Review of The Big Sick (2017) by Aaron W — 03 Sep 2017

Michael Showalter's "The Big Sick" is a hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy. With a razor-sharp screenplay, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon brilliantly bring their harrowing romance to life.

With each gut-busting scene, the supremely talented cast carry laughs while deftly weaving in drama between the lines. Reenacting his own story, Nanjiani has great comic timing with trenchant jokes about life as an immigrant, the struggles of stand-up comedy, and his very unique situation.

Romano and Hunter also give terrific performances as Emily's parents, Romano providing hilariously unfunny "dad jokes" as a father trying to keep his family together, and Hunter gradually transitioning from terrified uncertainty to eventual acceptance of the situation portrayed in the film.

Kumail' family dynamic is brilliantly portrayed, providing tremendous insight into his roots. Showalter's direction is understated, and allows the actors and screenplay to shine (rightfully so) while still letting his own voice speak.

Despite the heavy amount of comedy, the dramatic moments are very touching, well-written, and well-acted, occasionally prompting a chill down my spine. Overall, The Big Sick is incredibly smartly written with honesty, well-acted by a talented group of performers, and a very touching and funny film.