Anita

Let's cut to the chase: Anita is the first Chinese-language biopic I've ever watched in a theater, and it's genuinely moving-though it's hard to tell whether its brilliance comes from the storytelling itself or the sheer magnetism of Anita Mui's legendary life. With most foreign biopics, I can usually dissect them calmly, analyzing performances and pacing with detached objectivity. But Anita caught me off guard. For the first time, I sat in a cinema and watched strangers around me wipe away tears, completely disarmed by raw, unguarded emotion. In one haunting scene, as the woman beside me quietly dabbed her eyes, the screen showed Anita Mui in her iconic final concert, belting out a song that felt like a farewell to her fans and life itself. That moment-where reality and cinema blurred-was pure magic.

The film's greatest strength lies in its refusal to sensationalize or deify its subject. Unlike many biopics that either elevate their heroes to sainthood or twist their flaws into drama, Anita opts for a grounded, almost humble approach. It doesn't shy away from her struggles-loneliness, health battles, the weight of fame-but it also doesn't milk them for cheap tears. Instead, it lets her humanity speak for itself. Sure, the pacing drags at times, and some chapters of her life feel glossed over. But the film's simplicity and honesty make it resonate deeply. You're not watching a polished myth; you're seeing a woman who lived fiercely, loved recklessly, and left too soon.

That said, the movie isn't flawless. The supporting characters often feel underdeveloped, and the script leans heavily on nostalgia (cue the montages of '80s Hong Kong). Yet, even with these hiccups, Anita works because it channels the essence of its star: unapologetically real, fiercely passionate, and utterly unforgettable. By the end, you're not just mourning Anita Mui-you're mourning the fact that we'll never see another like her.

If you don't know her, this is still a great story. Having lived in HK for half a year and being a fan of Chinese music, I had heard a bit about her. If you know nothing this is still a great movie and true story.

Of course, there is an undercurrent to the story which a foreigner will not get about her but it is still an incredible movie experience. For example, there is a simple scene where she, now being rich and famous, is interviewed and asked if she will stay in Hong Kong after 1997. She proudly says "Yes, I will stay in Hong Kong". This was the year that Hong Kong was handed back over to China from being a British colony and there was a lot of fear at that time that the mainland government would be heavy handed with locals and take away their western freedoms. This turned out to not be the case but many people left HK at that time and she proudly stayed. This is not explained in the movie, you'd have to know the history of HK. But these few blips would take nothing away from this film if you didn't.

If anything, the true story of her life is even more incredible than this story, a wonderful film.

The film brilliantly recreates the golden years of Hong Kong, the hustling and bustling, the acceptance and the melting pot that I grew up in. The screenplay feels just right, every period of Anita's life felt important in the film to ultimately shape who she became, even though some aspects felt the need to further expand. But to nitpick, Louise Wong's portrayal of Anita, while uncanny, fails to capture the most vital aspect of Anita, which was the aura, which can be especially felt when footages of the past were flashed throughout the film. But the voice is brilliantly brought back to life.

I'm sure things were not shown, people were not included due to changing times, but that's just life, at least in the case of Anita, it was preserved.

First of all, please disregard the critics who are playing down the film. Either they did not watched it and not intending to or they have an agenda againt any pro ccp artists who are featured in any movies, dramas or songs. Sad but yes, those folks are irrational and impartial in almost anything in HK now and will stood real low to put down any pro ccp even if they are betraying their own nation and tribe.

From a non Hkger point of view but an avid mandopop followers in the 80s, 90s of the Golden era, the film surely depicted a nostalgic vibe with the familiar household names and old streets of HK.

The film is too short to illustrate all high and lows of Anita's legacy. I'm sure many will agree if this was to be a trilogy instead. The authenticity of the film is on the highly believable side as many of Anita's closest friends and work mates were sought for their perspective on her before the film was made.

Her dedication, drives and empathy were greatly paraded throughout the film. Her rise to stardom and the queen throne were achieved with pure grit and perseverance.

Yes, the main lead Louise could not achieved a 100% resemblance to Anita, but so did any other biography movies...No one is 100% identical in real. Not even twins. So when you hear critics berate the film based on this you can basically walk away. Louise for a debutant, scores high on my ground. For portraying the queen without a sense of awkwardness felt throughout the film. She even gets better as the film progresses, some scenes which you will be unable to tell if it's her or Anita. Magical, indeed.

The part of her and Leslie I believe striked a chord and brought tears to the older crowd. This film is indeed a reminisce of the mandopop peak era across the whole of Asia that us Chinese were so proud of. The grim fact is that the Chinese younger gens are rather into kpop jpop and western pop now instead of their own native tongue.

Apart from Bruce Lee and Ip Man, Asian film industry are not willing to risk biographies due to low returns from box office. Let's hope this Anita will change the scope and bring back legendary artistes that left us early.... Danny Chan, Leslie Kwok, Roman Tam, Lydia Sum and more.

I find this film absolutely captivating. Every single second is filled with heartfelt story. The actress playing Anita Mui is very good, and delivers much resemblances to Anita. This film gives me a profound experience, and I'm still in tears hours after watching it.