The Farewell 2019

     Billi is a headstrong and independent Chinese-American woman.  She returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Her family has made the decision to keep grandma in the dark about her illness?  Billi is struggling with the idea that grandma doesn’t know the reality of what is wrong her?  The family stages an impromptu wedding to allow everyone to see grandma one last time.
     Billi is a twenty-something millennial and she lives her life like most New Yorkers.  Barely able to pay rent and often on the lookout for a new job.  She still goes home to mom and dad to do her laundry.  Every time she does this, she knows she’ll have to endure parental comments.  Billi’s mother announces the imminent wedding of Billi’s cousin.  Something is not right about this announcement?  Her parents are pressured by Billi’s suspicion!!  They quickly confess to the real health status of her grandma.  Billi is shocked by the news!!  They all end up around the dinner table at Nat Nat's home back in China.  They fake their true feelings around the clock!!
     This is a thought provoking film dealing with a loved one’s impending death.  There are differences between Eastern and Western philosophies of life.  Especially, in the way family members interact with each other.  Most of the language is in Mandarin with English subtitles.  The words are fairly simple because several relatives don’t know Chinese very well.  There is quite a bit of smoking and drinking and a booze-fest at the wedding.  A reference is made to gambling which is seen in a seedy, smoke-filled room.  The family bonds over drinking games.  Positive themes include compassion, empathy and self-control.  2 1/2* (this movie is so-so)  

100 min, Comedy directed and written by Lulu Wang with Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tai Ma, Diana Lin, Yang Zuejian, Becca Khalil, Yongbo Jiang, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Xiang Li, Hongli Liu, Shimin Zhang.

Note;  Imdb 7.6 out of 10 with 41,462 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 98% with 322 critics 87% audience with 2490 ratings, Roger Ebert 4* Christy Lemire, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Wendy Ide, indiewire.com Grade A- Eric Kohn, Metacritic 89 out of 100 with 47 critic reviews (47 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative), 8.3 out of 10 with 195 user scores (171 positive, 16 mixed, 8 negative), Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, 4*, age 11+, 3* positive messages, 4* role models, 1* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 2* consumerism, 4* drinking drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  The family dog’s name is Ellen.  In the film Crazy Rich Asians 2018, Awkwafina’s character is called Asian Ellen.  Lulu Wang is one of the writers and directors, she also plays piano on the film’s soundtrack.  Lulu considerably underestimated the rates she would need to pay to Chinese actors.  Shuzhen Zhao in the role of Nat Nat is a very popular actress in China.  Lulu personally plead with Shuzhen to accept this role and accept a fee that was affordable.  Surprisingly, this film beat out Avengers: Endgame 2019 for the year’s biggest per-theater average!!  I had a little trouble reading the subtitles because they are in white print.  If there was white in the background, they were very difficult to read.