Although a work of fiction, Touch Of The Light is based on the real-life experiences of its protagonist, Huang Yu-Siang. Siang plays himself, a piano-prodigy born blind. Hailing from a rural family in Taiwan, Siang enrolls in a city university to study music. Separated from the cushioned life around his family and village, Siang learns to cope up with being by himself, making friends and even inspiring others to follow their dreams. Over time, he befriends Jie (a very cute Yung-yung Chan) who loves dancing but, drowned in the drone of everyday life, doesn’t pursue her dream. Although the premise reads like the sort of human dramas that are dime-a-dozen, director Chang Jung-chi’s deft handling of the characters, their fantastic interplay and a great use of Siang’s musical talent sets apart Touch Of The Light from the crowd. Like Silver Linings Playbook, the movie revels in what is expected of the story, delivering it with an exuberance and love that only the best of the genre have. At the houseful screening I attended, not one audience member left their seat, even sitting through the *entire* end-credits!
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