The Farewell

2019 family drama

Rating: 16/20

Plot: A grandmother in China is dying of cancer, so the family arranges a fake wedding so that everybody can spend time with her. Nobody is supposed to tell her that she's dying. Oh, snap!

It sure seems like Lulu Wang effortlessly created these characters and this narrative, the whole thing unfolding naturally and without much decoration at all. The performances feel organic, also effortless, and the relationships between these characters just work even without a lot of exposition. For Awkwafina and the grandmother character's relationship, just an early phone call is all that's needed. Despite having a bias against people who think they can get through life with only one name, Awkwafina is good here as the movie's emotional anchor, but really, the entire ensemble cast is great. And yes, I'm especially impressed with Shuzhen Zhao in what appears to be her film debut. She plays the grandmother and is just the kind of character that is impossible not to love.

Please note that I'm not trying to say Wang and the cast didn't work hard with my "effortless" comments. This is very well crafted, and relationship building that is this organic can't be easy to pull off.

I teared up a little but didn't want the older lady next to me to realize it. There's a shot from the back window of a car that floored me.