Review: The Farewell (2019)

The Farewell (2019)

The Farewell is as near perfect a drama as they come. Though the film centres primarily upon Chinese culture and familial traditions that many may be relatively unfamiliar with, the story itself is uniquely universal and one that should strike a chord with most viewers out there. The plot follows Billi, a young Chinese-American woman, who learns that her grandmother, Nai Nai, who still lives in China with most of the rest of their family, has recently been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Billi is told by her parents who live with her in the US that, similar to many Chinese families, their family has made the decision not to tell the grandmother of her illness. The family's rationale is that Nai Nai not knowing of her sickness means that her emotional well-being can be preserved for most of the remainder of her time. Billi, however, being removed from the traditional Chinese ways for so long and now a part of American culture means that she has troubling coming to terms with the family's decision. This is the crux of the film and, upon Billi and her parents traveling to China to visit the family, it forms the main conflict that the family must navigate their way through and around.

It is clear from this story that the film is foremost about family. It is about the roles and responsibilities that individual family members carry within the familial structure. It is about the clash between tradition - of which the Chinese culture has many, many longstanding ones - and modern development, many of which have replaced or superceded former tradition and ways of thinking. Lastly, though the film does not strive too deeply into it, the film is also about core differences between China and the USA. This conversation is wisely explored through philosophy and ideology and not in a contemporary political way, which could have presumably led to much controversy for the film. Each of these themes are explored in nuanced, naturally-flowing and interesting ways, and all from the perspective of this Chinese / Chinese-American family.

Writer/director Lulu Wang deserves much commendation for this film. It is the perfect example of a film that exudes the right combination of heart, humour and depth, and all from a setting that is not often depicted in mainstream Hollywood. The cast members are all equally impressive - Awkwafina, who plays Billi, is the heart of the film and though she has begun to build a strong name for herself in the industry in other recent films, this is by far her best performance to date. Tzi Ma, who plays Billi's father, Haiyan, may be recognized from his many TV roles throughout the years and he and the rest of the cast of relative newcomers to Hollywood (especially Zhao Shuzhen, who plays Nai Nai) all shine in their respective roles as part of Billi's family. All in all this is a remarkable film that deserves to be seen by everyone out there. Whether you are a moviegoer or not, this film has something special in its surprises, its charm and its story of family to impart upon you.