93% The Sapphires

All Critics (125) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (116) | Rotten (9)

The harmonies they strike in this reality-inspired charmer are sweetly sublime.

You could drive an Abrams tank through the film's plot holes, but you'll likely be too busy enjoying yourself to bother.

"The Sapphires" feels like a movie you've already seen, but it's nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable, like a pop song that's no less infectious when you know every word.

"The Sapphires" sparkles with sass and Motown soul.

Sapphires is hardly a cinematic diamond mine. But this Commitments-style mashup of music and melodrama manages to entertain without demanding too much of its audience.

Quite possibly the least original movie you'll see this summer -- and one of the most enjoyable.

The mood is so charming and the music so inspiring that you continually cut it a break.

By-the-numbers in every sense of the word, the film tracks a tried-and-true sort of triumph while featuring renditions of soul classics so bursting with energy and joy you won't care that the originality meter is leaning on empty.

Even when it seems contrived The Sapphires is a feel-good movie in the most positive meaning of that term, thanks to the Motown music and O'Dowd's cheeky charm. Like the Four Tops, I loved every sugar pie, honey bunch moment. I can't help myself.

Unfortunately, it has been turned into a routine and uninspiring movie, following a tired, old formula the entire way.

A surefire crowdpleaser with all the ingredients for the type of little-movie-that-could sleeper success that Harvey Weinstein has nurtured in years and award seasons past.

You've seen this story before, but never pulled off with so much joie de vivre.

They can put a song across just like the Dreamgirls. What's not to like?

Exuberant but fairly formulaic.

Doesn't always mix its anti-prejudice message and its feel-good nostalgia with complete smoothness. But despite some ragged edges it provides a reasonably good time.

Director Wayne Blair -- another veteran of the stage show -- finds his footing during the film's many musical numbers.

Despite the prosaic plot and reserved approach taken by Blair, Briggs, and Thompson, it's tough to get cynical about such a warmhearted picture that strives to tell so uplifting a story.

A movie with enough melody and camaraderie to cover up its lack of originality.

No quotes approved yet for The Sapphires. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sapphires_2012/

aretha franklin Beyonce Pregnant Riot Fest Granbury Tx Jaden Smith eminem eminem

Report: UK hacking scandal went well beyond media

LONDON (AP) ? The phone hacking scandal rocking Britain extends well beyond the media industry to include law firms, debt collectors and other companies, a newspaper said Saturday.

The scandal has already sent shockwaves across the U.K. with revelations that journalists routinely intercepted voicemails, bribed public officials, and hacked into computers in their search for scoops.

The Independent, citing a leaked report from Britain's Serious and Organized Crime Agency and an unnamed person familiar with its content, said that many others were in on the shady practices ? including businessmen, attorneys, and debt collectors.

An unclassified summary of the report was published five years ago, but the Independent provided new details about its content, including the allegation that celebrities, businessmen, and an unnamed "major telecommunications company" had hired corrupt private investigators specializing in such practices. The paper didn't give further details or post the report to its website.

The crime agency said it would not comment on the Independent's report.

British police investigating the phone hacking scandal have made scores of arrests, many of them outside the world of journalism.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-06-22-EU-Britain-Hacking/id-612e7709e28849338627b420964ad042

Teen Wolf linkedin linkedin Frank Lautenberg Pia Zadora chicago blackhawks Alexandra Lenas

Lebanese army seals parliament after protests, Syria-linked tension

By Dominic Evans

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese army sealed off Beirut's parliamentary district with razor wire and threatened stern action against violence on Friday after a night of unrest stoked by the war in Syria and political paralysis at home.

Around 100 protesters, angered by the postponement of June's parliamentary election until next year, scuffled with police on Thursday night near parliament. Twenty camped out overnight outside the ring of barbed wire, vowing to maintain the protest.

As the largely peaceful demonstration unfolded in central Beirut, protesters blocked roads with burning tires elsewhere in the capital and in Bekaa Valley towns in eastern Lebanon.

Demonstrators said they were acting in solidarity with residents of the Sunni Muslim Bekaa town of Arsal, which they say has been cut off by security forces investigating the shooting of four Shi'ite Muslim men on Sunday.

Sectarian violence has intensified across Lebanon and particularly in the Bekaa region because of the conflict raging across the border in Syria, where Lebanon's Shi'ite militia Hezbollah and Lebanese Sunni gunmen have joined opposing sides of the 27-month-old civil war.

Rockets from suspected Syrian rebel positions have hit Shi'ite towns in Lebanon since Hezbollah intervened decisively to recapture the Syrian border town of Qusair for President Bashar al-Assad's forces earlier this month.

The army also discovered a rocket launcher in an area east of Beirut on Friday. The rocket was still in place, and apparently had not gone off due to a technical fault, a security source said.

The fighting in Syria has already driven half a million Syrian refugees into Lebanon and worsened a political stalemate which forced the election delay and held up efforts to form a new government. Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni leader, warned this week of the potential for "state collapse".

President Michel Suleiman has appealed to Hezbollah to bring its fighters home from Syria, saying that further entanglement there by the Iranian-backed movement will fuel instability in Lebanon, still scarred by its own 1975-1990 civil war.

ARMY WILL CONFRONT "OUTLAWS"

The army said several military posts and patrols were targeted on Thursday night by protesters, some of them armed, and four soldiers were wounded in exchanges of gunfire.

Security sources said at least two demonstrators were hurt in a protest near the main border crossing with Syria at Masnaa.

"The army leadership again urges citizens to be calm and not to follow rumors and sectarian emotions," the military said in a statement. "It will not be lenient in confronting with force any outlaws or those who harm the armed forces."

The statement said gunmen fired on army posts in three towns close to the Masnaa border crossing early on Friday. The army returned fire and arrested 22 suspects in raids following the incidents.

Travelers trying to reach Lebanon from Syria on Friday morning said the frontier was closed for several hours due to the skirmishes, but reopened later in the day.

Army commander General Jean Kahwaji was quoted by the local As-Safir newspaper as saying the military would not tolerate any threats to Lebanon's security during what he described as "very critical and very difficult" times.

In central Beirut, activists said they would keep up their protest against the 17-month extension of parliament, agreed by politicians after they failed to break a deadlock over planned changes to the electoral law.

"We called for a protest yesterday against the extension and against the violation on Lebanon's democracy," protester Marwan Maalouf said. "This is a new coup against the republic.

"Security forces used force against the protesters so we decided to set up tents here in a peaceful way to protest the extension. There is a year and a half, we won't let them rest."

(Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lebanese-army-seals-parliament-protests-syria-linked-tension-111010377.html

Daniel Inouye steelers scarlett johansson peter frampton Sandy Hook Elementary School Colors Victoria Soto nbc sports

Eyes on with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom flip case and lens cover

We're live in London at the Samsung Premiere 2013 event where we've had a first look at the new Galaxy S4 Zoom. Part smartphone, part point-and-shoot camera, the S4 Zoom is unlike any smartphone we've come across to date. As is usually the norm with new Samsung devices, a range of accessories come to market with them, and the Zoom is no exception. There's actually a pretty decent looking flip case for the device, that covers the screen on one side, and acts as a sort of bumper around the exterior edges. It also comes with a matching lens cap so you can pocket your new Galaxy S4 Zoom without worrying (too much) about that honkin' great zoom lens on the back. More pictures can be found after the break. 

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/jtPwaC7CEHs/story01.htm

melissa gilbert deadliest catch dwts sean hannity bobby petrino fired buffett rule lollapalooza lineup

Is Your New MacBook Air's Wi-Fi Crappy?

According to reports from Apple employees and the assorted hordes of the internet, we?re not the only ones having trouble with the Wi-Fi on the new MacBook Air. So, are we just holding it wrong, or have Ives and Co made a little whoopsie?

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Dbn94wUnnKk/is-your-new-macbook-airs-wi-fi-crappy-515693652

joel osteen Accidental Racist Fallon Fox Chris Webber linda perry WrestleMania 29 Lilly Pulitzer

Book Review: 'A Sound Mind in a Sound Body: Live Long, Live ...

Imagine being 101 years old, upright and strong, still working part-time or volunteering, having an active social and intellectual life, feeling happy to be alive, and being able to walk and lift and swim and bend. That?s not a fantasy. To a great extent, it?s your choice. By making good decisions about how you want to live, you can prevent illness that robs you of your health and old age.

That?s the message of fitness buff Dennis Kravetz, who obviously walks the walk. An award-winning psychologist, health educator, and bestselling author, he radiates good health.

In his new book, A Sound Mind in a Sound Body (2013), Kravetz presents dozens of impeccably researched, science-based strategies for improving fitness in four key areas: physical, cognitive, psychological, and nutritional. He says good health in each of these four essential areas has a major impact on how long we will live.

The book has four parts corresponding to the four key areas of fitness. Each part starts with a quiz to help you determine your physical, cognitive, psychological, or nutritional fitness. He then summarizes the most important scientific studies related to health and longevity in that area. Finally, he lays out exactly what you need to do to achieve maximum fitness, translating the research into actionable tips.

For example, in the physical fitness section of the book, Kravetz convincingly shows that by getting the recommended 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week ? which is really not that much when you consider all the benefits ? you greatly reduce your risk of dying from the major diseases that shorten our lives. These include cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, many forms of cancer, and Alzheimer?s. If you could greatly reduce your chances of dying from any of these diseases, why wouldn?t you?

In the cognitive fitness section of the book, Kravetz offers a number of specific strategies to keep the brain functioning at its peak. Some of these are what one might expect, such as doing word or number puzzles that tax the brain. But others are surprising and fresh ? ideas I haven?t seen elsewhere. For instance, he suggests a kind of active TV viewing, where you choose programs that are challenging rather than merely entertaining, and then ask yourself, perhaps during commercials, to recall what you just saw and learned.

He also recommends this type of ?active? engagement when reading a magazine or visiting a zoo or museum. You read an article or some signage, then you reiterate it. In effect, you?re creating memories and making new and deliberate connections in the brain. This technique also improves memory retention.

I also loved the section devoted to psychological fitness. Stress, depression, and anxiety accelerate the aging process; Kravetz cites research linking negative states of mind to life-threatening health conditions. Particularly original were the studies he collected about state of mind. It turns out that you really are only as old as you feel. Research has shown that people who feel young, who believe they are vital, and see their future as promising typically live longer and healthier lives than those who internalize negative messages about age and illness. Learning how to manage stress and depression is also key to psychological fitness, and he offers tips on how to cultivate a positive mindset.

Not surprisingly, all four areas of fitness ? physical, cognitive, psychological, and nutritional ? are interrelated. If you exercise your body, exercise your brain, become psychologically healthy, and eat healthfully, you improve health in the other three areas too. Kravetz calculates, based on many studies, that you may be able to live up to 22 years longer than if you only focused on one or two of these areas!

A Sound Mind in a Sound Body is a great combination of scientific research, useful health information, and highly practical strategies, all presented in a smart, well-organized format that?s easy to understand. If you were to follow all of the advice in this book, I feel confident that you?d feel amazing and look as good as Kravetz does himself. Is it okay to be obsessed with living a long life, maybe even a superlong life? Why not? It?s better than being sick and feeling bad. Read this book and live longer. I highly recommend that you do both.

Patricia Gale is a ghostwriter who has penned hundreds of blogs and articles that have appeared on sites such as Psychology Today, Forbes, and Huffington Post, and in countless national newspapers and magazines. Her "beat" is health, business, career, self-help, parenting, and relationships.

Source: http://blogcritics.org/book-review-a-sound-mind-in-a-sound-body-live-long-live-healthy-by-dennis-kravetz/

taylor allderdice vincent jackson vicki gunvalson pierre garcon brown recluse spider wiz khalifa taylor allderdice eddie royal

Why three Chinese are spending 12 days in space lab

Three Chinese astronauts docked at Tiangong 1, an experimental space module Thursday, the next step in China's pursuit of a space station. The team includes China?s second woman in space.

By Elizabeth Barber,?Contributor / June 13, 2013

A policeman stands guard next to a component of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft found in Badain Jaran Desert after the launch in Mongolia earlier this June.

Reuters

Enlarge

Three Chinese astronauts docked at an experimental space module Thursday morning, beginning what is to be China?s longest stay in space so far and the latest step in China?s plan to put a space station into orbit.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

The team aboard the Shenzhou 10 space capsule, launched from the remote Gobi Desert two days ago, will spend 12 days at Tiangong 1, a laboratory whose name translates to Heavenly Palace. They will spend in total 15 days in space, the longest yet for China.

Schenzhou 10 is the fifth Chinese mission into space in 10 years. Those missions have continuously become more complex, beginning with an orbital mission that lasted under 24 hours in 2003. Most recently, a three-member team on Shenzhou 9 spent 13 days in space, also docking at Tiangong 1.

China is ultimately hoping to build an international space station similar to Russia's Mir space station, a seven-module station. Russia dumped that station in 2001, joining the International Space Station project instead.

The Shenzhou 10 astronauts will test new docking techniques aboard Tiangong 1 that will be critical to developing a Chinese space station. The team, which includes China?s second woman in space, will also present a video lecture for Chinese schoolchildren.

This is the last time Tiangong 1 will house astronauts. After more than 600 days in space, and playing host to three Chinese teams, the space lab will be out of the resources needed to support docking teams after the Shenzhou 10 team de-boards, bound for a landing in Mongolia. Tiangong 1 will be converted into a miles-high warehouse used while the proposed space station is undergoing construction.

In the next step toward that space station, China plans to later this year send into orbit a new module, Tiangong 2, which is designed to host a crew of three for up to 20 days. It also has a second docking port, to accept resupply missions. Another module, Tiangong 3, is expected to launch in 2015 and will be incorporated into the eventual space station.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/nWO_oC2hv8g/Why-three-Chinese-are-spending-12-days-in-space-lab

college football scores khan academy Espn College Football Eddie Murphy died Suzanne Barr Clint Eastwood speech Maria Montessori