Why so much hype?

the audience applauded

Admirable film.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The music is great and yes, this 'based on a true story' film is well worth watching just to see and hear the insanely talented Jessica Mauboy (as "Julie") sing, but it's the performance of Chris O'Dowd which really holds this film together from start to finish, albeit in a sometimes rather stereotypical manner. There are, annoyingly, a remarkable number of goofs that bring you "out" of the immersive experience that film watching should be (the impact of which I guess will depend on your age and knowledge of Australian history). I'd recommend watching this film when it plays on free-to-air TV (record it on your PVR and FF through the ad breaks). It's certainly low on language, violence and sexualised content so suitable for watching with young teens. Older viewers will enjoy the music and IT Crowd fans will enjoy seeing O'Dowd in this major film role; without him as the cohesive male lead, the film would be relegated to just another fair-to-middling Australian film, quickly forgotten. Except for Mauboy's standout voice.

To start off, this film isn't that bad at all. The four singers are really good actresses and two of them have superb voices. The start of the movie does show a reflection on how bad it was for aborigines in those days and it is bad, but I am sick and tired of movies where anyone who is white gets called coconut, banana milkshake, white boy, vanilla, honky… etc… but if the white person (which never ever happens because that person would be crucified) ever retaliates in the same fashion, they are the made out to be the bad person.This is a common feature of every day life and movies which happens over and over and over. When is society ever going to realise that everyone is equal. If a black person calls me a honky it should be classed as the same as if I called them a nigga (you notice the lack of *'s in the middle of that word).I know for a fact that I am going to get down voted by short sighted or stupid people who do not get the point that I am putting across. But all of the intelligent people out there have noticed that I have said good points on both sides.To finish off, this is a very good movie with very good actresses who have superb voices.

The problem with being a movie critic (here or anywhere) is the need to find common ground. If you are writing to a crowd conditioned to believe that every new Hollywood product is better than the last, or an "action" film MUST (simply must!) be great because it has whats-his-name is it, then frankly it is time to turn in the old keyboard for a toaster oven. I say this because I notice that, on IMDb, positive reviews get a positive reader response and negative reviews generally don't. In Psych 101, they call this "cognitive dissonance" and has to do with human nature -- many review readers prefer to read the reviews AFTER seeing the film, to seek agreement, rather than BEFORE, to seek wisdom. OK, sorry for the diatribe. To make it up to you, I will say that this film is a high-9. The script, the production values, the performances, are a joy. In fact, in my view, that is the key to the film. Joy. The secret to the 1960s (for those of you who were not there) is that for a short time it seemed (not making this up) like the forces of Light and Dark in the universe were struggling, and Light was about to win. In fact it did not turn out that way -- look at where we are today, look at the last half dozen presidents, look at the Japan disaster. But -- the point -- this wonderful film is not only superb entertainment on its own, but somehow succeeds in capturing the essence of the era. Hope and Joy. Even in the one "scary" scene (bullets flying, one of the main characters gets hit) we have fast segue to a love letter being read aloud, and that takes away the sting immediately. I defy anyone to watch this film and not feel better afterwards than they felt before. BTW, Chris O'Dowd and Deborah Mailman steal all their scenes together, which is hard to do, considering how solid the ensemble cast is. Loved it. You will too.

I had heard nothing but generally positive things about this film but yet I had not really come across it anywhere till recently. The plot is based on a true story but I'm sure has been simplified down into this very simple telling where you'll pretty much know where it is going from the start to the end. In this way it is a very safe film and indeed the marketing plays on this a great deal; suffice to say it is very much a film that delivers just what you expect it to. In this regard it is pretty obvious but what makes it work is the spirit in which it is delivered; it has energy and fire which it really wears well.The soundtrack does a great deal to help it, but the energy in the comedy and the characters really helps. Everything is delivered with a good sense of fun with rough edges and it is very charming and effective throughout. The musical performances are great and moreso thanks to the cast. O'Dowd is a good bit of casting as he is in that middle ground of being a famous face but perhaps not yet leading a film on his own name. His character may be simple enough but he is good at it. Of the four women there is a sense that the film is rough with the realistic casting, looks and shapes; this is not to say they are not beautiful – just that they are not so in the way that films would traditionally put forward. Mailman is the best example as she is a great central character. Mauboy has a great pair of lungs on her and drives the performance while Tapsell is very good in support. Sebbens was probably the least engaging of the group as she has more "issues" to carry and is less naturally rough and fun.It may be a simple film on the face of it, but it has a lot of energy in the characters, the comedy and the music. Infectious and fun – it is not a great film but it is a very easy one to enjoy.