The Other Fellow

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2:29

The Other Fellow

Released Feb 17, 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)

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.

Rated: 2/5

May 21, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

[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.

Rated: 2/5

May 19, 2023

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John Nugent

Empire Magazine

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

Rated: 4/5

May 19, 2023

Full Review

Bethany Lola

Loud and Clear Reviews

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.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 19, 2024

Full Review

Josh Saunders

The Sun (UK)

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

Rated: 4/5

May 24, 2023

Full Review

Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

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

Rated: 3/5

May 19, 2023

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dave d

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

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

Michael W

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

Full Review

Stephanie M

I was expecting this to be a bit of fun but it has really deep characters and some wild plot twists I didn't see coming. Highly recommended.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/15/23

Full Review

James Christian B

Matthew Bauer give us his masterpiece about live and let live with a popular name on a thrill-ride. I really love this documentary. Thank you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/23

Full Review

Christopher M

The Other Fellow…An absolutely phenomenal experience, and even more extraordinary film. It is a true testament to content creation, and a MUST SEE! Expect the unexpected…

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Conrad S

I expected fun and character studies but it was so very boring. Gunnar the pretend James Bond was mostly promoting the museum he operates, apparently to support himself. The Bonds shared their complaints and feelings about the tedious daily repetition of other people mindlessly reacting to their name, and they were effective--so I felt some of what they felt, that is, annoyed. The convicted felon denying guilt was most interesting, nothing new there, and his story seemed oversimplistic. Although I paid to rent this movie at home, about halfway through my wife and I were both enthusiastic about quitting it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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Matthew Bauer

Director

Gunnar James Bond Schäfer

Self

James Alexander Bond

Self

James Bond Jr.

Self

Ms. Bond

Self

Gregory Itzin

James Bond

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The Other Fellow: Trailer 1

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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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