Cape No. 7

Wow! I just finished seeing this with a group of friends and everybody in the cinema seemed to truly enjoy themselves.

Filmed in Taiwan with a Taiwanese director and mostly local actors, this timeless plot features a small town that must come up with a band comprised of local musicians that will be the opening act for a big beach concert starring a big Japanese star. Will the beautiful Japanese concert coordinator fall for the local boy that has left a musical career in Taipei to return home to become a mailman? Can a band with a 10-year-old keyboardist, a 70-year-old bassist, and various other misfits help put Hengchun on the map?

This may strike some as a Taiwanese version of "The Commitments"/"School of Rock" and, yes, there are a few saccharine moments. Yet, director Wei Te-sheng, a former assistant director under the legendary Edward Yang (director of one of Taiwan's all-time best films, "Yi Yi," IMHO), skillfully pulls everything off without a hitch. Recommended to movie lovers of all ages!

This movie really captures the type of local people who live in the Southern parts of Taiwan. The true local people, the type who have never left their hometown and the type who have never adapted with the times. For a Taiwanese person this movie will be hilarious, it truly shows the older generation characters are being the way most of elders are. The actual foul language in Taiwanese dialect can never really be understood unless you realise how bad these words are, and the true meaning of said words and phrases.

Some would say this is a romantic comedy, for me it was more of just a comedy. The romance seemed little and not massively important to the story. For me the story was about a group of people coming together to create a band which no one would've ever thought possible, not the locals and not even the band members themselves. The romance was a side part, it wasn't enough to make you feel sorry for the characters or enough to make you want them to be together.

In Taiwan this is the biggest movie ever, well it certainly seems that way. The Taiwanese rant and rave about it like its the greatest thing since sliced bread, there might be many reasons why... Because it truly captures some of the Taiwanese elders perfectly, or perhaps because Taiwan makes very few movies. And the other only big movies made in Taiwan are of a sexual nature (Tsai Ming-liang).

Overall I did enjoy this movie but I feel without my knowledge of Mandarin language and Taiwanese Dialect, along with my experience of living in Taiwan for a number of years I wouldn't have enjoyed this movie as much. Without a true understanding of the setting there's no way I would've found even half of the jokes amusing.

I think if you know about Taiwanese culture, or if you've visited Taiwan you'll enjoy this movie. But if you don't have such knowledge or experiences you might want to pass this movie by as it won't be enough to entertain you for 2+hours.

This movie is doing well on hype alone, but don't go into it with unrealistic expectations. It is a very well done Taiwanese film which is particularly impressive given its relatively small budget. It's not mind-blowing but it is reasonably well executed, certainly better than a lot of the crap that is out there. It has a good dose of (often local) humour and an interesting storyline and several subplots that unfold at a smooth pace. Performances are more than adequate. Cinematography is top notch. On the down side, there are a few aspects which lacked attention to detail despite the 2 hour+ running time, some loose ends which weren't tied up, and a romance that feels a little more forced than natural. Also some scenes didn't really "work". However, the Japanese letters which link the film together are beautifully written, and definitely add an extra dimension to the overall feel of the experience. Locals should definitely go and support a job well done.

I live in Taiwan and saw this with English subtitles at my local cinema in Tainan. It's not a stunning movie but it is very engaging and charming and best of all depicts many of the charming and engaging qualities of this country. The storyline follows two love affairs - one of 60 years earlier and the other unfolding in the present day. The acting is fine, the humor works well, it is well photographed and the music that pulls several of the subplots together lifts the already high mood and tone into a moving climax.

I'm glad I saw it and feel I know Taiwan a little better through watching this movie - and spent 2 very enjoyable hours doing so.

I, too, grew up partly in Taiwan and am now living in the States. I'm from South Taiwan, and quite often frequented the town here the movie takes place.

There are indeed a bunch of Taiwanese humor, and due to such may be difficult for those who are not so adjusted to the culture to understand.

The plot was touching, and environment VERY local--I'd even call it authentic. It's not exactly an OMG AMAZING script, as plenty of Japanese cartoon (anime), with which many Taiwnese are familiar with, and a lot of older Taiwnese stories that are based around the general plot. However, that is not to say the movie wasn't creative, as it is arguable that there are only 5 stories, and seemingly infinite ways to present them.

I personally loved the movie. It was touching, and admittedly, I cried--from flooding nostalgia of memories past.

Because the majority of the movie is based on Taiwanese culture, it is definitely a hard one to push internationally, especially in the western part of the world.

However, I felt that a movie like Cape No. 7 was long overdue in Taiwan, and believe that it is a first step for Taiwan to take to gain international footing in the movie industry.