Shi Qi Sui De Tian Kong

FORMULA 17:
excerpt from Rotten Tomatoes:

Directed by 23-year-old Yin-jung Chen (AKA DJ Chen), FORMULA 17 puts a lighthearted, humorous spin on gay life in Taiwan, painting an idealized portrait that contains no mention of the difficulties associated with the gay community. Ponderous topics like AIDS, societal pressures, or coming-out issues are absent, and there are no women or straight people--only beautiful young men with hearts more or less made of gold. This candy-coated depiction comes off as a refreshing celebration of the simple joy of being young, gay, and in love.

Tien is a 17-year-old country boy who has just arrived in Taipei to meet an internet friend he has been corresponding with. It soon becomes clear, however, that the prospective man of Tien's dreams--whose online handle is "Beast Man"--is only out for one thing, so Tien flees to a nightclub where his childhood friend, the flamboyant Yu, slings drinks with enthusiasm. Yu takes his na�ve friend under his wing, scoffing at Tien's dogged insistence on waiting for love before he loses his virginity, and attempting to educate him in the ways of urban existence. Tien persists in his virtue, resisting the advances of a hunky plumber hired by Yu and his crew of queens for the purposes of deflowering the boy. Meanwhile, it seems Tien has caught the eye of the local playboy, Bai, whose reputation for loving and leaving is well-established. Tien is likewise drawn to Bai but is justly wary of his past, and the two enact a halting courtship fraught with misunderstanding that stems from Bai's fear of intimacy. The entirety of the film takes on the structure of a Greek comedy, complete with a chorus--Yu and his friends, who provide humorous commentary on the action--and a deux ex machina that pretty much saves the day. There is never any real doubt as to how this love story will end, but the pleasure of the story lies in the telling.

MY TAKE ON IT:
Rotten Tomatoes was head on in describing this movie. I didn't expect much in the beginning, I'm just happy another Asian movie is hitting the independent movie arena here in SF. All I know from the beginning was that the movie was banned in Singapore because of subject matter (homosexuality). After watching the movie, I can truly say that THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I'VE SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE. It could be due to the fact that it's candy-coated and fantasy-like but the fact that it was able to bring so much life and relatability to the characters is super amazing. In a strictly serious time that we're in, it's quite refreshing to see such innocent hope for optimism and love. To say that Formula 17 is just a typical coming of age movie would be an understatement. The movie is layered with extremely vibrant personalities, cross-cultural humor, creative story-telling and just an overall feel for self-expression. It'll tickle the "cuteness" in you. Last time I checked, they were trying to appeal to have this movie disbanned and shown in Singapore. I support that. One can learn and appreciate so much raw talent in the way this film was handled, the way the story was wrote, and the way the characters grow on you. Formula 17 is romantic comedy with an added heart and laughs. By the way, I just pre-ordered the DVD that's coming out on 11/29. I'm psyched.

For more info:
Official Website: Formula 17 (website is in Chinese w/ no English translation)
SF Frameline 29 Review: Formula 17
YawningBread.org on the movie getting banned: Formula 17

SAN FRANCISCO SCREENINGS:
at The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Nov. 19-25
Sa, Su, W, Th (1p), 3p, 5p, 7p, 9:15p & M, Tu, F, 7p, 9:15p
Directed by DJ Chen 2004, 93 minutes, Mandarin with English Subtitles
Cast: Tony Yang, Duncan, Chin King, Dada Ji, Jimmy Yang

"This is an honest, touching, and hilarious depiction of Taiwanese gay teen life, chronicling an innocent 17-year old boy’s summer of love and adventure in the big city. Banned in Singapore for creating “an illusion of a homosexual utopia, where everyone, including passersby, is homosexual and no ills or problems are reflected...It conveys the message that homosexuality is normal, and a natural progression in society”.