This limited-release Chinese movie surpassed one million audience members on the third day after it opened (it opened on Friday, April 2. I think that’s highly impressive for a home-grown Taiwanese movie, and certainly one with a gay subject matter. I think that might have broken some records for attendance. It’s also pretty impressive for a movie by a 23-year-old director.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s like a modern day gay fairy tale–the boys are gorgeous, the plot is cute/funny, the audience loved it, and for the first time in my movie-watching experiences (here or abroad), a “gay” movie completely deals with the gay issue like a non-issue. Refreshing! I might have to see it again.
It’s probably not your cup of tea if you think all movies should have a deep plot, or if you have issues with cute gay movies. There are English subtitles for those who need them. I believe it is showing at Spring Cinema (Juese) in Hsimenting, and at the Living Mall.
Thanks for the hint, that sounds pretty interesting. Any links to movie description?
I’ve moved the topic to Culture and History because that’s where everything Chinese/Taiwan-related belongs (see Arts and Entertainment forum description).
I loved it too, although I thought the shyness/awkwardness between the two main characters dragged on for too long. How on earth did they manage to “fall in loooove” when they never got much further than “hi!”.
But aside from that, absolutely adorable.
And funny.
And the inexperienced guy from the South must be the yummiest little thing I’ve ever seen. Any photos would be welcome! :lovestruck:
It had its funny moments and it is nice to see a movie like that become a mainstream hit, but it wasn’t that great. I give it about a 5. I hope Jeff Locker was paid well to go down on that icky guy. I dont believe a 17 year old who meets guys via the gay BBS would be that naive, and that a 30 year old man would see something in him besides a tight, young ass.
Oh, thank you, thank you!
I pissed the doordude at Going off by trying to hug their poster.
I guess it’s better to have my own little pics I can print out and drool over.
Went to see the movie last night with my friends. It is truly the most hilarious movie I’ve seen lately. It craked me up during the whole play.Maybe it isn’t so much worth seeing it in a big theater , but it is worth renting a VCD to enjoy it at a comfortable seat, lauging out loud for however long you want.I quite agree with scooter’s comments, that it is so refreshing when it deals with a gay issue as a non-issue. The actions between the two main actors’s expression are not so gross in the plots, which I’d say it probably interprets the love story with gay’s views and scenes. It’s so lovely.The director is really a good one, affected by other famous comedy directors, presenting a cultural and comic mixed style of her own though it’s rather in a typical Hongkong movie sense. No deep plots because it’s purely comedy expressed. Yet, I think from its presentation, it still leaves interesting things to audiences to ponder, which is frequently used in Asian comic movies. Simple plots in a series of farces but delightful.
There’re some familiar dialogues which would apply to such scripts:
During the conversations between the naive boy and his friend:
The boy: What makes the right man for you?
His friend:Umm…I don’t know. Maybe I like him, that suffices.
The boy:Umm really? But I keep asking myself this question.
His friend: Maybe you don’t like him enough.
The monologue in the Bai’s ( the naive boy’s lover) heart:
“Only the people with courages just can see love, and now I understand.”
Quote from Formula 17…
I might have to do some reviews after the DVDs or VCDs are released
Two friends and I saw it together (we’re all gay, two of us foreigners, the other a local),
The other foreigner absolutely hated it, I thought it was pretty awful and won’t recommend it to anyone, and the Taiwanese friend of mine thinks it was ok, but not great. Just my 2 cents.
Kudos to the local director for getting it made.
But, honestly the interest in the movie was generated mostly by a few favorable reviews. The favorable reviews were generated by a little good pr.
The movie was embarassingly bad. Awkward, stale stereotypes, horrible acting, bizarre premise(s) and total lack of chemistry between any of the performers.
My favorite bit was the lead actor trying to seem naive but coming off as developmentally disabled.
This was worthy of that Japanese game show where everyone dresses up as some giant vegetable or machine part and competes to win a prize.
Don’t bother.
Didn’t the fact that the (female) director is a mere 23 years old also add to the popularity of the movie? A friend of mine, a German movie director, has met her and chose her as one of three women to be portrayed in her
feature about three generations of Taiwanese women.
sure and the age-factor is another reason for kudos.
But, that alone does not justify going to see a bad movie.
Then, any young person, or Taiwanese or anyone belonging to any group of people could use that as a selling point for any poorly made film - which Formula 17 certainly is.
Formula 17 was good, clean fun! It was also true to life. The message was perky: “Hey, go out there and fall in love! What are you waiting for?” :bravo:
Now that the movie “Formula 17” (十七歲的天空) is out on DVD, does anyone have any thoughts on this movie about gay life in Taipei? I thought it was quite good … and there’s even a guest appearance by our very own “Jeff-u” who plays a gay foreigner who picks up a gay Taiwanese at the beach, and then breaks up with him after he leaves Taiwan and the long-distance relationship doesn’t work. Interesting movie … (and there are English subtitles)
I don’t mean to rain on what is left of Taiwan’s fledgling movie industry, but I thought it was awful. I am usually pretty receptive to cheesy, cliched crap, but this was just terrible. I’d rent it just so I could laugh at the sex scenes again.
The director of the movie, 23-year-old Chen Yin-jung, is featured in a now-finished documentary on three generations of Taiwanese women by German movie director Monika Treut (as mentioned in my post above). Details on the documentary in [url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/documentary-on-women-in-taiwan/15043/1 thread[/url].
