The Farewell

The Farewell discusses the theme of loss in a brilliant and creative way. In The Farewell, Akwafina’s grandmother is dealing with cancer, and is terminally ill. Rather than telling her, the family lies to her and says everything is ok. To avoid having the grandmother find out, Akwafina’s character is pushed out of the family circle, as her emotions get to her. This movie would not work without the brilliant acting. Akwafina gives a stellar performance, and so does everyone else. Having the story being based off of a real event is especially touching. Seeing this family be forced to act like everything is ok when, really, it isn’t is very emotional. The script is fantastic, and the shots are decent. I’d say that this movie is missing some key moments that should have happened, and feels rushed in a few areas. There are also a few story beats that I think should have been cut. That being said, The Farewell is a great movie, and I’m surprised it wasn’t nominated for any major awards at the Oscars this year. If you’re ok with subtitles, give it a watch. 8.7/10