Review of The Big Sick (2017) by Gavin P — 11 Aug 2017

'The Big Sick' is a rom-com, but not of the usual formulaic variety, with no clichés, due to it being based on Kumail (Nanjiani, from 'Silicon Valley') & Emily (Kazan, from 'Ruby Sparks')'s real-life story. Directed by Showalter ('Wet Hot American Summer') and produced by Apatow (every comedy from the last 10 years), the film starts as a simple boy-meets-girl story - he's a stand-up comic in Chicago, she's studying to become a therapist. They steadily fall in love - it's nice & unforced.

Because this is a true story and not a fictional "everyone's happy" tale, Emily gets an infection and has to be put into a coma. Kumail then meets her parents, Terry (Romano) & Beth (Hunter), who are cold at first, as he wouldn't even tell his traditional Pakistani parents about Emily. The film handles the time at the hospital and dealing with strangers that all care for a common person very well.

There's plenty of laughs, and heaps of heart, with both the leads being charming and coming across as normal and relatable. The parents are great, with all the actors being in fine form. It's possibly a tiny bit long, but even though it has some sad moments, it has a good ending and leaves you feeling happy.