12) The Farewell
Charming, funny, heartwarming, heart wrenching this film encompasses the full gambit of emotions. Lulu Wang breaks into the mainstream with her compelling and delightful sophomore feature, delving into themes about cultural anxiety in a relatable way. Awkwafina carries the film masterly, showing more range in her arsenal than the over-the-top characters she’s played in the past. Tzi Ma also plays an excellently layered performance, as he tries to reconcile with his mothers impending death, and Zhao Shuzhen is so charming as the grandmother, that frankly I want a prequel about her life. The film seemingly has a depressing premise, as it’s about Awkwafina learning about her grandmother’s fatal illness and trying to keep it a secret, as the family decided not to tell the grandmother. However, rather than beat you over the head with melodrama, Lulu Wang instead injects her characters with charm and personality, as they all feel like family members we know. I felt like I was part of the family and enjoying their company, making the heartfelt moments feel real and earned rather than manipulated. It simply is an earnest, heartfelt film.
