directed by Lulu Wang
Would you like to know that you’re soon about to die? On one hand, you would have a chance to manage some things and say goodbye to everyone. On the other, if you didn’t know what might happen to you, you would spend your last days feeling peaceful, completely unaware. Perhaps some of you know exactly which of those two options they would prefer, but things might get more complicated if it’s not ourselves we’re talking about. The main character of “The Farewell” is Billi (Awkwafina), a Chinese-American young woman living in the USA. One day she finds out that her grandmother (Zhao Shu-zhen), or as Billi likes calling her “Nai Nai” (informal way of calling “grandma” in Chinese), has been diagnosed with cancer. Terminal cancer. Doctors are giving her only few months to live. The young woman is devastated and wants to see her dying Nai Nai right away. However, her family has a different idea. Nai Nai doesn’t know about her condition and everyone wants to keep it all a secret from her. According to them, it’s better to let her live her life and pretend everything’s okay. Still, the members of the family want to see Nai Nai for the last time, so they decide to organise Billi’s cousin’s wedding in China, which would be a perfect excuse for everyone to gather and meet. I have to tell you that I almost cried watching this film. Even though they are all hiding the truth, you can really feel their affection towards Nai Nai. I believe this topic isn’t easy and if you’ve lost someone in your family, then you know exactly how much it hurts. Especially, if this person was dying of cancer of some other horrible illness. It takes time, you see them getting weaker and there’s nothing you can do. You know, I often say that I’m not a fan of Asian acting, because I find it too fake sometimes. This film is absolutely different. Even though it’s all about a lie, the story is incredibly real. I’m not surprised Awkwafina has received a Golden Globe for her performance, but at the same time I’m surprised why The Academy ignored this film. I know that it’s a bit controversial what I’ll say now, but, in my opinion, if The Academy wanted to appreciate Asian cinema, “The Farewell” was way better than “Parasite”. Oh yes, “The Farewell” is a Chinese-American production, but still, it’s much more consistent in its form than “Parasite”. Sorry, not sorry. Oh, and watch “The Farewell” till the end. Really worth it!
My rating: 8/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 