Classic Film Review #4: The Farewell (2019)

Available on: Netflix

At first glance, The Farewell is a film about the impossibly difficult, intensely personal experience of saying goodbye to those we love. And in many senses, that’s exactly what it is. Lulu Wang’s screenplay is focused on a family that is brought back together after many years of separation by the sad news that its matriarch has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

But therein lies this film’s point of difference. Unfamiliar viewers such as I soon learn that it is customary in Chinese culture not to tell someone when they are dying, as it is widely believed that the fear of death is more likely to kill someone than their actual ailment. And so we find ourselves watching the aforementioned family staging an impromptu wedding so that they can collectively say farewell to their beloved Nai Nai (played by the outstanding Zhao Shu-zhen).

Proceedings are told through the eyes of Billi (an also excellent Awkwafina), who emigrated to America with her parents many years ago. Consequently, she is perplexed by her family’s deceit and struggles to keep a lid on her emotions. This makes for a fascinating cross cultural examination of the differences between the East and the West, with Wang mastering a delicate tonal balancing act throughout The Farewell’s modest runtime.

The absurdity of the protagonists’ lie is laid bare for all to see, but in a manner that never feels judgemental. Instead, we are encouraged to appreciate how different cultures process seismic life events such as sickness and grief. This makes for thought provoking, emotional cinema of the highest order, with Anna Franquesa Solano’s striking cinematography adding further gravitas to proceedings.

Having lost my own Nan a few years ago, I found this a soul-stirring viewing experience that really made me reflect on – and appreciate – the beautiful agony of letting go of someone you treasure. Sadly, it is one of life’s few guarantees but can be a cathartic, affirming journey if you accept that you can only navigate it in your own way. The Farewell does an excellent job of conveying that message and is an absolute must-see for anyone attempting to make sense of - or simply accept - their own grieving process.