*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
Awkwafina is best known for her comedic supporting roles in films such as Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians, however, Lulu Wang's The Farewell provides evidence that she's also a talented dramatic actress and can handle serious roles. The entire film is worth watching just for her performance.
Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there's a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother's wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken.
With The Farewell, writer/director Wang has created a heartfelt celebration of both the way we perform family and the way we live it, masterfully interweaving a gently humorous depiction of the good lie in action with a richly moving story of how family can unite and strengthen us, often in spite of ourselves. The story is based on Wang's grandmother's illness and she stated that she "always felt the divide in my relationship to my family versus my relationship to my classmates and to my colleagues and to the world that I inhabit". The Farewell makes for an interesting viewing experience as a lot of people will have their opinions divided on what the right thing to do is. There will be those who think that hiding Nai Nai's illness from her is wrong and unfair, however, others will understand the family's reasons behind their actions. Billi's opinion is that of the former and struggles to keep her composure around her beloved grandmother. In America, it's illegal to keep an individual's illness from them so there are those who will be confused at the family's decision, however, their reasons are clearly explained. As Billi's mother states, "It's not the cancer that kills them, it's the fear". This could explain why the family make the decision to keep Nai Nai's illness a secret as they don't want to scare her.
The trailer for The Farewell makes it seem like it's a serious drama, however, there's a lot of humour that prevents the film from being too depression. As Nai Nai, Shuzhen provides comic relief with her one liners. Her most memorable remark is at a photoshoot for the bride and groom and she wonders what they get up to in the bedroom when she's not there. This comment comes after she helps the bride and groom pose in a more romantic way and she informs Billi that she had to yell at the bride to hug her groom.
The majority of The Farewell focuses on preparations for the fake wedding. Prior to watching, I was expecting it to end with Nai Nai dying and the family attending her funeral. However, I was wrong as it ends with Billi saying goodbye to her grandmother and returning to America after the wedding. This final scene is very moving as I assumed that this was going to be the last time that Billi sees her grandmother. Before the credits came up, Wang included a video of the woman that the character of Nai Nai was based on and reveals that, six years after her initial diagnosis, she is still alive. I think that this was a great way to end the film as it's inspiring to those who are currently living with a terminal illness.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Festival at the beginning of the year, The Farewell has received a positive reception. It currently has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 200 critics prasing the film. It's rare for so many critics to share the same opinion which is why my expectations for The Farewell were high and, fortunately, it didn't disappoint.
I think that those who have experienced the loss of a beloved family member will be more emotionally affected as they'll be able to relate to the sadness that surrounds the main family in The Farewell. However, those same people will, most likely, walk away with a smile on their faces and a new outlook on both life and death. That was my experience, anyway. I've always had the fear of losing a loved one as I'm quite close to my family members and I was never sure what I would do or how I would feel when the inevitable happens. Because of The Farewell, I now know and, while I will certainly feel sad, I'll also appreciate the times I had with them.
While I think that it's too early to say, I would like to see The Farewell recognised by the Academy next year as it tells a deeply moving story. Awkwafina also delivers one of the best female performances I've seen this year, alongside Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers.
The first half of this year was filled with superhero films, sequels and remakes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, it does make me appreciate original, independent films, like The Farewell, as they provide a unique viewing experience and tell interesting stories. The average movie-goer may avoid a film like this as there's not a lot of action. However, that's no reason why anyone should avoid The Farewell. It captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama and features a stand-out performance from Awkwafina.
8/10
Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there's a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother's wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken.
With The Farewell, writer/director Wang has created a heartfelt celebration of both the way we perform family and the way we live it, masterfully interweaving a gently humorous depiction of the good lie in action with a richly moving story of how family can unite and strengthen us, often in spite of ourselves. The story is based on Wang's grandmother's illness and she stated that she "always felt the divide in my relationship to my family versus my relationship to my classmates and to my colleagues and to the world that I inhabit". The Farewell makes for an interesting viewing experience as a lot of people will have their opinions divided on what the right thing to do is. There will be those who think that hiding Nai Nai's illness from her is wrong and unfair, however, others will understand the family's reasons behind their actions. Billi's opinion is that of the former and struggles to keep her composure around her beloved grandmother. In America, it's illegal to keep an individual's illness from them so there are those who will be confused at the family's decision, however, their reasons are clearly explained. As Billi's mother states, "It's not the cancer that kills them, it's the fear". This could explain why the family make the decision to keep Nai Nai's illness a secret as they don't want to scare her.
The trailer for The Farewell makes it seem like it's a serious drama, however, there's a lot of humour that prevents the film from being too depression. As Nai Nai, Shuzhen provides comic relief with her one liners. Her most memorable remark is at a photoshoot for the bride and groom and she wonders what they get up to in the bedroom when she's not there. This comment comes after she helps the bride and groom pose in a more romantic way and she informs Billi that she had to yell at the bride to hug her groom.
The majority of The Farewell focuses on preparations for the fake wedding. Prior to watching, I was expecting it to end with Nai Nai dying and the family attending her funeral. However, I was wrong as it ends with Billi saying goodbye to her grandmother and returning to America after the wedding. This final scene is very moving as I assumed that this was going to be the last time that Billi sees her grandmother. Before the credits came up, Wang included a video of the woman that the character of Nai Nai was based on and reveals that, six years after her initial diagnosis, she is still alive. I think that this was a great way to end the film as it's inspiring to those who are currently living with a terminal illness.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Festival at the beginning of the year, The Farewell has received a positive reception. It currently has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 200 critics prasing the film. It's rare for so many critics to share the same opinion which is why my expectations for The Farewell were high and, fortunately, it didn't disappoint.
I think that those who have experienced the loss of a beloved family member will be more emotionally affected as they'll be able to relate to the sadness that surrounds the main family in The Farewell. However, those same people will, most likely, walk away with a smile on their faces and a new outlook on both life and death. That was my experience, anyway. I've always had the fear of losing a loved one as I'm quite close to my family members and I was never sure what I would do or how I would feel when the inevitable happens. Because of The Farewell, I now know and, while I will certainly feel sad, I'll also appreciate the times I had with them.
While I think that it's too early to say, I would like to see The Farewell recognised by the Academy next year as it tells a deeply moving story. Awkwafina also delivers one of the best female performances I've seen this year, alongside Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers.
The first half of this year was filled with superhero films, sequels and remakes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, it does make me appreciate original, independent films, like The Farewell, as they provide a unique viewing experience and tell interesting stories. The average movie-goer may avoid a film like this as there's not a lot of action. However, that's no reason why anyone should avoid The Farewell. It captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama and features a stand-out performance from Awkwafina.
8/10
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