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One Movie Punch


Aug 19, 2019

Hi everyone!

Welcome back for another Matinee Monday, this time for a feature that’s finally made its way to our neighborhood. And by all accounts, it looks to be a strong contender for just about every Oscar category. It’s great to see the growing number of domestic films starring Asian actors and featuring Asian writers and directors, expanding their representation and range outside of the Hollywood tokenism of the past. For a few other recent successes, check out “Columbus” (Episode #017), “Crazy Rich Asians” (Episode #253), and “Always Be My Maybe” (Episode #513).

Before the review, we’ll have a promo form Common Clay of the New West. Every Monday, CCOTNW gives you weird news and pop culture, or in their words, “the same things all the other podcasts do but worse”. You can decide for yourself on Twitter @CommonClayPod and on Instagram @commonclayofthenewwest. Check out their recent episode on some weird stories of the Rich and Powerful. Very weird stories. 

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Here we go! 

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<< COMMON CLAY OF THE NEW WEST PROMO >>

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Today’s movie is “The Farewell”, the A24 dramedy written and directed by Lulu Wang. The film follows Billi (Awkwafina), a Chinese immigrant and New York resident, who learns that her grandmother, or Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhou), has been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. Following the social rules of eastern medical practice, her family decides to withhold this information from her. Now as the family gathers in China for a family wedding to say farewell, they must all keep the secret so that Nai Nai enjoys her remaining days.

No spoilers. 

One of my favorite things about movies is their ability to act as a bridge for discovering other cultures. I opened the podcast by talking about the resurgence of United States films discussing the Asian experience, especially given Hollywood’s past depictions. However, one of the difficulties in having this conversation is to stereotype, or being generous, oversimplifying what is considered the Asian experience. It’s one of the holdovers of Hollywood’s early film portrayals, not to mention decades of political propaganda about China as a country and a culture. Recent events in Hong Kong certainly don’t help matters in this respect, from a United States perspective, but we also live in the country with the largest prison population. Stones and glass houses.

“The Farewell” certainly fits this category of films, and Lulu Wang clearly wants to communicate a lot of ideas about the Chinese immigrant/expatriate experience. She does so through the lens of a particular social practice, withholding medical diagnosis, about a very universal cultural practice of saying farewell. Wang isn’t afraid to delve into the larger ideas surrounding the practice in the process, sometimes directly related to the topic, sometimes only tangentially related. And she does it with style and grace and an incredible eye for capturing complex emotions as well. It is, in short, incredible.

 

It’s important to understand at two critical differences between eastern and western thought. Western thought, on the whole, is focused on individualism, placing the focus on individual liberties and inalienable rights. Eastern thought, on the whole, is focused on communitarianism, placing the focus on the society as a whole, and the individual’s rights and responsibilities within that society. Billi struggles with this difference quite a bit, until her uncle tries to explain the difference, not just from an individual perspective, but also from a social perspective. The best part about the struggle is that it isn’t for Billi to be right about her conviction to tell Nai Nai, but for her to try and understand why it’s happening this way, when it is so different from her American life. 

Despite the focus away from the individual, the picture remains centered on Nai Nai and her secret condition. Wang often focuses on Nai Nai, her dialogue and actions, revealing important clues and red herrings about whether Nai Nai knows she’s being humored. Shuzhen Zhou is quite amazing as Nai Nai, keeping a perfect ambiguity in her performance that keeps us guessing as the viewer. And with every action taken by Nai Nai, we see how that affects the family around her, not just focused on Billi, but everyone else, each processing grief in their own way while adhering to the social expectations.

Towards the end, there’s an excellent ensemble shot of most of the cast walking down the street that showcases this spectrum of reactions. It’s just one of the many incredibly framed shots and montages throughout this film. Wang always seems to find the right setting or costume or backdrop to capture each moment, using a variety of film techniques, and never overusing gimmicks. Sometimes the scenes would be so moving, I found myself wanting to cry without wholly understanding why, other than feeling something deep down about loss and old age and family. Wang finds the universal relatability with a very specific cultural practice, and it’s breathtaking.

The second major difference is the nature of truth, especially on a social level. Western thought is obsessed with absolute truths, and a deep desire to have firm answers for our questions. Eastern thought is also concerned with truth, but in a much fuzzier context, especially when it comes to social matters. We might find the practice of withholding medical diagnosis as shocking or abhorrent, but I also grew up during a time when people routinely avoided discussing certain topics or activities with older generations to protect the family peace, especially in the Midwest. I would say American political discourse is also awash with truthiness, to use Colbert’s phrase, and that same truthiness has caused more than one white-knuckle moment at a mixed-politics Thanksgiving table.

It’s not just that difference in how we approach truth, however, but an underlying idea that exists within the practice itself. It stands to reason that if society, as a whole, engages in this practice with dying loved ones, that older family members would be on the lookout for being humored, as many Midwestern elders can sometimes be. I found myself often throughout the film wondering if Nai Nai actually knew what was happening around her, but then she would do or say something that would counteract that notion immediately, at least until the next moment. In fact, I bet you could watch this film believing Nai Nai knew she was being humored, and then turn around and watch it as if she didn’t know at all, and it would be two separate viewing experiences. It only works if everything lines up perfectly, and in the case of “The Farewell”, it most certainly did.

“The Farewell” is an amazing and compelling dramedy about the Chinese immigrant/expatriate experience, and the cultural practice of withholding medical information from family members. A well-crafted script is combined with amazing performances and locations to create a real masterpiece of cinema. I wholly expect to see this film during awards season, and likely studied in lecture halls to come about film history. Fans of independent dramas, intentional filmmaking, and the immigrant/expatriate experience should definitely check out this film. And bring a LOT of tissues.

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 90 (MUST SEE)

One Movie Punch: 10/10

“The Farewell” (2019) is rated PG and is currently playing in theaters.