The Farewell is a tribute to family and an exploration of what sets Chinese culture apart from our own. Writer/Director Lulu Wang drew upon the true story of her own grandmother to inspire this film, and the authenticity of the story shined through. There's something special going on in The Farewell, because I went through an emotional journey with the main character. It's strange how you can start the film feeling that this entire idea and the pretense of their trip to China is so wrong, and then end up seeing the value of it to the point that you don't want the charade ruined. I can't even point to a particular moment or event that was the tipping point which changed my mind, and I don't know if our main character could either. She is clearly transformed by this time with her family, and begins to see that the way of life in China is different, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. The other thing that was magical about The Farewell is that it managed to find humor in the darkness. It's not a big goofy and hilarious comedy, in fact I probably shed more tears than I laughed, but considering how this whole film could feel because of the subject matter, the fact that I was able to find joy in some moments was great.
There were a number of great performances in The Farewell. I absolutely adored Shuzhen Zhao as the grandmother Nai Nai. She has such a delightful joy in her performance that you instantly fall in love with her. I think Awkwafina did a fine job as Billi, the protagonist. I did question some times if she was capable of portraying the layers of emotions that would be going through her character's mind, but she was good enough that she didn't take me out of the film. I also thought that Tzi Ma and Yongbo Jiang were marvelous as the two brothers who are trying to be the emotionless rocks for their family, and sometimes find that they too can't hide their feelings indefinitely. The Farewell also has a beautiful visual aesthetic, and I loved the way some of the shots were framed. There are a few scenes where just the staging and the way they cut to a shot made me laugh out loud. It's one of those movies where I felt there was a lot of thought and intention in the way things looked. Perhaps that comes from Lulu Wang visualizing these events so vividly from her past, and knowing how they needed to look and feel on the big screen. The Farewell is a heart-warming film that made me think about what I would do in the same situation, and made me cry a lot too. Getting me both emotionally and logically invested in the plot is an impressive feat.
