THE BIG SICK
Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano Love — it’s good for what ails you. THE things that bring together and unite the couple at the big heart of the new romantic comedy The Big Sick are a key element of this movie’s sensitivity and charm.
But what gives this movie real substance — and what elevates The Big Sick a step or two — is what threatens to separate them, and how all the people involved acknowledge and address it.
There’s a real maturity and honesty walking hand-in-hand with the sharp humour and sweet nature, and it gives the events of the story a personal, lived-in quality. It legitimately earns every laugh and every tear it inspires (and there are plenty of both).
Of course, that lived-in quality may well stem from the fact that screenwriters Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon drew upon the complications of their own courtship in shaping The Big Sick.
But the comedy powercouple — who have collaborated on some wellregarded projects and individually racked up some very cool credits — has done more than adhere to the old ‘write who you know’ adage.
They’ve layered in so much wit and warmth and spirit here, coming up with one of the most pleasurable romantic comedies of the year.
Nanjiani plays a fictionalised (but not too fictionalised) version of himself in the film — the character of Kumail is a standup comedian moonlighting as an Uber driver.
He’s heckled by Emily, played by Zoe Kazan, during a set one night, and their flirtation becomes a one-night stand that soon develops into something with the potential for more.
But there are a few obstacles in their way. First of all, Kumail’s traditional Pakistani parents continue to set him up on dates with Pakistani women in the hopes of organising an arranged marriage, and Kumail — unwilling to disappoint them — cannot be completely open about his growing feelings for Emily.
That’s enough to drive a wedge between the couple. But then, not long after they split, Emily becomes ill with a severe ailment that forces doctors to put her into a medically induced coma.
While she’s unconscious, Kumail finds himself in close quarters with Emily’s parents, played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano in performances so good you may regret that no one ever teamed the two actors before now.
The tentative bonding between these people who know nothing about each other but share a great love for someone who’s unable to play diplomat between them is one of The Big Sick’s best attributes, thanks in great part to the acting but also largely due to the sharp writing (including, incredibly, a very funny oneliner about the September 11 terror attacks — believe me, it actually works).
But there’s so much to admire and appreciate here, from the winning, vivacious work of Kazan to the way the film quickly but vividly explores the lives, hopes and dreams of a supporting character in the space of a scene.
Clever and compassionate, The Big Sick is the cure for the common rom-com.