Review of ‘Sight’: An Eye-Opener into the Inspired Life of a Chinese-born American Doctor

Review of ‘Sight’: An Eye-Opener into the Inspired Life of a Chinese-born American Doctor

Cast: Terry Chen, Greg Kinnear, Natasha Mumba, Fionnula Flanagan, Mia SwamiNathan, Raymond Ma, Wai Ching Ho, Garland Chang, Donald Heng, Leanne Wang, Jeffrey Pai, Ben Wang, Sara Ye, Kelvin Luo, Natalie Skye, Peter Chan, Danni Wang, Jayden Zhang

Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Director: Andrew Wyatt

Duration: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Genre: Drama, Biopic, History

Language: English, Mandarin

Release: 2024

What’s it about?

A true story about the extraordinary journey of an oppressed Chinese student who becomes a celebrated eye surgeon in the U.S.

Review:

Sight offers the audience a pretty effective biopic of an eye surgeon who proves to be (excuse the pun), a visionary. This true tale of Chinese-born Dr. Ming Wang details his trials and successes across several decades and in polar opposites of the world. The film makes a fairly sincere attempt at narrating the inspiring story of this conscientious and committed medico as he strives to bring the blind out of darkness. In this constant quest, Dr. Wang derives encouragement from the people and experiences of his youth, whether these were positive or negative. 

This cinematic biography begins with the naturalised American Dr. Wang (Terry Chen) addressing the press in his adopted homeland. The occasion: a new triumph in cornea implantation, which establishes him as a true revolutionary in his field. However, the indefatigable scientist is far from satisfied with his latest accomplishment as he realises there are more challenges to face and surmount. One of these approaches him in the form of a visually-impaired girl child from Calcutta. A missionary nun (Fionnula Flanagan) brings the unfortunate Kajal (Mia SwamiNathan)to the “miracle worker’s” clinic with high hopes of having her eyesight restored. 

On preliminary investigation with his research partner Misha Bartnovsky (Greg Kinear), the good doctor is flummoxed as to how to go about the treatment. But he doggedly uses the technology and tools at his disposal as well as his experience and intellect. With a breakthrough proving elusive, Dr. Wang starts to hallucinate about a young lady. This mystery girl triggers a deluge of memories of his younger life back in his hometown of Hangzhou. This, during China’s turbulent and tumultuous period of the 1960s and 1970s. Shown in sumptuous flashbacks, the film reveals how the upheaval poses a formidable hurdle in Wang’s desire to pursue studies in Medicine.

It is these recollections that also show how young Ming’s blooming attraction for a fellow student (Sara Ye) was brutally nipped in the bud. His family and friends too were hounded by an ugly group of adversaries whom the aspiring doctor called the “protestors”. But the iron-clad will of his parents (Donald Heng and Leanne Wang) and his own unflinching aim to turn a physician goad him on. Soon, remarkable advances in his academics find the determined Ming knocking on the U.S.’s door. But even as his career moves forward, there are devastating failures in store. Does he have an ace up his sleeve to confront them? And when one door closes, will Dr. Wang pry open another?

Director Andrew Hyatt has shown with this venture that he is maturing as a filmmaker eager to depict the triumph of the human spirit. However, as valid as his ambition is, Hyatt is not quite able to deliver a film of epic proportions. Yes, his portrayal of Maoist China is not as gripping and captivating as it could have been. However, what elevate the film considerably are the sincere performances by both the young Ming (Ben Wang) and his adult version (Terry Chen). The cinematography is modest but appealing and is aptly fused with some moving music. There is also a bit of levity thrown in, courtesy Dr. Wang’s younger brother (Garland Chang) who comes up with one harebrained scheme after another. In the final analysis, Sight has a profound message to convey, that being - “There is more to Life than what you see.”