Cape of Good Hope (2004)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Sadly Over-hyped

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I am going to be visiting South Africa in a few weeks, so I am trying to find as many films from the country as I can--sort of to get me in the mood. Unfortunately, there just aren't that many films from this country available here in the US. Fortunately, "Cape of Good Hope" is not just set in South Africa, but it's filmed in Cape Town--one of the places I will be visiting. And, fortunately, it's not a film about apartheid--as few films about South Africa available from Netflix are about the post-apartheid era.The film centers on the lives of several people associated with an animal shelter. All of them seem to have some problems in their lives--some a lot more serious than others. And, the cast is made up of many ethnicities and backgrounds--much like South Africa itself.Jean-Claude is an immigrant from the Congo. He was an astronomy professor before being forced to leave due to the war. He's got a terrific smile and seems quite kind. He falls for a single-mother whose own mother is very prejudiced--and wants her to marry the preacher and not 'some foreigner'.Kate is a beautiful and sweet young lady. However, she is an idiot--picking a nasty MARRIED man. She has a lot going for herself--except for self-confidence and the ability to pick men. Plus, she's afraid to have a healthy relationship. She knows a vet who is single--his wife passed away some time ago. Could there be a love connection? Or, will her own past history keep her from making smart choices? Sharifa is a Muslim lady who is having infertility issues with her husband. It's very awkward for them but they really would love kids.All in all, a very interesting story. I liked how the characters' stories often interrelated and the film showed a lot of growth in the characters as well. While not always realistic (since life doesn't always work out so perfectly), it's a nice feel-good film--full of hope and worth seeing with someone you love.

"Cape of Good Hope" is the most charming, romantic, women-centered, multi-cultural urban dramedy since "What's Cooking."Yes husband and wife collaborators Mark Bamford and Suzanne Kay Bamford draw some of the characters as too good (Eriq Ebouaney's "Jean Claude LeReve" is beyond Sidney Poitier in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" as literally a Renaissance Man) or too evil, and some of the connections among them are as forced in propinquity as "Crash," but I live in a large city of ethnic neighborhoods and coincidences like these can really happen. And it's a pleasure to see a film about the realities of age, gender, religion, race and class in contemporary South Africa -- including Muslims, Hindus, refugees, emigrants, Afrikaners, Christian blacks --in a humanistic, non-strident approach.This roundelay of couples and their families have been as touched by the vagaries of universal human fate as by African politics. Each character prejudges another by their appearance or circumstance, and each is psychologically damaged by past relationships, and has amusing human foibles, pretensions or sweet ambitions that are realistically compromised. It is noteworthy that the characters are not the usual young 'uns in the throes of Romeo and Juliet-like first love, but wary, experienced adults who are incrementally challenging boundaries. While the individuals' stories radiate out of their connections to a dog shelter as in J.M. Coetzee's bitter South African novel "Disgrace," the irony of anecdotes like a dog that was trained to attack blacks or the insistence of potential adoptive owners for a purebred instead of the affectionate mutts or the veterinarian widower who longingly whispers after the woman in charge "rescue ME", is a gentle look at the complicated post-apartheid city. All now have to learn to co-exist, and even become friends, as each person takes a step forward and brings their families with them. And, yeah, you can teach an old dog new tricks. The acting by men, women and child is very natural across several languages. Accented English is their cross-cultural communication, but in the heat of moments with their own, each resorts to their native tongue. While it is lovely to see different neighborhoods in Capetown, the human experiences are universal. For example, the educational, economic and romantic strivings of immigrants are similar to what we saw in "Hester Street."There is only a little music, but it adds to the commentary on local interactions with the global culture. The conclusion may be a bit too idealistic, but by that point the characters have all been fully established and their actions do feel right for those appealing individuals. I don't even like dogs, but it does sweetly make one believe that it is possible that individuals will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I was at the NY premier last night at the Angelika Theater, and they sold out the first two showings. From an independent film set in a location like South Africa, dealing with issues not usually dealt with in mainstream cinema, it had an amazing turn out. The director and producer (husband and wife) were there for the premier and had a question and answer session. They were joined by two of the leading actors from the movie, who provided insight into how well the filimg was received in Cape Town. For anyone who seeks an honest look at South Africa today, and wants a brilliantly conceived and produced movie, I highly suggest Cape of Good Hope.

Saw Cape at the Tribeca film festival. Beautifully told story that takes the viewer into the lives of real people who somehow find 'hope' in hopeless situations. The movie takes place at an animal rescue center where the woman running it has more luck with dogs than lovers. Working there is a cultured astronomer from the Congo who has can't get a decent job because of his refugee status. The secretary there is a Muslim who desperately wants to have children. These all meet up with a domestic worker through her young boy's dog. As the plot develops love seems to hurdle over tremendous problems and life made hopeful. Audience response was very enthusiastic and the viewers were so totally wrapped up in the character's lives that they asked about a sequel. The cast of native Africans made this film believable and the direction of the film assumes the viewer is intelligent. This will be another 'whale rider' in popularity and beauty.