17 sui de tian kong

One of a few gay Asian movies out there today. It depicted a naive young Taiwanese gay man who ventured out to a very much open Taipei society in search of his true love only to encounter that lust rather than love was on the minds of most. Formula 17 also tried to approach this love story through a comedic style...with characters that were quite dramatic and over-reacting. In retrospect, I appreciate Formula 17 not only because it was a work of art, it was also an expression that many gay people out there could also relate with. Love have been lost and is seldom seen but the main character in this movie tried to bring it back for us to see and taste.

I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone...gay or straight.

Although this movie is low budget and completely silly, it revels in that and seems proud of it rather than trying to ignore it. A completely generic plot that anyone can guess, especially if they're familiar with gay fiction, and your typical gay characters would usually mean a boring movie. Instead this film puts together characters that you can completely believe and expect to meet on the street. I found myself thinking "I wish I knew these guys!" many times. A totally adorable wonderful happy movie that will make you giggle and squeal and completely believe in love, even if it's just for the duration of the film, this one is not to be missed. Heartwarming, adorable, real, yet fantastic... I can't rate this one highly enough.

Innocent boy sees then meets jaded boy. Jaded boy becomes unjaded. Familiar story but with a sweetness that can make even a tired old queen believe (again) in the power of love at first sight.

The supporting characters are truly funny and resemble many I've met in Asia. Even though the version I saw had 15 minutes of lost subtitles (?!?!?!?) the message was still clear.

I saw this at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. There was an error in the program. This movie is from TAIWAN not Thailand. But a lot of the charm that was part of Iron Ladies (from Thailand) can be seen in this film.

Not a deep film but certainly worth a see.

As the title itself states, 'Formula 17' does follow a formula that has been done many a time: wide eyes romantic virgin with fanciful ideas of true love meets jaded playboy. This is the gay version of that older than old staple of romance comedy. But there is enough in this production to keep it fresh and interesting. First of all the awkwardness between the leads is very genuine. The acting is very good all around but secondary characters are of course either zany and over the top or of the straight man kind, a requirement that seems even more present in homosexual themed films. This leaves only the main couple to truly shine in terms of acting. Their awkward interaction gives a hint of realism in a whacky comedy.

The parody element is important in that it pokes fun at gay clichés with gusto, with narrated flashbacks staged as theater pieces and light heartedly making fun of being overly emotional. Jokes around lack of communication between Mandarin and Cantonese speakers will probably go over the head of most Western (or even non-Chinese) viewers but they keep the comedy from being too one note. Some nuances are introduced in the general outline of the movie since the jaded man is undergoing therapy to cure himself of his Don Juan ways. Not that this is at all taken seriously. Even when the story plods into its mandatory crisis two thirds into it there is never a feeling that anything is at all in jeopardy.

It ends as the viewer expected it too from the every first frame. The conclusion may be a bit too neat and there is something horribly distracting about the soundtrack, especially during intimate scenes. This movie has a certain amateur aura to it but that ends up being its greatest selling points. Shot in a fresh way and with plenty of color across the screen 'Formula 17' cannot help being formulaic but it is a worthy effort for all that.

Director Chen Ying Rong debuts in an all-male movie that exposes a unique view of gays in Taipei. Perfectly cast for the role, Tony Yang Yo Ning plays a naive, 17-year old teenager (Tien) who ventures off to the big city in search of "true love". Courageous, honest and innocent in chasing his goal in love, Tien gets attracted to the popular 30-year-old playboy Pai (Duncan Lai) – who Tien fantasizes about giving his first intimately kiss to. A thoughtful movie that takes you into the streets of Taiwan, showing you its exciting nightlife into the famous gay bars Funky and Fresh. Formula 17 follows the success of the gay-themed movie Lan Yu - which won international awards for its artistic and realistic portrayal.

This movie starts with the naive countryman Tien. He goes to Taipei to meet his friend who he met online. Believing in "true love", his friend really disappoints him by saying that he would like to have sex with him. "How can we make love if there is not love between us?" Tien asks.

Then his 'the one' appears. This stud (Nan) was hurt by his ex-boyfriend, and thinks that he will never fall in love again. But later, he discovers that he's fallen in love with this cute guy. Scaring of getting hurt and hurting Tien, he decides to leave Tien after the romantic night. In fact, this can do nothing but hurts both of them. At this time, Nan knows he has to overcome his fear of intimacy because he has fallen in love with Tien. He prays to God, hoping God can give him one more chance, and getting Tien back. Then the miracle happens, and they two finally get together. This movie also records the pride parade held in Taipei in the late 2003.