My Wishful Thinking Of The Near-Perfect Anita Mui Biopic

It was more than 20 years ago that she died at only 40 years old -- on December 30, 2023. I was looking into the CHALLENGE Of making biopics. After doing some research, it turned out that there were two media based on Anita's life story namely Mei Yan Fang Fei (which was spoken in Mandarin) and Anita (2021). It turned out that were too many creative liberties. I gave some Louisse Wong from Hong Kong while watching the mini-series on Disney+. Those scenes made me wish that Jolin Cai played the role of Anita!

It turns out that the Anita (2021) film had a lot of creative liberties -- such as creating the fictional character Goto Yuki as Anita's boyfriend. IRL, Anita's two known failed romances are Masahiko Kondo and Vincent Zhao. As I looked into the film, there have been issues like:

• The creation of the fictional Goto Yuki. Seriously, why are we adding a fictional character to a BIOPIC?
• The scene where Anita goes to the doctor, who tells her to have some surgery to remove her ovaries. How did the writers SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT? That's a very private matter!
• The late Leslie Cheung was barely known. Wasn't he supposed to be CLOSE FRIENDS with Anita?

Not to mention, my bigger concerns over the Anita (2021) mini-series are the following scenes that should be questioned:

• The scene where the late Ann Mui tells Anita, "I don't know if I can still see my children growing up." This should've been left out, given the SEVERE PRIVACY of the scene. 
• The movie leaves out her SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ADVOCACY during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, where she gave support for the students instead of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

As I said, I've always thought Jolin should've been Anita after watching Anita (2021) in part. However, given how Anita (2021) and Mei Yan Fang Fei were sensationalist, it would be for the best that she wasn't cast as Anita -- even if the projects were given to her. After all, it's THAT easy to compare Jolin to Anita since both of them have been called Madonna. However, whoever decided to call Jolin as "Asian Madonna" too soon after Anita died, didn't think things clearly. Madonna of Taiwan? Yes! Madonna of Asia? Anita was the only title holder.

As I was reading througn an interesting blog post discussing Anita -- I thought about tat making a near-perfect biopic based on Anita's life isn't an easy talk. Let's say that Edko Films, the company behind Anita (2021), was able to secure Jolin as the star over Louisse. Of course, Jolin may need to be either dubbed over or learn more Cantonese. However, given Jolin's status as the Madonna of Taiwan -- it could create a backlash IF she were playing Anita in a VERY SENSATIONALIZED IN FOR THE DOLLAR PRODUCTION.

My ideal structure for an Anita biopic would be as follows, based on the Now and Then II: Anita Mui book and how ANY projects about Anita could've taken place back then:

• We would need to focus on Anita's childhood, which includes her dysfunctional relationship with her brothers and MRS. MUI. A scene of her mother gambling and other stuff, related to their money-crazed habits. The family FELL into poverty even more because of their mother's gambling. A far cry from Regine Velasquez-Alcasid's and the late Teresa Teng's growing in poverty, BUT in a very supportive home!
• Anita would have a scene where she's told that she needs to take a year off singing. Anita was known to have developed a throat nodule. The scene will involve a stand-in actor and the name of the doctor ISN'T MENTIONED.
• Anita as a girl who's 18 going 19 get her first win at the New Talent Singing Competition. Both Anita and Jolin were nearly the same age when a singing contest launched their career.
• Various aspects of Anita's closest "brothers" such as Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan, Jacky Cheung, Eddie Lau, and Andy Lau. Please take note that ANDY AND ANITA WERE NEVER A COUPLE! But I'd actually have Jerry Yan play Andy in this case. 
• To respect Ann's privacy, we will have a scene where it's known that Ann already has cervical cancer -- months before Ann could turn 41. A scene of Anita crying in a dignified manner, and any words Anita had said, will be the basis for the creative liberties. The creative liberties SHOULD NOT DEVIATE FROM THE PLOT.
• Later on, Anita receives the news that Leslie had just killed himself. My idealized scene is where Anita reads the newspaper and gets shocked. 
• A creative liberty can be added WITHOUT discussing the doctor's proposal to remove Anita's ovaries. Anita would be given the diagnosis and recommendations. Anita leaves in silent contemplation. She decides that she will fight until the day she leaves the world. 
• Hints of Anita losing weight and canceling events will be there. This will be represented by a crowd of unnamed people feeling concerned.
• Anita would be seen fighting SARS. 
• Anita would reveal her cancer in September 2003, which finally verifies all suspicions. 
• Anita prepares to "marry the stage" -- expressing her final moments. None of the Goto Yuki nonsense!
• Anita goes to the stage in a wedding gown. Anita begs the crowd not to cry for her and let her go in peace.
• Anita falls into a coma and is sent to the hospital on Christmas Eve. A time stamp can be put "December 30, 2003 - 2:30 AM" when the announcement is made that Anita had died. 
• A time skip shows Anita's funeral. Only eulogies that were aired will be used. Otherwise, one can have a certain group of stand-ins to play as her personal connections, but they will be "unknown". Anita's body is sent to the crematorium to end it all.