The film masterfully mixes comedy and drama bringing the right balance to both elements. The entire cast has a dynamic chemistry with each other allowing to believe every emotional aspect while playing off of each other brilliantly.
Awkwafina stars as Billi, a Chinese born New Yorker who discovers that her Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhao) has been diagnosed with cancer and only has three months left to live.
Nai Nai lives in China and the entire family decides to lie to her about her diagnosis as they believe that telling her the truth would kill her faster and prevent her from living to the fullest. The family reunites to say their final farewell under the pretense that Billi’s cousin Hao Hao (Chen Han) is getting married.
“The Farewell” is written and directed by Lulu Wang who based it off of what she and her family did to her grandmother and perhaps because it’s personal to her, she handles the material well.
The film also deals with the yearning many immigrants feel between the country they live in now and the country they left behind and still have fond feelings for. Much of the comedy comes from the family and the misunderstandings they face between the differing cultures. The film also ends on a positive note so whether or not you disagree with the family’s decision you can’t be mad about it.
The Farewell
4 stars
Rated PG
Run time: 98 minutes
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