Review of The Farewell (2019) by Markhreviews — 04 Sep 2019

The true story behind “The Farewell” is nothing short of inspirational. In 2013, writer/director Lulu Wang received the news that her grandmother (“Nai Nai”) had terminal lung cancer and only a few months to live. Her family made the decision not to tell Nai Nai, to save her from the mental anguish of a terminal diagnosis. Instead, the family decided to create an excuse for gathering to say goodbye. They determined that everyone would gather to celebrate the hastily-announced marriage of Wang’s cousin.

For a considerable period of time, Wang pitched her story to producers in both China and the US. All wanted major compromises (Wang’s character should be the bride to add to the drama; unsettling images of “My Big Fat Chinese Wedding” come to mind) that would only distract from Wang’s main story. Eventually, Wang found funding and made the movie she’d wanted to make.

Most of the film was shot over twenty-four days in Changchun, China, in the actual neighborhood of Wang’s grandmother. To add authenticity, these scenes were filmed in Chinese; as a result, 75% of this film is in Mandarin, with English subtitles.

Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Oceans Eight,” or, for YouTube enthusiasts “My Vag”) is the only actor in the film potentially well-known to American audiences. At every point, Wang chose authenticity over star power. She even cast her own great-aunt to play her grandmother’s sister.

It would be gratifying to report that Wang’s perseverance, thoughtfulness and creative integrity have resulted in an exciting, memorable movie experience. In my opinion that just isn’t the case, although this film was one of the darlings of this year’s Sundance festival. While there is the clear opportunity to confront a major existential question – “Do I want to know if I’m about to die?” – Wang’s script gives the topic scant attention. She focuses instead on the issue of lying to someone you deeply love, but seems equally conflicted and ambivalent on this topic.

Most of all, this film offers little or no real character development. While we’re told that Wang’s character spent several years of her childhood in Nai Nai’s care, there’s no deep exploration of the nature or depth of their relationship. At the end of “The Farewell,” we know very little more about these characters and what animates them than we did when the story began. That said, the restraint, insightfulness and fundamental kindness that animate the film announce Wang as a writer/director worth following. Unfortunately, “The Farewell” is an opportunity missed.