Underplayed Gems

My Name Is Fame (2006)

My Name Is Fame poster
Original title
我要成名
Directed by
Lawrence Ah Mon
Genre
comedy drama
Country
Hong Kong
Runtime
1h 33m
Rating
6.8 of 10 from 12 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A washed-up actor takes on a young apprentice actress. He helps her rise to fame while struggling with his own career and personal demons.

lightheartedbittersweetslow-burnunderstatedhopefulreflectivecomedictender

What happens

My Name Is Fame is a 2006 Hong Kong comedy-drama film starring Lau Ching-wan as a has-been actor and newcomer Huo Siyan as an aspiring actress and his apprentice. The movie is considered by many as a humorous reflection of Lau's actual career, which is highly regarded but almost unrewarded (Lau has never won a Hong Kong Film Award before this film which won him the Best Actor award). While it is often compared to the three A Star Is Born films, My Name Is Fame departs from many of Star's clichés, notably dispensing with the romance of the old man-young girl relationship and the destructive spiral of the old man's career. While the girl does go onto great success, the man does redeem himself of bad habits (getting sober, offering constructive instead of abrasive criticism) and returns to being a well-renowned actor. Due to their busy film schedules, they never have time to meet. But at the end, she presents a best supporting actor award for which he has been nominated. Many famous actors and filmmakers make cameo appearances, notably Tony Leung Ka-fai, who plays himself and tells Lau's character to return to acting, saying that while good roles are difficult to find, perseverance will be rewarded. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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