An emotional slice of culture that communicates it’s compassion with sincerity and anguish.
Directed by Lulu Wang and starring the dynamic Awkwafina, comes a culturally significant piece orbiting the pains of letting go and forgiveness, The Farewell.Â
Easing by at a brisk 95 minutes, The Farewell is a story framed in a way that prioritizes the culture it’s taking part in. At the heart of movies, what they convey, the power they can exude, perspective is a key component in relaying a level of communication that is hard to understand at first, but can be grasped as the story further unfolds. It isn’t deep into The Farewell where I became mesmerized by its down to Earth beauty that rides the wave of a lie, and crashes along the sandy shores with levity and grace. Taking hold of the family dynamics at play, and using that as a conduit to focus on the stark differences between cultures. It’s something that Wang seamlessly integrates as she seeks to communicate a story based on a true lie with compassion and integrity.Â
As for the cast, the foundation for Awkwafina just a few short years ago has reached glamorous levels of success. From a minimal role in 2018’s Ocean’s 8, to the heartbreak of The Farewell, to her eventual blockbuster debut in Marvel’s Shang-Chi just around the corner, Awkwafina is becoming a powerhouse of an actress. She easily lies to her Grandma in the first scene of the movie, but the rest of the runtime has her lying by omission and out of respect for her culture. It’s something that instantly hooked me and eager to watch how Awkwafina would convey the emotions that the role would ask of her. She pulled it off better than I could have imagined. The rest of the cast fares very well hosting the likes of Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Zhao Shuzen. All in roles that require a deep emotional anchor that occasionally draws out conflict between the characters. Wang’s attention to these moments are the most special, and sometimes the most heartbreaking.Â
As you’ve read, as I’m sure you’ve heard, and the more often it’s repeated, The Farewell is simply brilliant. It’s the type of creative visionary led project from A24 you would come to expect, and it just so happens to be the best movie I’ve seen this year. It aches my heart, makes me laugh, is emotionally investing, and beautifully framed. Although the very end of the movie felt a little conflicting with the final image, you can’t help but leave the theater as if you had to carry the heavy weight of knowing something someone special in your life didn’t. It’s a movie that challenges our Western standards, opens our eyes to Eastern traditions and lifestyles, and is a movie that should be seen by everyone. It’s what film-making is all about.
The Farewell gets a 98/100