The Farewell

When a Chinese family finds out that the familys matriarch is dying of lung cancer, complications arise. In Chinese culture, there is a saying that when you get cancer, you die. This actually boils down to the belief that its not the cancer that leads to the persons death, but rather the fear of dying. As such, the family orchestrates an elaborate ruse to get everyone together for a wedding, but in reality the gathering is for everyone to be able to say goodbye to the grandmother without actually letting her know the truth.

Its a fascinating premise and based on a true story (or based on an actual lie, as the film puts it). Showing aspects of Chinese culture we rarely get to see, the film takes us on a journey to China as we see modern l...

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Lulu Wang shares an emotional part of her personal life by delivering a beautiful, heartfelt story about her grandmother. Even though The Farewell sticks the landing perfectly, not all of the second acts storylines captivated me, especially the whole wedding narrative. However, Awkwafina offers a fantastic performance, as well as the rest of the cast. Alex Westons score elevates a lot of moments, and the drama-comedy balance is on-point.

Rating: B+

This movie is described as a comedy-drama and it is. But I didnt have many laugh out loud moments. The humor is situational mainly: the writers work up to those moments that make you smile, either because you remember a similar moment in your life, or else because you cant imagine a similar moment.

As happens so often, the story is based on real events. I saw where one review title said it is heartbreaking, but I didnt see that at all. The movie is fairly uplifting in that it shows the strengths of a family that values all of its members, particularly the very old, whose wisdom and experience arent as well received in many American families.

When I think about it, nothing definitive seems to happen in the film: no crisis, no climax of...