The Farewell
Composite Score: 86.57
Starring: Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, Hong Lu, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Yang Xuejian, Yongbo Jiang, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Xiang Li, Hongli Liu, and Jinhang Liu
Director: Lulu Wang
Writer: Lulu Wang
Genres: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, brief language, and some smoking
Box Office: $23.08 million worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
The Farewell is Lulu Wang’s semi-autobiographical film about a Chinese-American woman whose grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer but whose family refuses to inform her of the diagnosis, sparking a moral crisis in our protagonist, Billi. The film stars comedienne Awkwafina in the leading role across from Shuzhen Zhao as her grandmother and a strong supporting cast of characters. On its surface, The Farewell is simply a dark comedy about grief and learning to let go of your loved ones in a way that pays them respect, but beneath that is a far more complex story about culture, immigration, East vs. West, and the contradictions that are inherent to living a somewhat well-adjusted human life. Wang executes this film beautifully through her two leads, showing us two souls that are inextricably connected but whose distance and surroundings have brought a disconnect – not just in culture but even in speaking, as they both lie to one another about the goings on of their personal lives. Eventually, we see both Billi and her grandmother come to a place where they know each other truly and have learned how to lie appropriately without causing undue separation. It’s a really cool film, a truly unique and moving story, and it features two phenomenal performances from Awkwafina and Zhao. Awkwafina received a Golden Globe for her performance and could possibly have gotten an Oscar nomination over either Charlize Theron (Bombshell) or Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) were the votes held again today. It’s a nuanced and moving performance that’s only elevated by Zhao’s across from her. The fact that Zhao missed out on any major nominations in 2019 feels all the more egregious in hindsight, as both Bombshell and Richard Jewell, though decent films with solid performances, fall well short of the impact and excellence of both The Farewell and Zhao’s performance as Nai Nai (if we’re being entirely real, she probably could have gotten the win over Laura Dern if all things were actually fair in the world of film awards). The Farewell is one of those films that requires its audience to cast aside all their preconceptions and approach a story with an open mind, resulting in one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time, and it certainly deserves its spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. If subtitles overwhelm you, I do have bad news about your ability to understand what’s going on in this film, but otherwise, there’s really no excuse not to watch it, as it’s easily one of the best films of the last five years. You can currently stream this film on Max if you’d like to see what all this hype has been about.
