Cape of Good Hope

Mark Bamford's engaging ensemble piece from South Africa focuses on a bunch of troubled people who circulate around a Cape Town animal shelter run by a woman named Kate, who is so wrapped up in an affair with a callous married man or busy quarreling with her oft-married mother that she barely notices the halting attentions of a shy, recently-widowed veterinarian—until a mutual love of dance brings them together. Also at the shelter are a celebrated refugee astronomer from the Congo, who holds a menial job taking care of the animals but whose almost angelic persona charms human and beast alike; a black maid trying to complete college while working and raising a young son without much support; and a Muslim couple whose marriage is threatened by their inability to have children. As the title suggests, despite the characters' myriad problems the overall mood of the film is hopeful and the cast is winning, with Eriq Ebouaney especially appealing as the serene astronomer. Of course, the presence of all the animals also helps make this feel-good dramedy hard to resist. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a video interview with writer-director Mark Bamford and costar Eriq Ebouaney (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a small but winning film.] (F. Swietek)