After its initial theatrical release in late 2021, this biopic of Hong Kong singer and actress Anita Mui was reedited as a limited series for Disney+. Anita (Director’s Cut) screened over five 45-minute episodes with rearranged scenes and over an hour of extra footage. The result was a biopic with a turgid middle section and disjointed timeline.

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The path this limited series will follow is apparent from the early moments of Episode 1, with Mui announcing at a news conference that she has cervical cancer. A flashback to her sixth birthday finds the singer backstage at an amusement park with her sister (the only family member depicted in this biopic). The two continue to perform together over the years till they compete as solo artists in Hong Kong’s New Talent Singing Awards. Anita’s success sees her signed by Capital Artists and she becomes an overnight sensation after more than ten years of hard slog.

 

The following episodes follow the same format, opening with Mui in ill health before flashing back to cover the next chapter in her short life. Yet some of the more significant events have been omitted, no doubt hamstrung by litigious family members and a Hong Kong now ruled by China. Instead, we get a meandering third episode that focuses on the fallout from her brush with a gang member. The standstill that Mui’s career suffered as a result is echoed by the loss of momentum the series had up until this point.

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Like model turned actress Louise Wong in the title role, Anita (Director’s Cut) is pretty to look but offers very little emotionally. Though supported by a strong cast, led by Louis Koo as fashion designer Eddie Lau, Wong’s muted portrayal of the vibrant Mui is akin to one of the accessories adorning the singer’s costumes… strategically placed without contributing much independently.

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The intertwining of actual Anita Mui footage with their cinematic recreations may have been instructive for the uninitiated, but the comparison between the real model and her imitation is stark.