dreams. As they embark on this journey, the women face numerous obstacles, including prejudice, personal conflicts, and the harsh realities of war. Their bond is tested as they navigate through these trials while staying true to their roots and aspirations. The events that follow highlight themes of resilience, unity, and the transformative power of music against a backdrop of historical turmoil.
Writers: Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs
Release Date: 09 Aug 2012
Runtime: 103 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: Australia
Language: Vietnamese, English, Aboriginal