Taking a slice from her own life experiences and transitioning it on the film canvas with heartfelt warmth & tenderness, Lulu Wang's The Farewell is an elegantly told family portrait that's crafted with genuine care and is beautifully steered by sincere performances from its wonderful cast.
The story follows a young Chinese-American woman who returns to her homeland when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, only to discover that her family has decided to keep her in the dark about her own illness, and has arranged an impromptu wedding to spend time with her one last time.
Written & directed by Lulu Wang, the film scores high on emotions & sentimentality yet earns them over the course of its runtime. It's a poignant ride, with little flashes of hilarity, and offers an insightful look at cultural differences, immigrant experience & family dynamics. And it remains a smooth, engaging ride from start to finish.
Wang's screenplay & direction is no doubt impressive, for she tackles complicated subject matter with composure and refines the cultural specifics in a manner that it strikes a universal chord. Helping her realise her story on the cinematic platform is the all-Asian cast as well who all deliver splendid inputs in their given roles, mainly Awkwafina & Zhao Shuzhen.
On an overall scale, The Farewell is a story of love, death, culture, tradition, family & collectivism that's heartwarming & heartbreaking in equal measure, and marks a major step for Lulu Wang's filmmaking career. Shuzhen's rendition is so delightful & lifelike that we all can see our grandmothers in her, and her infectious charm alone makes this melancholic family drama worth viewing. Don't miss it.
The story follows a young Chinese-American woman who returns to her homeland when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, only to discover that her family has decided to keep her in the dark about her own illness, and has arranged an impromptu wedding to spend time with her one last time.
Written & directed by Lulu Wang, the film scores high on emotions & sentimentality yet earns them over the course of its runtime. It's a poignant ride, with little flashes of hilarity, and offers an insightful look at cultural differences, immigrant experience & family dynamics. And it remains a smooth, engaging ride from start to finish.
Wang's screenplay & direction is no doubt impressive, for she tackles complicated subject matter with composure and refines the cultural specifics in a manner that it strikes a universal chord. Helping her realise her story on the cinematic platform is the all-Asian cast as well who all deliver splendid inputs in their given roles, mainly Awkwafina & Zhao Shuzhen.
On an overall scale, The Farewell is a story of love, death, culture, tradition, family & collectivism that's heartwarming & heartbreaking in equal measure, and marks a major step for Lulu Wang's filmmaking career. Shuzhen's rendition is so delightful & lifelike that we all can see our grandmothers in her, and her infectious charm alone makes this melancholic family drama worth viewing. Don't miss it.