Review Summary: This family story is quite good.
For Lulu Wang, The Farewell was an especially personal project for her. She wrote the script and was responsible for directing. Yet, this film is unique and a risk-taker in quite a few ways. It's plot and overall structure may be comparable to (dare I say it) a family sitcom. Secondly, it's overall spoken language leans more towards Mandarin Chinese (with English subtitles) than American English, giving it a foreign language film look. And finally, the film attempts to aim for a more serious and honest approach instead of a comedic styling similar to that of My Big Fat Greek Wedding or You Again.
However, Wang manages to do something quite fantastic here. She takes all of these risks, and turns it into a powerhouse story full of rich characters, a handful of memorable moments, and relatable situations. And on top of the family melodrama (that never sinks to the level of too melodramatic), she also includes a subplot of a character's struggles between her Chinese birthplace and American home.
As that character, Awkwafina is fantastic as Billi. In one way, she acts as the channel of understanding for us in the audience, as we can easily relate more to her American lifestyle. At the same time, she relatably shows the mixed and conflicting emotions at war within her, not just for her grandmother's health, but also for the fact that her life continues to change uncontrollably. The young actress has been cast in many big-budget films coming up, and its' not hard to see why.
Awkwafina isn't the only actress that shines here. As Billi's Nai Nai (or grandmother), Zhao Shuzhen perfectly captures the humor, heart and enthusiasm of the character. She also nearly breaks our hearts near the end. Tzi Ma (Arrival, Million Dollar Arm) is also a solid actor as Billi's father, with some surprisingly comedic moments later on in the film. The whole cast does a wonderful job representing a modern multi-cultural family.
One of the best things I can say about The Farewell is that its' overall feel is remarkably simple. From the cinematography to the editing and production values, its' never too bright or garish. This is a simple film reflected nicely by simplistic values. Yet, the overall lighting and tone is very appropriately dimmed to reflect the family's overall emotions regarding Nai Nai's health and what could come.
Also, the film's humor never relies on one liners or out-of-place moments. Instead, its' natural and earns genuine laughs in many places. A lot of these jokes come from Nai Nai, and fit fairly well with the older lady's persona. Not every joke works, there is a running gag on a family member's drinking problem that isn't as funny as they probably intended it to be. Wang was also wise to space the humor out, and not try to strictly turn this into a comedy.
Besides that, I can appreciate the script being level-headed as well. This is a PG movie that doesn't try to be edgy or too modern per se. Wang tries to win crowds based on creating congenial characters and situations, and its' a highly effective approach. It's nice to have a Hollywood title that doesn't attempt to win people over based on shock-and-awe. The music score by Alex Weston successfully complements the East-meets-West mentality.
The overall pacing is slow in spots, with a couple of meal scenes dragged out a bit (but they are still fairly entertaining). And the wedding scene as well as the reception scene does involve a few overly goofy moments. These particular elements don't quite gel with the tone and feel of the rest of the film.
Finishing up this review, I'd like to address the fact that every year there's always a movie or two that flies under my radar. These are films that I wouldn't have seen coming back at the beginning of the year, nor would I have considered (or thought about) for an anticipated list. The Farewell is 2019's example of this kind of movie.
And I can also see why other critics are loving it so much and why it could potentially be a big awards season contender. Because The Farewell is a moving, funny, thoughtful, character-driven and very sweet film that definitely deserves to be seen and be in the Oscar conversation.
My Score: 8.5/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing....
Rating: PG (for thematic material, brief language and smoking)
Recommended age range: ages 9 or 10 and up.
Language: Billi uses the s-word once towards the beginning of the film. Otherwise, the film is clean (unless you count Nai Nai calling her a "stupid child" many times).
Violence: None really, though Nai Nai and a few others' conquests during a war are discussed.
Adult Content: A few innuendos are tossed around. In response to an engaged couple's lack of affection, Nai Nai wonders what they do in the bedroom when she's not around. When hearing the news about the engagement, Billi thinks her cousin "knocked her up". Nai Nai thinks Billi has a "little round butt", and that being "independent" when it comes to her romantic choices is a good thing. Billi lifts her shirt after a spa treatment and we see her bare back (with red circles). A few kisses. One shirtless male. A few low-cut outfits.
Drugs/Alcohol: Drinking is the punchline for a running gag, and it ends with one of the family members stumbling drunk (one time Billi's dad is seen collapsed drunk on a bed in his underwear). Billi's dad's drinking problem is mentioned a few times. Some characters smoke before, during and after the wedding (with smoke seen around tables a few times). More alcohol is consumed during the wedding. The groom is shown about to vomit from drunkenness at one point.
Other: It is worth noting that this film's plot revolves around a family's decision to lie and deceive Nai Nai into believing she is healthy (when actually, she's declining in health from stage 4 lung cancer). However, the film doesn't treat the idea of lying as a positive thing, as the family members clearly suffer from stress and anxiety from this decision. Elsewhere, Billi is seen on the toilet in one quick scene (we see the upper half of her body), and we see an Eastern mysticism ritual at a graveyard (Billi and family honoring their late grandfather).
