Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words (2013)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
This documentary is rather unique in its own way but it still isn't quite as good as one would hope. Director and writer Yunah Hong spends just under a hour going through the life and career of Anna May Wong, a talented and beautiful actress that many felt should have been a star but wasn't because of her race. The documentary follows her earliest days all the way up to her death and the various film highlights of her career. What makes this unique is that we're given the typical documentary type talking heads but Hong takes it a step further by having actress Doan Ly playing Wong and speak as her through letters she had written in her life. Anna May Wong certainly needs a great documentary done on her and while this one here contains some interesting and even good moments, it falls just short of being good. I think the one problem with the film is the actress playing Wong and talking for her. I really didn't think this added anything to the documentary and at times it just comes across a little silly. I think just having someone narrated her "own words" would have been more effective and less theatrical. The actress playing the part did a fine job but it just wasn't needed. The best stuff about this documentary deals with Wong's days in the silent cinema and how she ended up going to Germany to try and become a star. Hearing the effect that the Production Code had on non-white actors was also quite interesting. Fans of the actress will certainly want to check this one out but just a few minor switches and this could have been much better.
