AKA Mr. Chow

Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

I did not know of Michael Chow before seeing this, but I feel like I should have. He's had so many reasons to be notable: Son of a Chinese cultural icon, actor in James Bond films and Jackie Chan films and others, acclaimed bicoastal and international restaurateur, friend and patron of famous artists and creative figures, husband and father of Chinese-American media figures, and now in his senior years, the artist in his own right that he has always wanted to be. The film leans more heavily on the last item in that list since his art is what Chow is passionate about today, but there's undeniable beauty and power in his works, especially when we see them finished and mounted on a gallery wall.

This is a captivating documentary about what feels like the world's most interesting man, with a clear through-line being the conflict between his Chinese identity and upbringing and the hostile environment that the Western world turned out to be for him. He had to make careful choices about when to adapt and when to stay true to himself, and it's fascinating to see how the decisions played out. My only complaint is that the film jumps ahead in time suddenly to new periods in Chow's life without providing context -- for instance, suddenly his sister is playing Bond's mistress, while he's playing a Bond villain in a scene filmed in his own restaurant -- but perhaps the intended viewer already knows about Chow and I'm in the confused minority. Still, I really liked learning about him.

− December 30, 2023 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply