Cape of Good Hope
Artistic License | Release Date: November 11, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
A heartwarming, cleansing film that's simply good for the soul. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
South African director Mark Bamford's sweet-natured ensemble film doesn't shy away from addressing issues of racism -- both black and white. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
A warmhearted film. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
When politics do not create walls (as apartheid did), most people are primarily interested in their families, their romances, and their jobs. They hope to improve all three. The movie is about their hope. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
Although by now routine, the intertwining of separate story strands is solidly structured, and the different mini-narratives resolved in unsurprising yet satisfying ways. Read full review
70
The New York TimesLaura Kern
Satisfying and memorable film. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
Grounded in the easy rhythms of daily life, this charming little film shows unexpected grit in sequences set in the white household where Lindiwe works, a place so oppressive that it suddenly seems way past time for South African movie characters - and their home audience - to experience a dose or two of Hollywood-style wish fulfillment. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Refreshingly devoid of politics. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderFred Camper
Director Mark Bamford has a feel for the entanglements of daily life, and his lively editing rhythm holds the multiple stories together. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
A charming if overlong romantic comedy. Read full review
60
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
It's facile, predictable, and contrived, but there's still something winning about this multicultural drama from South Africa. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
The stories are interlinked effectively, and the film strikes an upbeat note yet does not address racism and discrimination. For all its affection toward its characters, however, the film is too long and too slack. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
Cape of Good Hope is a hopeful piece of humanism that is difficult to begrudge too much. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
It lacks both complexity and compromised characters. While the cultural backdrop is intriguing, the story is frustratingly conventional and familiar. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Only Nthati Moshesh, as a single black mother working as a housekeeper wooed by a displaced Congolese (Eriq Ebouaney), makes a dent in white-American-expatriate Mark Bamford's toothless scenario. Read full review
38
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
The film does deserve credit for juggling difficult racial and class issues - but with a wacky score, cute puppies and silly side stories also jockeying for space, Bamford's best intentions tumble to a heap long before the movie ends. Read full review
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