The Farewell

Over the summer, I watched The Farewell with Awkwafina. I was curious about how some of the actors were going to do since they have primarily been comedic actors in the past, but I was nicely surprised when the film was able to produce real scenes that were engaging and heartful. Although there were moments where the film could have delved deeper into the emotions of the characters and forced the audience into a two-hour crying session, I am glad that they held back and focused on the celebration of life rather than the mourning of death.  I was also surprised to see how much of the film was subtitled. I think many mainstream audiences would avoid a "foreign language" film, so it was risky for them to go all-in with Chinese. However, I am glad that they made it feel authentic. It was refreshing to see many of the customs I grew up with shown on the screen and analyzed through a Chinese-American lens. There is a clash between the older and newer generation, as well as the eastern and western mindset. Awkwafina's character was able to navigate these conflicts.