The Sapphires

Four young Aboriginal women overcome significant obstacles in 1968 to pursue their girl group dreams in this hugely engaging comedy drama inspired by a 2005 play that author Tony Briggs wrote about his mother and three aunts. The quartet is spotted in a dust bowl Australian town by talent show emcee and chancer Dave (Chris O'Dowd), who agrees to be their manager and take them on a tour of Vietnam to entertain US marines with classic soul music. Director Wayne Blair navigates matters of racism and social revolution to provide a model feel-good movie that sparkles with heartfelt humour, terrific stage turns by all four women (including Deborah Mailman of Rabbit-Proof Fence) and a hit-packed Stax/Motown soundtrack. It's all anchored by a snappily sarcastic O'Dowd whose scene-stealing performance is a revelation, but this is a poignant story, too, with a moving tribute to the real-life "dream girls", pictured in the closing credits. The perfect crescendo to a rousing film.