`The Farewell'
PG 1:40
Writer-director Lula Wang's autobiographical drama “The Farewell” delves into complex realities like family dynamics, cultural differences and terminal illness with elegant simplicity.
One of the best movies of the year, it heralds another new phase in the rapidly morphing career of Awkwafina, the rapper who broke out as a comedic actor in last year's “Crazy Rich Asians” and warrants awards consideration for her nuanced lead turn in “The Farewell.”
Billed as “based on an actual lie,” the Sundance Film Festival hit is largely based on Wang's personal experiences. Awkwafina plays Billi, a Chinese-American woman who emigrated to the United States with her father, Haiyan (Tzi Ma), and mother, Jian (Diana Lin), when she was 6 years old. An aspiring writer in New York City, Billi maintains close ties to beloved grandmother, Nai Nai (the endearing Zhao Shuzhen), back in China.
So, Billi is aghast when she learns that her grandmother has been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and given just a few months to live. But she is even more horrified when she learns her parents, uncle and aunt have decided to follow Chinese custom and keep the poor prognosis a secret from Nai Nai.
The family decides to gather back home in Changchun, China, in honor of Nai Nai but under the guise of wedding Billi's cousin Hao Hao (Han Chen) and his new fiance, Aiko (Aoi Mizuhara).
Although it would be illegal in the USA, the family conspires with doctors, radiology techs and each other to keep Nai Nai in the dark about her condition, reasoning that it is their duty to carry the emotional burden for her — just as she did for her own father. With her American upbringing, Billi struggles with lying to her grandmother, even as she keeps her own secrets about a crushing rejection letter.
Wang adroitly frames tragicomic emotional truth in mundane moments, from a debate about Eastern vs. Western values that plays out during a family dinner served on a giant lazy Susan to a visit to Billi's grandfather's grave that leads to heartfelt prayers punctuated by excessively ceremonial bows. Told in Mandarin with English subtitles, “The Farewell” serves as both specific look into a certain cultural perspective and a universal story anyone can appreciate.