The Sapphires

A somewhat true story is hacked up and spit out as superficial feel-good ’60s melodrama in the disappointing Australian movie, The Sapphires. Three Aboriginal sisters with some golden pipes get the chance of a lifetime when a washed up producer (Chris O’Dowd) helps them tour USO shows during the Vietnam War. Like so many “inspired by a true story” films, The Sapphires stitches together a movie nowhere close to reality, but director Wayne Blair and co-writer Tony Briggs (who based the story on his mother’s travels) deserve special credit for presenting the least realistic portrayal of Vietnam ever set to film. With half a dozen character arcs that are abandoned mid-movie, and an eager, talented cast of singers that can barely act, The Sapphires has all the appearances of a real film, but lacks even a hint of soul. —Jacob Boon