The Farewell (2019)

The film thoughtfully braids the somber and the absurd, tapping into universal truths about loss and how families prepare for it. Awkwafina gives a revelatory lead performance as the story mixes contemplative drama with comic moments.

The critic praises the film's precise, empathetic portrayal of a Chinese-American family staging a fake wedding to gather before the grandmother's death from cancer, highlighting Wang's confident direction and authentic performances, especially Zhao Shuzhen's. It values cultural specificity over universality and provokes questions about tradition and identity.

Describes it as an upbeat, joyous, life-affirming drama leavened with laughs, despite the terminal illness premise, praising the entertaining blend of languages and life lessons.

The review calls it bittersweet and witty, commending Awkwafina's thoughtful performance and Wang's handling of the 'good lie' theme, emphasizing small details of culture and family love that transcends borders.

The film captures cultural tension with tenderness but feels scattered and veers into maudlin territory. Wang balances morbid material and humor, though character development and emotional catharsis are under-developed.

Calls it a touching albeit slight dramedy with emotional truths from the cast but criticizes insufficient narrative drive and depth, noting the strong conceit but that the story lags.

The review calls it one of 2019's most pleasant surprises, a warm and charming mix of comedy and melancholy based on real events, with sharp ensemble portraits and a standout subdued turn from Awkwafina. Minor quibbles are noted about symbolic elements and the ending, but overall it is embraced as a big, lovely hug of a film.

The film is praised as hilarious, sad and uplifting, with Wang's direction singled out for its original visual touches and nuanced character work. Awkwafina and the ensemble, especially Hong Lu, are highlighted for bringing emotional depth and authenticity to the story of family deception and love.

The critic praises Wang for subverting expectations around family secrets and the inevitability of revelation in a story based on a real lie. Zhao Shuzhen's performance as the grandmother is highlighted for its warmth and quiet devastation.

Awkwafina gives her best performance in a bittersweet dramedy about generational conflicts in a Chinese-American family. Lulu Wang directs a look at a young woman navigating her family's deceptions and cultural differences.

The critic calls it a stealthy, melancholy charmer that addresses cultural stoicism and emotional concealment with exquisite poise and wry humor. It singles out the graceful observational realism and the irreplaceable matriarch figure for praise.

The critic praises this semi-autobiographical family drama for its light touch in exploring cultural clashes between American directness and Chinese emotional restraint, calling it a delightful and satisfying film. Wang is singled out for her deft writing, wry insight and ability to balance humour with pathos in scenes like the heart-to-heart conversation against wedding photos.

The critic calls it a warmly satisfying family affair with an assured grasp of tone and a persuasive understanding of immigrant experience. Awkwafina's layered performance is highlighted as a quiet revelation.

Wang's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama is hailed as one of the year's best for its warm, honest take on immigrant family dynamics and the cultural practice of shielding a loved one from a terminal diagnosis. Awkwafina delivers a startlingly emotional performance as the conflicted granddaughter.

The critic notes the film's two-tone tale of mourning and revelry at a family gathering under false pretenses, commending its compact, coolly heartwarming quality and avoidance of cuteness while immersing viewers in cultural nuances of deception and love.

The critic praises the film's rich premise drawn from real life, with a loose structure and tone that balances candor and tact in depicting family deception around a grandmother's illness. It highlights the authentic feel of events that genuinely happened and the emotional conflict experienced by the protagonist.

Wang's low-key, semi-autobiographical comedy-drama is celebrated for resisting Hollywood melodrama in favour of observational laughs and earned sentiment, with strong praise for Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. The story of a family staging a fake wedding to hide a grandmother's illness is presented as remarkable and heartfelt.

The critic describes it as a bittersweet comedy about family deception over a terminal diagnosis, effective in inviting reflection on loss through its specific cultural lens and understated tragicomic tone. It praises the script's weighing of ethics without overt sentimentality.

Wang transcends the premise with confidence and subtlety in her second feature. The film is frequently funny on top of heavy themes, delivering an incredibly satisfying meal of a story about family and truth.

The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, praising its dense handling of the central lie in the immigrant experience, nuanced performances, and refusal to exoticize or simplify cultural clashes.

The critic declares it one of the year’s best pictures for its nuanced handling of a family’s elaborate lie and universal emotional truths. Awkwafina’s lower-key dramatic turn and the uniformly superb ensemble, especially Shuzhen Zhao as Nai Nai, are singled out for praise.

The review calls the film one of the year's best for its sensitive balance of farce and pathos and cultural specificity. Awkwafina's revelatory performance and Zhao Shuzhen's lovable grandmother are singled out for praise.

Awkwafina gives a breakout dramatic performance as Billi, a Chinese-American woman grappling with her family's decision to hide her grandmother's terminal illness behind a fake wedding. The film is praised for its emotional honesty, strong ensemble cast, and blend of melancholy and warmth.

The critic highlights how the film explores immigrant identity and family contradictions with tact, humor, and economy, focusing on the cultural clash around hiding illness and the warmth of family interactions.

Lulu Wang's film offers a resonant, culturally specific yet universally relatable story of family, love, and loss, anchored by Awkwafina's strong turn and a talented supporting cast including Zhao Shuzhen and Tzi Ma. It stands out for its understated humor, emotional depth, and thoughtful exploration of cultural differences around death and truth-telling.

The critic calls the film a bittersweet triumph that gives Awkwafina a career-defining dramatic role as a young woman grappling with family secrets and cultural divides. Zhao Shuzhen’s vivacious performance as the grandmother stands out for its warmth and emotional pull.

The critic praises the film as a smart, sweet, heartwarming story that highlights cultural differences in family bonds through excellent performances by Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. It values the East/West divide without declaring one superior.

Wang's personal family drama is commended for its controlled direction and intricate character work amid cultural tensions. The ensemble, especially the grandmother figure, is praised for adding depth to the tragicomic tone.