The Farewell  ★★★½

AMERICAN comedy-drama The Farewell is being unfairly compared to Crazy Rich Asians.

I say ‘unfairly’ because The Farewell is a much better film in almost every aspect. It’s funnier, more entertaining, better acted and directed and explores weightier themes.

Based on the actual experience of writer/director Lulu Wang, the film examines the dynamics of an extended Chinese family dealing with a terminal health diagnosis for their matriarch.

The interesting twist is that, according to this film, Chinese culture has created a health system that enables illness to be kept from a person by the other members of their family, as is happening in this case.

Awkwafina, whose break-out role was in Crazy Rich Asians, here is more dialled back, playing Billi, a student living in New York, who has a strong bond with her grandmother Nai Nai, communicating with her regularly by phone.

The relationship is Billi’s bridge between two, sometimes competing cultures – the one she was brought up with and the one in which she currently lives day-to-day.

Billi’s parents, who also live in New York, confide to her that Nai Nai has been diagnosed with cancer and may not have long to live.

They are returning to China for one of their nephew’s wedding which may be the final big family gathering.

While everyone is distraught at the news, the extended family has collectively decided to keep the news from Nai Nai.

This means dissuading Billi from also travelling to the wedding due to concern that she won’t be able to keep the secret from Nai Nai.

Billi defies her parents and makes her own way back to China and the wedding but in the lead-up to the festivities continues to struggle internally with the family’s decision.

The rationale in Chinese culture is that a person should be able to continue enjoying their life while the relatives instead bear the mental burden of knowing the truth.

Even though Billi understands this sentiment, she struggles with the deception that prevents an individual from knowing their life is coming to an end, something that wouldn’t even be possible in Western culture.

Ok, this sounds very heavy, but there is a lightness of touch to Wang’s script and approach, together with constant humour in both characters and cultural situations that enables a balance of joy and tears to be sustained.

All the principal actors are terrific in their roles and interact in a natural and convincing fashion as family members.

Aside from Awkwafina, the other stand-out is Shuzhen Zhao who beautifully plays Nai Nai as a lively combination of eccentricity and practicality.

It’s not all subtle comedy and the wedding in particular also has plenty of slapstick moments.

The central conceit revolving around the burden of guilt associated with death continues to intrigue right until the final credits.