Monday Movie Review: The Farewell
Ugh, guys, this movie is so good. Seriously. In a year of blockbusters and superheroes and special effects, this movie is just pure, sweet, loving perfection. I’m so glad I was able to see this one in the theater, and I highly, highly recommend you make the time to see it too.
Put simply, The Farewell is a movie about family. Billi (Awkwafina) is a struggling writer living in New York. She and her parents immigrated from China when she was a child and all of their family is overseas. When they find out Billi’s grandma, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, they make a trip to China to see her for one last time. The catch is that the family has decided not to tell Nai Nai she only has a few months to live. So in order for the whole family to visit without it seeming like something is amiss, they plan a fake wedding for Billi’s cousin. Billi has a hard time with deceiving her grandmother, but the rest of the family insists (this seems to be a fairly common practice in China). During the visit Billi and her family grapple with loss, identity, family, acceptance. If there’s an emotional issue you can think of, this film probably touches on it.
One of the things I love the most about art is the exposure it provides to different cultures. I found the idea of not telling someone their medical diagnosis to be fascinating (and as Billi points out at one point, it would be completely illegal to do this in the US). But it made me think about how I would feel in that situation. Is it better to know what’s coming, or to be able to enjoy your last few months without the cloud of impending death hanging over you? Who can say. But as interesting as the cultural differences are (and I love learning about different cultures through movies and books), what’s the most interesting in a movie like this is how similar familial relationships are, in every family, everywhere. The bickering between siblings, the love a mom has for her child. This film really just beautifully portrays those familial bonds in a more poignant way than I have seen in a really long time.
The other highlight of the film is Awkwafina’s performance. She was a standout for me in both Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8, but this movie takes her to a whole other level. She is quiet, and strong, and smart, but still funny and relatable. I really hope she sees some award nominations for this performance, because she deserves it. (Also, totally a random side note, but as I was checking her IMDB just a few minutes ago, it says she is in pre-production to play Scuttle in the live action Little Mermaid, and holy cow, that sounds amazing.)
The Farewell is just beautiful film making (and written and directed by a woman, Lulu Wang). If you get the chance to see it in the theater, take it, but if not, definitely check it out when it’s streaming. This one gets an A from me!
