What's in a name? Plenty if your name is Bond. James Bond. Matthew Bauer's illuminating documentary, "The Other Fellow," explores the lived realities of those individuals who have the name James Bond. Some, like New York theater director James Alexander Bond, are born with it. Some, like James Bond, Jr. and James Neal Bond, have it handed down to them by their fathers. And others, such as Gunnar James Bond Schäfer, have adopted it. There are also cases of James Hart (nee Bond) disowning it, and another James Bond whose name was legally changed to match that of the super spy. Lastly, there is the original James Bond, an ornithologist whose "flat, quiet name" was co-opted by Ian Fleming for his fictional character.
Bauer's film explores the "blessing and curse" of being known as James Bond. Gunnar James Bond Schäfer embraces the identity to creating a Bond Museum, while James Alexander Bond trades on his name only when gets paid — as when he plays himself for a commercial. "The Other Fellow" shows how the famous name is a double-edged sword. It can be helpful or cause a real issue as in the case of two Bonds — one white, one Black — who recount how their name, respectively, got them released and arrested after an encounter with the police.
