The Other Fellow

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2:29

The Other Fellow

2023

1h 20m

Biography

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

An energetic exploration of male identity via the lives, personalities, and adventures of a diverse band of men, real men across the globe all sharing the same name -- James Bond. 1952. Jamaica. When author Ian Fleming needs a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, he steals one from an unaware birdwatcher and creates a pop-culture phenomenon about the ultimate fictional alpha male. 2022. It is the year of 007's sixtieth anniversary onscreen and Australian filmmaker Matthew Bauer is on a global mission to discover the lasting, contrasting and very personal impacts of sharing such an identity with James Bond. From a Swedish 007 super-fan with a WW2 past, a gay New York theatre director, an African American Bond accused of murder, and two resilient women caught up in it all, Bauer's cinematic mission is an audacious, poignant, and insightful examination of masculinity, gender, and race in the very real shadows of a movie icon.

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Critics Consensus

Breezy in terms of length yet surprisingly expansive with its scope, The Other Fellow uses the experience of sharing a world-famous role to pose probing questions of privacy and identity.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

May 21, 2023

2/5

It’s messy, overstretched and dedicates too much time to a rather off-putting Swedish Bond obsessive who has officially changed his name and is possibly a few cylinders short of the full Aston Martin.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

May 19, 2023

2/5

[The] premise, coupled with curiosity and goodwill, buys about 20 minutes of running time before the film becomes unsatisfying, built upon random ideas and tiny snatches of disparate biographies flung like confetti over an arbitrary narrative.

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John Nugent

Empire Magazine

May 19, 2023

4/5

No Martinis in sight, but this is still an extremely watchable look at a unique naming phenomenon — with surprisingly profound results.

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Bethany Lola

Loud and Clear Reviews

Dec 19, 2024

3.5/5

If you’re expecting action sequences like those in the real Bond movies, then don’t waste your time. [...] But if you’re interested in learning more about the genesis of the name James Bond, look no further.

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Josh Saunders

The Sun (UK)

May 24, 2023

4/5

Fans will be left shaken and stirred by the dark twists in this documentary...

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Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

May 19, 2023

3/5

There is no great rhyme or reason in the film’s concept, but each tale has its own piquancy.

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dave d

@RT34924333 Sep 30, 2023

A tight and charming British documentary drama that explores the lives of real men around the world who are named James Bond. It doesn't sound like much, but filmmaker Matthew Bauer narrowed over 100 James Bonds down to five central characters. Bauer asks the obvious questions and the results are fascinating and sometimes a little disturbing. The film is unintentionally adjacent to mental health issues. Some like being Bond more than others. Some may be grifting. Nevertheless, it's a light doc that actually answers some questions you may have never knows you wanted answers to! Final Score: 7/10

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Michael W

@mawilps May 17, 2023

This documentary was great. The entire crew did a great job on making it and it was very interesting how each of these men were named after a famous spy and what it has done to them. It really goes into what each of these men think of having the name James Bond is like. If you haven't seen this documentary yet, check it out sometime. It's worth watching.

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Synopsis

An energetic exploration of male identity via the lives, personalities, and adventures of a diverse band of men, real men across the globe all sharing the same name -- James Bond. 1952. Jamaica. When author Ian Fleming needs a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, he steals one from an unaware birdwatcher and creates a pop-culture phenomenon about the ultimate fictional alpha male. 2022. It is the year of 007's sixtieth anniversary onscreen and Australian filmmaker Matthew Bauer is on a global mission to discover the lasting, contrasting and very personal impacts of sharing such an identity with James Bond. From a Swedish 007 super-fan with a WW2 past, a gay New York theatre director, an African American Bond accused of murder, and two resilient women caught up in it all, Bauer's cinematic mission is an audacious, poignant, and insightful examination of masculinity, gender, and race in the very real shadows of a movie icon.

Director: Matthew Bauer
Producer: Matthew Bauer, Michelle Brøndum
Screenwriter: Matthew Bauer, Rene van Pannevis, Matthew Bauer, Rene van Pannevis
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Production Co: The Other Fellow
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2023
Runtime: 1h 20m

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