Cinemark and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. It’s telling that Billi’s parents actually don’t want her to join them at first, they’re so concerned that her emotions for this woman she loves dearly will bubble to the surface and betray their ruse. |. Instead, they planned a lavish wedding as an excuse to bring everyone together one last time. The fact it's based on writer-director Lulu Wang's real life experiences only adds the poignancy. The Farewell is a 2019 dramedy written and directed by Lulu Wang, based off of a real incident in her life that she first publicly discussed in her radio story What You Don't Know, later adapted into part of an episode of This American Life.. I've only really ever experienced Awkwafina as a comedic actress in films like Crazy Rich Asians or Ocean's 8, but she has now proven that dramatic work may suit her even more than comedic. | Rating: 4/5 That crisis was actually Wang’s crisis: Her beloved grandmother was dying in China, and the family decided not to tell their matriarch to protect her and prevent her from living in fear throughout her remaining days. She's also on Twitter @christylemire and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/christy.lemire2. Read critic reviews. SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribeBASED ON AN ACTUAL LIE. As Billi and her stunned parents (Tzi Ma and Diana Lin, both lovely) process the devastating news about her dad’s mother and make plans to travel back to China for her cousin’s hastily announced wedding, she’s shocked by the massive lie everyone is prepared to tell. Despite her ailment and her advanced age, Nai Nai is a total hoot and allows nothing to get past her, from the wedding banquet menu to the shape of Billi’s butt now that she’s a grown woman. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Billi's family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch -- the only person that doesn't know she only has a few weeks to live. The Farewell is a great indie film that deserves more attention. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. Parents need to know that The Farewell is a thought-provoking dramedy starring Awkwafina about a Chinese family that's dealing with a loved one's impending death. Thematically, The Farewell is about reconciliation with the past and wrestling with cultural traditions that now seem foreign in a country that once was home. A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. She can be brutally candid but her observations and advice always come from a place of love. Wang says so much about the dynamic between Billi and her parents—and about their dynamic with each other as husband as wife—through subtle glances and body language, through what they don’t say out loud. ‘The Farewell’ Review: Parting (and Lying) Is Such Sweet Sorrow A family says goodbye on the sly to a loved one in writer-director Lulu Wang’s bold, brilliant beautiful drama Awkwafina makes history with Golden Globe win for The Farewell She's the first Asian American woman to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Big Beach, 15 Movie Scores To Keep You Sane Through Quarantine, Adam Sandler Wins Best Actor at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards, December 17, 2019 Please click the link below to receive your verification email. At least, that’s what her character, the Americanized Billi, thinks she is when she returns to her home country. Sign up here. The Farewell is a beautiful, resonating gem, fuelled by some standout performances and told with touches of pure grace. The Cultural Truth at the Heart of the Lies in ‘The Farewell’ The movie, about a grandmother who isn’t told she has cancer, led a Chinese-American writer to rethink his own family’s “good lie… Coming Soon. Awkwafina was cast before her scene-stealing, star-making supporting turns in the comedies “Ocean’s 8” and “Crazy Rich Asians” and it’s thrilling to see her previously untapped, formidable dramatic abilities on display in a lead role. Not a preferred genre and the way it was done only made it worse. Forgot your password? Her approach is so intimate and so no-nonsense, she makes you feel as if you’ve been immersed in this town, this family, this life. Coming Soon. The way she has delivered such a stellar cast of characters here feels more authentic than most films out there today, especially this year. Simply put, it's one of the best films of the year. The Farewell is a comedic drama, which deftly handles the heartbreak and humor that arise from experiences of illness. Either way, bring tissues, because as delightful as Zhou is in this crucial, central role, she will also quietly rip your heart out by the film’s end. | Fresh (330) “The Farewell” announces at the beginning that it’s “based on an actual lie,” but the meaningful truths it reveals couldn’t be more poignant or powerful. In sharing her story with us, Wang achieves a masterful tonal balance throughout “The Farewell.” She’s made a film about death that’s light on its feet and never mawkish. A funny, sweet, heart-felt, heart-wrenching film about family, identity, love and loss. The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes. Billi is at a point in her life where little is … The performances alone deserve to be seen more than once. What follows is a series of hackneyed scenes about the different interpersonal relationships within the family, centering on the heroine's bond with her grandmother. |, November 6, 2020 A slow burn, a movie that builds to a poignant climax that not only feels earned but deserved. The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. All Critics (338) Of course, that’s usually not what happens, even for those who’ve made peace with their imminent passing. Magnificent screen presence. | Top Critics (71) Official selection and Centerpiece of the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival. I’m Lulu Wang, and I’m the writer and director of ‘The Farewell.’ “Ha!” This is … From writer/director Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina. If you have a grandmother like this in your life, you’ll frequently find a smile of recognition spreading across your face; if you don’t have one, you’ll want one. You will laugh, you will cry. Directed with a lot of care and effort by Lulu Wang, The Farewell follows a family as they travel to China in order to attend a wedding, simply as an excuse to bring the family together as a goodbye for a dying family member, who they refuse to give truthful information to. We’ll say “I love you” and “see you soon” to someone close to us we won’t see again. Losing control. Summaries A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies. Different." Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. Changchun (feat. “The Farewell” is a movie about death, the point at which petty hang-ups like money and prestige should cease to matter. |, December 7, 2020 Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! When it finishes, you may not think it hit you with a bang, but it does stay with you for a longtime and haunt you with its humaneness, little moments, and the phenomenal soundtrack that captures the affect of the film so well. Awkwafina (Billi) and Zhao Shuzhen (Nai Nai) in Lulu Wang’s ‘bittersweet’ The Farewell. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. The film does enough to make audiences feel and understand for the family. We all have to fake a goodbye in our lives to someone terminally ill. We all don’t want to, but we will. And it’s blessed with several strong female performances, led by rapper and actress Awkwafina (a.k.a. When it finishes, you may not think it hit you with a bang, but it does stay with you for a longtime and haunt you with its humaneness, little moments, and the phenomenal soundtrack that captures the affect of the film so well. Mykal Kilgore) Alex Weston, Mykal Kilgore. And you may even find yourself changing your mind over the course of the film as to how you’d handle such a dilemma yourself. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". |, January 29, 2021 It is remarkable that Wang created this film...steeped in Chinese and Chinese-American culture and yet has a message so strong that it can appeal to wide audiences. I thought it was really lovely. Billi struggles with her family's decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time. We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. |, September 20, 2019 T here are two ways a moviegoer can approach the month of August: by resigning himself to the sequels and … They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. |, January 29, 2021 Totally my mistake that I went from it. The fact that this is an actual thing that goes on is kind of odd, seeing as most people usually know when doctors have given the information, but this "based on a true lie" as the film states, and it really did make for an emotionally compelling narrative. In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi returns to China to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. With so many big-budget films hitting cinemas, this movie feels like a giant refresher and I loved nearly every second of it. drama, Ultimately, it's all about balance, a yin and yang of roots and identities, humour and pathos that comes together into a satisfying, bittersweet wedding banquet of a movie. You're almost there! In the end, as always, hardly any films in history are flawless, but The Farewell definitely comes close. | Rotten (8). Wang took this story of devotion and well-intentioned deception and turned it into “The Farewell,” a film that’s deeply moving and unexpectedly playful in equal measure. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. But the most frequent source of laughs (and, eventually, tears) is the firecracker at the film’s center: Nai Nai herself, played with sprightly charisma and plenty of zingers by Zhao Shuzhen. |, January 31, 2021 The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes. A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Nora Lum), who serves as Wang’s stand-in and our conduit as the voice of reason. Lulu Wang never over-explains the themes or specific cultural references, which allows the movie to wash over you. This story contains spoilers for The Farewell.. A man is crying—no, convulsing with sobs —on-screen inside a theater in downtown Los Angeles during a pivotal scene in the film The Farewell… Truthfully, I believe them to be the greatest current film studio, as far as releasing consistently great content. THE FAREWELL— 5 STARS. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Kindred Spirit, - Billi. Christy reviewed films for The Associated Press for over 14 years. It’s as if she wants to see all sides of the delicate argument with a kind heart and an open mind. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. | Rating: 4/10 Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. When Billi arrives at the hotel, she briefly converses with the hotel … The focus is on her throughout the majority of the film, as the broke, kind of immature young adult of the family, and the fact that she disagrees with this whole scenario is what brought this film home for me, making it feel relatable. The Farewell is a beautifully made film with a seemingly simple story. And she’s pulled off one of the most perfect endings you’ll ever see. | Rating: 3.5/5 Add scene description. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. comedy, Ray Production, Best Netflix Shows and Series To Binge (January 2021), The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (January 2021), 100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime To Watch (January 2021). Only having done one other feature film in Posthumous, The Farewell feels like a giant leap forward and I can't wait to see how her career expands. T he push and pull between the bonds of blood and the … |, February 2, 2021 I thought it was really funny. Farewell (French: L'affaire Farewell; literally The Farewell Affair) is a 2009 French espionage thriller film directed by Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet and Emir Kusturica. Lulu Wang is absolutely a director that I will be keeping an eye on after her work here. The tangible proximity of wedding celebration and funeral suspend the film … Don't have an account? The film is loosely based on the actions of the high-ranking KGB official, Vladimir Vetrov. It’s here that Wang explores cultural differences between East and West and between generations without judgment or pronouncement as to whose approach is best. A review of the film 'The Farewell.' The entire film is pretty perfect, actually, and it’s one of the year’s best. | Rating: A And while writer/director Lulu Wang’s film is obviously personal and culturally specific, it achieves a universality and a resonance through its vivid depiction of a family in the midst of crisis. You'll be spewing with tears before the first act is done. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate… This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. Spared myself of this misery after watching 30 minutes or so. At the same time, we see early on that Billi can be a cool liar herself about minor details in her daily life, and concocting stories should come naturally to her as an aspiring writer in New York—fascinating contradictions, all. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, 10 Genre Films at Sundance 2021 That Could Become Breakout Hits. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Black History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events The Farewell does many things right, but the number one thing is the characters surrounding the premise. It is exactly what it is, unapologetically. There are no approved quotes yet for this movie. Sundance 2021: Cusp, Street Gang, Philly D.A. It was released in … She’s told a story about cultural clashes without ever leaning on wacky stereotypes or lazy clichés. The Farewell is one of their latest theatrical releases and while it may not strike a chord for everyone like it did for me, this is a genuine film from start to finish, not straying away from the characters and story it's showcasing. Coming Soon. 4.26/5. You can find Christy's writing at ChristyLemire.com. advertisement. Copyright © Fandango. Nowhere is that clearer than in the deep affection she shares with Billi, which is evident through the warm and sparky chemistry Zhao and Awkwafina enjoy. This movie would have collapsed without them as the backbone. A24 is a studio that knows how to pick and choose their films wisely. The ending is greatly moving in its simplicity. Death is not something within our control. Writer/director Lulu Wang imbues THE FAREWELL with warmth and knowing wit, while the uniformly excellent ensemble cast (anchored by a breakout performance by Awkwafina) invites us to share this extended clan's joy and sorrow--and to feel, for the length of this remarkable film, like a … Lulu Wang's The Farewell movie is supposed to be "based on an actual lie" - but while much of it is true, The Farewell true story has had some changes. | Rating: 4/5 The Farewell is a beautifully made film with a seemingly simple story. |, September 21, 2019 and the Terms and Policies, And we won’t. Written and directed by the Chinese filmmaker, The Farewell casts rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina in her first leading role as Billi, a Chinese-American student playing a form of Wang herself. All rights reserved. Director Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, starring Awkwafina, is one of the highlights of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. | Rating: 5/5 The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. If anything, I found the movie to be a little too short, as I would have liked to explore more about what is said in the credits of the film. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. She finds a variety of moments for her actors to shine within a large ensemble cast. The writer and director Lulu Wang narrates a scene from her film, featuring Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. Overdose of emotional outbursts. Regal Christy Lemire is a co-host of the YouTube film review show "What the Flick?!" |, September 23, 2019 I will always back them as a company, so when I say one of their films is terrible (if the day ever comes), it must be a pretty bad movie. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. Coming Soon, Regal The way Wang mines surreal humor from seemingly sorrowful situations is disarming over and over again, whether it’s at a tacky, elaborate photo shoot for the bride and groom or at the wedding reception itself with its silly dances and rambling, drunken toasts. If the Oscars were being held soon, I would say Awkwafina definitely deserves some recognition. |, October 10, 2019 With that said, this is an exceptional drama that I will gladly revisit in the coming months/years. Just confirm how you got your ticket. I thought it was really moving. Cinemark Full Review | Original Score: 5 / 5 Matt Cipolla Film Monthly Wang took this story of devotion and well-intentioned deception and turned it into “The Farewell,” a film that’s deeply moving and unexpectedly playful in equal measure. Sundance 2021: The Sparks Brothers, Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir, Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Ailey, HBO Max’s The Head is Chilling Escapist TV, Sundance 2021: Luzzu, Hive, Fire in the Mountains, One for the Road. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis The Farewell is insightful, intimate and emotionally heartfelt thanks to its insightful story and themes as well as its solid lead performances from Awkwafina and company. Such an average, uneventful, small, intimately-designed, down-to-earth, slice-of-life drama that very little of it is memorable. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. | Rating: 5/5 (Apparently, this is not an uncommon practice in dealing with the impending death of a loved one.) She’s such a natural that she maintains that magnetic screen presence and appealing edge even within this more somber setting. A profound meditation on young vs. old and East vs. West, [The Farewell] looks to bridge a generational and cultural divide...through reconciliation and understanding.