Derik Murray

(On Cable TV, May 2021) Bruce Lee was an extraordinary figure — not merely a gifted martial artist (a mean feat in itself), but an intelligent and charismatic one, able to place his skills on a solid intellectual foundation, and then rally everyone to a very personal point of view. I am Bruce Lee, his entry in Derik Murray’s long-running “I Am…” biographical series is very much in-line with the other films in the series: Interviews with friends and family building up a portrait that may acknowledge a few flaws but will never be anything less than completely enamoured of its subject. This isn’t much of an issue here, as it’s remarkably easy to praise and like Lee on absolute terms. You probably know what to expect, though: testimonials from celebrities who never met Lee, more touching interviews with family members and friends with recollections of the man, a biographical overview of his life touching upon the main achievements of his filmography, and—best of all—interview excerpts with the man himself, allowing his innate likability to overpower the rest of the film. As with other “I Am…” films, this is not to be trusted as an insightful piece of work: it’s meant as a paean (made easier by his untimely and much-regretted death) and a highlights reel, but you’ll have to go digging elsewhere (usually in books) for more even-handed, interesting material. Still, there is a place for that kind of biographical documentary: as a reminder of Lee’s grander-than-life stature, I am Bruce Lee is worth a look. It immediately compelled me to have a look at the one major Lee film that I still hadn’t seen (Fists of Fury), so there’s that for impact.