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Yin Fei (Michelle Yeoh) who heads a family of extraordinary acrobats faces Eric (Ben Chaplin) who
suddenly appears after years of absence without a word.
Her hostility and suspicion simmer down however, when he presents her with the clue to find a relic called the Shakira. This is the remains of a Buddhist holy man, transformed into a glowing rock that has the power to grant immortality. Well hidden to prevent its falling into the wrong hands, Yin's family has been assigned to retrieve this Shakira. Led by Yin, they must contend with a murderous Kurt (Richard Roxburgh) head of a strong syndicate and collector of art, who wants the treasure for himself.
The Touch begins and ends with two spectacular presentations of very entertaining acrobatic shows performed against the impressive backdrops of a circus dome, and a subterranean richly decorated temple engulfed in fire. Michelle Yeoh's marketing strategy in her first English-speaking role and first attempt at co-producing is to promote
The Touch as a four-in-one movie of action, adventure, romance and humor. However, the movie has been found wanting in all four aspects. There is not enough
martial arts action for viewers who see the film precisely for the action part. As the Buddhist monks attempt to express the wisdom of their beliefs in
difficult-to-understand-English, distracting subtitles appear to further disturb viewers evidenced by some laughter and other restless sounds.
The attempt at humor by the presence of a bumbling simpleton henchman in Kurt's camp, appear out of place. The story and its development, the acting, the directing, and the computer images that seem to have no direction, could have been better managed. What is exceptional in the production however, is the camera-work of the panoramic expanses of desert and the awesome presentation of the Potala Palace at Llasha, Tibet.
The return to the family, with regrets for having strayed; turning away from wrong-doing; the
accomplishment of an entrusted mission; family bonding and loyalty; respect for tradition and the sacred in a society; the need for faith and righteousness in what is to be
done are the values that may be culled from The Touch. The overall communication, of course, is that in the eternal conflict, men will continue to be tested but
in the end, through persistence, the good will triumph. In the search for what is in the future, our grand business in life is not to be concerned with what
clearly lies in the distance, but to do what clearly lies at hand.
(Date reviewed: October 11, 2002)
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