Miller's Furiosa hums along in a different gear
George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a solid action epic that, while it manages to deliver a twisted story and the kinetic aesthetic we've come to expect from him, falls short of the ground-breaking effort the filmmaker delivered with Mad Max: Fury Road. To be clear: I liked Furiosa – a great deal of it actually – yet it requires an adjustment as this is as much a character study as an action epic. As such, the pacing is more deliberate, but the result is the most emotionally rich and poignant effort of the series.
As expected, Miller starts things off with a bang, as young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) has been kidnapped by two members of Dr. Dementus' (Chris Hemsworth) horde. Having stumbled upon The Green Place, a secluded agrarian culture fashioned like a neo-Eden, they've snatched the girl, knowing they'll get in the good graces of their boss when they turn her over to him. Her mother (Charlee Fraser) is in hot pursuit, yet her efforts will go for naught, as she ultimately falls at Dementus' hands.
Raised by Dementus, she's ultimately traded to Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) as part of a tenuous agreement between the two warring tribes and then blends into the work force of the Citadel by shaving her head and adopting the garb of a workman. Eventually, she's given the job of driving a war rig, a role she's already become accustomed to in Fury Road.
The skirmishes and double crosses that occur between Dementus and Immortan Joe provide Miller with the opportunity to stage the elaborate chase scenes he's become known for. He doesn't disappoint as each of these extended sequences are intricately choreographed and edited in a way that increases the action. And while the thrills are present, they aren't as plentiful as in Road, as Furiosa's origin story is the tail that wags this multi-million-dollar epic.
Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role at the one-hour mark and it becomes evident why she was cast. With only 30 lines or so of dialogue, her expressive eyes are vital in conveying all the character is going through, the actress employing them in myriad subtle ways. To be sure, she lacks the physical presence of Charlize Theron, who originated the role, yet you can't take your eyes off her. Taylor-Joy manages to put her stamp on the role, bringing the proper intensity, rage and pain to make her a sympathetic heroine.
A more character-driven approach, as well as the current state of global affairs, make Furiosa not only the most moving of the Max films but potentially the most prescient. To be sure, Miller's vision regarding the future state of our physical world as well as the barbaric nature of its survivors is fantastic. Likely, Furiosa will resonate more with viewers now and in years to come than any of the others in the series, as what it portends may come to be if we continue to ignore the problems we face. Therein lies the power of Miller's vision, as his cautionary tales become increasingly plausible with every passing year. In theaters.
Meandering Sight a disservice to its subject
Dr. Ming Wang's life is truly remarkable. As a child, he was raised in Hangzhou, China, his parents barely able to keep food on the table while his father attended the university in the hopes of becoming a doctor. Later, Ming followed in his footsteps, but had his education interrupted due to the cultural revolution. Yet he persevered, emigrating to the United States where he attended M.I.T., ultimately graduating as one of the school's most promising students. He lived up to the praise, opening the Wang Vision Institute where he developed radical new procedures to help restore sight to the blind. He's used this on thousands of blind children from around the world, free of charge.
As I said, a remarkable story that, somehow, in the hands of director Andrew Hyatt comes off as a remarkably dull exercise devoid of charm or inspiration. While Sight duly recounts Wang's life, it does so in a rote manner, lacking sincerity at every step, its simplistic approach resulting in movie that bores rather than inspires.
The jumping off point is the case of Kajal (Mia SwamiNathan), a young Indian girl who was purposely blinded by her mother and has been brought to Wang's (Terry Chen) attention. Unable to help her, the doctor takes this failure to heart, triggering long repressed memories of his childhood friend Lili (Sara Ye). Having known each other from a young age and attending school together, he blames himself for not being able to save her when she was abducted by revolutionaries as a teenager. Never seeing her again, Lili haunts his dreams, his conscience a lodestone he won't allow himself to drop.
The heavy-handed approach to the story proves off-putting from the start. Chen gives an awkward performance at times, making broad choices to convey Wang's despair. Hyatt offers little guidance where modulating his approach is concerned, while the script the director co-wrote with John Duigan and Buzz McLaughlin is all over the map, which is the film's biggest problem.
As plot heavy as the movie is, it's truly remarkable that it lacks any sense of urgency. Eventually, Sight reveals itself to be a feature-length commercial for the Wang Vision Institute, the good doctor himself appearing at the end to tout its achievements and pander for donations. Without question, Wang's legacy of good works is worthy of attention and support. Unfortunately, a D.O.A. biopic is not the way to go about touting them. Sight is a film that would be better off not seen by anyone. In theaters.
