Movie Review : Cape No.7

I watched Cape no.7 after getting wind of all the commotion it garnered over at the inaugural Golden Horse Awards recently. An impressive feat for the maturing Taiwanese movie industry!

The movie unfolds to explore the multiple characters within its past-present storyline. The movie involves a lot of back flashes so you are strongly advised to pay attention while watching. Otherwise, it can be easy to get lost.

Opening with the narration of an unrequited love story inked within 7 letters, it weaves in the fortunes of the man with broken dreams forced to take refuge in his rural hometown. By a twist of fate, he finds himself thrust with the responsibility to deliver letters for the sleepy town with colorful translations of everyday life.

He stumbles onto a parcel addressed to a home no longer valid.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he opens the parcel to find a series of letters in Japanese. An apology of tattered dreams. Making no sense to him, he chucks the parcel under his bedside table and continues his mundane life.

Opportunity presents itself as our young lad gets another shot to showcase his talent when the local authorities decide to hold a beachside concert. On the condition that the opening act must be a local band, the town holds auditions and comes up with a horrific blend of personalities, allowing the story to expand into the different sub plots.

Of course, the mish mash of individuals generates their fair share of friction and drama. In the end, our young male protagonist falls in love with his arch nemesis, a young Japanese lady.

She reads the letters and urges him to return the parcel to its rightful owner. In the process, he acknowledges and expresses his own feelings towards her.

No doubt, all these with the picturesque Taiwan beach side town as its backdrop and a rocking soundtrack infused with a medley of styles! ooOOOOoo.. Pure listening pleasure.

Sure makes me itching to return to Taiwan.