The story is shown through the eyes of a granddaughter who lived all her life in America with immigrant parents ' the first generation': detachment from roots, loneliness in the crowd, the frantic rhythm of a foreign city, constant fatigue, financial problems, longing for a large family and a sense of security, a growing sense of anxiety, and the cherry on the cake is the news of the imminent death of a grandmother who remained in China, which doctors predicted to live for 3 months. The entire Chinese diaspora is coming together for the first time in 25 years to say goodbye. But, according to the Eastern tradition, they hide the truth so as not to darken the patient’s mood and not undermine the will to live.
The film - if you know the ending - is not funny in its contrast. Roaring old children and grandchildren, already mourning their still living mother, and a cheerful old woman, whose whole meaning of life is to love and support loved ones, and ' at death' continuing to share her light, warmth and joy of every day released by God.
He's very sincere. There is no familiar to the eye sterile beauty of the frame or characters, through false ideality, no action, climax, denouement - just life. Which, as it turned out, only the grandmother lives fully.
Without fear, anxiety or regret. Ode to joy.
' The body lamp is the eyes. If your eyes are clear, you will also be bright. But if the light that is in you is darkness, what is darkness?
So, don't worry about tomorrow. And who among you, taking care, can add to his height at least one elbow?
Do not be afraid of tomorrow: for each day enough of its fuss & #39;
(from Matthew, 6)
39: People die not of cancer, but of fear of it. '
Is it right not to tell a person about his imminent death? Probably not, but maybe not, right?
And this is just one of dozens of questions that Lila Wang asks the viewer. "Farewell" refers to those films, after which there is always some residue. Here the credits are coming to an end, and the questions that pop up in my head are becoming more and more.
From the first minute of the movie, it feels like you’ve gone where you shouldn’t have gone. It's like you're not watching a movie, you're watching a real family. Despite all the comical moments, the story looks very realistic. I want to watch her. One of the reasons for this effect, of course, is biographical. Lila Wang learned of her grandmother’s fatal diagnosis in 2013.
Farewell is a kind of comparison film. Almost every scene shows differences and similarities. Chinese and American mentalities. Three generations. Similarities and differences between the heroes who stayed in China and those who left for a better life in other countries. Lilu Wang deftly compares and manages to keep strict neutrality in all this.
Not everyone will like this movie. It’s a slow movie built on dialogue and detail. The main character, contrary to the genre rules, stands still and just watches from the sidelines, not trying to somehow resist the environment. But paradoxically, this film could not have been different.
Farewell not only gives the viewer writing for reflection, but also brings real visual and aesthetic pleasure. Long-range plans, neon lighting. It all looks magical.
If you’re okay with slow movies and have wanted to watch something for reflection. “Goodbye” is a great option for you.
' Farewell' is a very kind, gentle and insightful film about family values and love. Although the film is considered American, the cast consists exclusively of Asian actors, and almost 80% of all dialogue characters speak Chinese. The film successfully showed itself at a wide box office, covering the production budget almost eight times, not to mention the positive reviews of world film critics and ordinary viewers. The project was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category Best Foreign Language Film, and the actress Aquafina, who played the main character, received the prize for Best Actress.
All members of a large family, learning about the deadly diagnosis of an elderly mother (grandmother) decide to hide this fact and under the pretext of a wedding procession gather together under one roof to see her for the last time and say goodbye.
From the first to the last frame, the story is full of family relationships, where, against the background of the main plot, the characters solve their personal problems associated with parents, children and other relatives. There are almost no active actions in the film, but in almost every scene the characters talk a lot and actively, discuss, swear and make various decisions. There are both emotionally strong scenes to tears, and light with a pleasant shade of positive atmosphere. Showing universal joy on the eve of the wedding, the characters experience the unbearable pain of emotional loss. They suffer, but they are silent and smile sweetly. Some resist, while others are convinced of the correctness of the chosen way of saying goodbye to a dying person. Deep down, everyone suffers, but happiness and love reign on the surface. In the film, there are many contradictions with an important message, since the authors fully disclose all aspects of a decision, giving the viewer the opportunity to choose a more close to him in spirit way of solving the situation: a sweet lie for salvation or still a bitter truth with a clear conscience.
The production itself is very simple, but at the same time the quality and author’s style are visible to the naked eye. For writer and director Lulu Wang, this is a very personal story, as it is based on real events that happened to her family. Unfortunately, not all characters are fully revealed, and some have remained intact at all, although they are an integral part of the main plot. But this does not spoil the overall impression of the film, as mentally completely immersed in the story with a trembling expectation of the final outcome. The cast is almost perfect. Sometimes it seems that the actors do not play at all, but just live in the frame, revealing themselves to be real and simple. There are no perfect positives and no bad ones, but there is real life where even the smallest action is part of something big and meaningful. Of course, this film is not suitable for all viewers, but fans of festival and especially Asian cinema are simply obliged to see it, because this is a truly wonderful film about family, about people and about us. Have a good time.
My grandmother asked me, “Are you still a virgin?” I decided to say 'Yes' She patted me on the head and said "poor little girl."
When each of us loses our grandmother, at that moment our childhood goes away, we become adults, and all the carelessness, whims, all our childhood goes away with our grandparents.
Tragicomedy Lulu Wang ' Farewell' turned out to be a very deep, clean and wonderful film. It was as if we had seen a real story, looked into the window of someone’s real life. Not a single note of falsehood, nothing played. This film is the top of the cinema.
Such small budgets create incredible and deepest films that carry cinematic value, something wonderful.
After watching this movie, he definitely got into it. The direction was far-sighted and strong, but the actors were all good, they played clean. The director shot this film sincerely, looked into the soul of the audience and showed a soulful and touching story in which there is a place for comedies and dramas, as in real life. It is important that the picture is based on a real story, and what can be more beautiful than the truth, something that is taken from real life.
Billy, a Chinese heroine, lives in Brooklyn and dreams of becoming a writer. One day, her family tells her the terrible news that Billy’s grandmother is terminally ill and will soon be gone. According to Chinese traditions (which many in the world do not understand), relatives decide not to tell their grandmother that she has a fatal diagnosis. All the closest people come to her to be with her, even decide to play a fake grandson’s wedding, so that everyone will be near her grandmother, and have fun with her. Billy also goes to her to say goodbye in this unusual way to his beloved grandmother. . .
In childhood, other people’s parents always seem better than their own. Grandparents are always better than their own. This film touches the notes of the soul of the viewer, everyone does not willfully remember his grandmother, his childhood, the warmest and most touching memories that cannot be compared with anything. You think where and when you hurt your grandmother, but you can’t fix it, you can’t take time back, you can’t ask for forgiveness from her. Lulu Wang created a pure film, full of love and pain, something funny and something very sad.
It was a good choice of actress Aquafina. The American actress originally from New York is now at the peak of her popularity, and in America she has long been loved. Thanks to this film, the world noticed the depth of the acting of this thirty-year-old actress. In her character, everyone sees themselves in this film. Aquafina plays very well here, passing through all the pain and resentment of his character Billy.
Zhou Shuzhen plays a grandmother, and this important role was also chosen by a successful actress, who purely played the role of an imperious, strong and loving woman. Pay attention to Diana Lin. She plays her mother here. The scenes with her are very, very true, just like in real life. It is the quotes of her character that are most remembered.
' I can't cry in front of everyone. I don't think that's good. It’s too personal and should be done when no one is watching or with the closest people. '
It is a curious tradition in China not to tell an elderly person about his illness and to make the last days of an elderly person happy, joyful, to gather all close relatives. There is wisdom and something profound. Truth or lie? Tell the bitter truth to a dying man? Or make his last days beautiful? I don’t think this will be relevant in our country. But the East is subtle, and the worldview of everyone is different.
This film is about life itself, about true values, about family and its connection, strength. Our grandmothers are in each of us, their words, moral teachings, their advice and stories. ' The Farewell' that movie that makes you feel, compassionate, and this film deserves attention, as well as a positive assessment.
'Farewell' is an American soul drama of 2019. The bottom line, a strong, pure, life-affirming movie that has power and something real. I recommend this film to everyone who is interested in the beautiful world of cinema.
Yes, I am cute, beautiful, smart, and most importantly thin. I will always be that way for my grandmother.
I thought it was cool that there were movies about grandmothers. They're not as popular as happy-end comedies and victorious Marvel, but they're very necessary, in my opinion, and vital. It is a reminder to us eternally young: “We will all die, one day we will die.” No matter how carefully we hide from it in social networks.
There is a movie by Lulu Wang called “Farewell” (2019). And that's my memory.
I had a grandmother on my father’s side, I often think about her. She taught me an incredible amount of things! Yoga classes, love of long walks, asceticism in clothes, craving for the Portuguese language, passion for writing, constant self-education - this is all my grandmother, this is her.
In the film, the heroine of grandmother Nai-Nai, according to the predictions of doctors, should die of cancer in four months. A Chinese proverb says, “People die when they learn about cancer, but it is not cancer that kills them, but fear.” So they don't tell her about the disease. The grandson’s wedding brings everyone together to say goodbye. . .
But if you think the movie is about a sick grandmother, then bypass. Nai-Nai will give you a 100% lead. Taichi is in the yard every morning, organizing a wedding for that same grandson (!) and constantly encouraging everyone around who somehow looks at her sadly.
So in one scene, a grandma and granddaughter walk up the stairs, and the granddaughter asks, "Aren't your feet hurting?" To which her grandmother replies: “Sometimes, but you have to study.” That's why I'm healthy. At my age. . .
Incredible power in our grandmothers, inhuman! So much in the response of mundaneness, apparent ease and... the will to live. Simple movements day by day. Small or large activities. Family. And no fear can defeat you.
There is no man who is like an island in himself, every man is a part of the continent, a part of the land.
“Farewell” by Lulu Wang is a drama about a real lie for salvation that happened in the director’s family. This chamber film with a large and deep overtones can tell us a lot about ourselves, and here’s why.
When watching the picture, the epigraph of one famous novel loomed in my head all the time: a person cannot exist as a separate unit, because we are all part of one whole. It is this vector (according to the film) that the Eastern tradition adheres to in matters of life and dying. In China, the fatal diagnosis is not reported to the patient, as it can bring the end and spoil the last days. Such responsible inaction is taken by relatives and friends, as well as doctors. On the contrary, Western culture, which promotes maximum individualization and the exercise of the right of choice (maybe metaphorical), insists on an all-consuming and cruel truth “in the head”. In this diametrically opposite dilemma, director Wang’s question is whether we will be on the side of one or the other, and how to make a choice without making a mistake.
Adhering to the Eastern concept of the family as a continent-one-whole, we are faced with the need for everyday lies and even theatrical farewell in the form of a wedding (to bring as many relatives together for the last time). It is ironic that the reason for the wedding is chosen, usually symbolizing the beginning of a new life. So this "farewell" became anything but a farewell in the literal sense of the word.
As for Wang’s characters, they are deliberately detached: the problem of choosing (to tell or not) is behind everyone and not everyone can make it. Even Billy's granddaughter, who is vehemently opposed to covering it up. It is striking how accurately the atmosphere of tension is conveyed: the mainland is about to crack. Tears are hard to hold back from the middle.
The film is truly amazing – Lulu Wang’s own experience brought the drama and poetry of the situation to the screen. And for the opportunity to once again get acquainted with Eastern wisdom - a special thank you.
10 out of 10
Pretty good movie. Of the pluses: not a worn-out plot, does not slide into a tearful drama. Of the minuses: sometimes so strange humor that it is not even comfortable. I highly recommend watching, but I probably won’t reconsider.
“Farewell” by Lulu Wang is an autobiographical story that answers the questions: is there a lie for salvation? what constitutes self-identity? where to get the strength to survive the death of a loved one? Billy is a young (not always successful) writer from a family of Chinese immigrants. One day, terrible news breaks into the everyday rhythm of life: her beloved grandmother is terminally ill and she has only a couple of months to live. In China, it is fear that kills the patient, not the disease itself, so Nai-Nai does not know anything about his diagnosis. And under the pretext of the wedding of her only grandson, the whole family is going to say goodbye to her dying grandmother.
Pretending is not Billy's specialty, so her gloomy facial expression is explained by her grandmother's relatives with jet lag. For her, Nai-Nai is not just a relative, but a synonym for childhood, carelessness and unconditional love. What about Grandma? Despite bouts of coughing (she has lung cancer of 4 degrees), she is busy taking up the wedding, at the same time carefully looking for a suitable suitor for Billy and every morning does Tibetan breathing exercises. In her youth she fought and was seriously wounded. Now the memories of the wound cause only laughter.
His sister, sons and their families suffer instead.
But gradually death, in addition to sorrowful experiences, smoothly becomes the subject of jokes, when the family conducts rituals at the cemetery of the grandfather that seem curious to the modern person: they call mourners, a toy set of gadgets are burned at the stake in front of the monument, so that the grandfather used it in the next world, or, asking for blessings, they worship so much that the neck clogs. And here the center of gravity of the film shifts from the theme of farewell to the topic of cultural differences, old-fashioned traditions, and, finally, self-identity. At the gatherings of relatives begin to discuss the eternal question, where is it better: there, in the West or here in the East. The difference is felt in the areas built up with one-faced panels in China, in the interiors of the restaurant in the classic style of “dear rich”, in a series of unnecessary holidays, which gather all (forgotten or not so) relatives. Sometimes the difference is too emphasized, especially for the Russian viewer, for whom all this is not so alien.
What was this trip like for Billy herself? In addition to family reunification, returning to the historic homeland is an attempt to reunite oneself from the scraps of the past, childhood spent in China and the American present. It was here that she realized that all her life the unresolved question of self-determination deprived her of strength and confidence. Aquafina's austere Golden Globe-winning play and frequent slow-motion footage set the viewer up to the question: Who am I? And the tragic music of Alex Weston, reminiscent of the works of Bach, emphasizes the loneliness of the young writer.
And even returning home to the States, Billy does not forget about the healthful Tibetan breath of Nai-Nai, which, with vigor, defeats cancer of the fourth degree.
Lulu Wang does not turn “Farewell” into a tearful drama, leaving room for humor and life.
8 out of 10
Even the strongest family is no stronger than a house of cards.
The film is about the difference between people who manifest themselves even in household trifles. Due to the fact that all members of the same family do not resemble each other in their views on life, it seems that they are not related at all. They argue even over whether to tell the wedding guests about the real term of the relationship between the groom and the bride, because “the main thing is not to hit the dirt with your face.”
Director Lulu Wang wanted to make a film about the subtle differences between Western and Eastern mentalities. We can say that she succeeded, but with few reservations. First of all, in my opinion, there were not enough situations in the film in which this difference was shown. Secondly, to contrast Billy, you could make a girl go against her parents and tell her grandmother the truth. It would be possible to show how the main character differs from the older generation, for whom a person is part of society, not an individual.
Of the pluses, it is worth highlighting familiar images of heroes. Almost in each of the many characters, the viewer will be able to see one of his relatives. Well, don't everyone have a grandmother who loves her grandchildren like Nai Nai in this movie? Or a boy who doesn’t stick off his phone, isn’t that a familiar image for all of us?
This picture is slightly weaker for me than another family drama this year: Marriage Story. Probably because of unfamiliar actors and the situation in which the characters found themselves, because their position in the film resolved by itself.
Billy, 30, is an ethnic Chinese woman who has long lived with her family in the United States, but maintains contact with her beloved grandmother. One day, Billy loses ground when she learns the sad news: an old woman has lung cancer and she does not have long to live. Since the Chinese believe that the news of a serious illness can kill a person faster than the disease itself, Billy and his relatives decide to go to China and throw a party for Grandma about the upcoming wedding of his grandson. And while the elderly woman rejoices that she finally sees her whole family gathered together, the others realize that they may have gathered together for the last time. And all they now have to do is hide the truth with all their might, hiding tears and pain behind smiles and jokes.
When a director strives to convey something very personal to the public, the result almost always achieves the goal, if, of course, the skill of the director is able to put thoughts in a visual form as accurately as possible. Deciding to veil images of herself and her relatives in the story of Billy and her family, director and screenwriter Lulu Wang succeeded in many ways, filming a subtle, thoughtful and very sad requiem in the Orient, dedicated to both the loved ones who gradually fade into oblivion, and the lost connection with their roots and homeland. Unfortunately, life easily separates families, scattering them around the world, and sometimes the only reason to gather again is a wedding or funeral. And lies, according to Lulu Wang, do happen for salvation, when miracles unknown to us can still happen, and life itself is better to rejoice once more than to spend every moment waiting for the inexorably approaching end.
Of course, in some places Wang makes some mistakes as a director, for example, she is sometimes too fond of comparing Western and Eastern mentalities, when she insists that in America the person is at the forefront, and in China – family and family traditions. Here, the movie hangs a little, but even when Wang has some directorial and scripted roughness, the disarming sincerity and sincerity that she so wants to share with the audience comes into play. Although the whole film is built on a distinctly sounding melancholy-bitter note, it has humor, wit, and an indescribable national flavor, in which it fully reveals its dramatic talent completely unrecognizable after the image of the Asian-Hollywood clown Aquafin. Her heroine, who is the core of the narrative and a kind of moral and evaluative marker of the West, trying to speak the language of truth (of course, in English), in her native, albeit forgotten lands, forgets about the mask she wears and begins to understand that keeping such a secret is primarily a burden for a person who owns a secret.
To the undoubted advantages of this nicely modest and touching tape is the director’s refusal from cheap melodramatism and inappropriate manipulation of emotions, when with anxiety almost the whole film expects that the nice old woman is about to get worse. But, fortunately, Wang emerges from this position in a fresh and unusual way, melting the fear of relatives before the death of their grandmother into a series of amusing situations that reveal all the other characters. “Farewell” is absolutely devoid of intrusive moral teachings, just telling that in every family there are joys and sorrows, the feeling of homeland and home will remain in the heart forever, wherever you go and no matter how long you live there, and it also develops one very true idea – after all, the triumph of life can prevail over death, no matter how long it lasts.
After showing “Farewell” at the Sundance Film Festival, the film received an incredibly warm reception, the picture immediately won the attention of the audience, and it had quite an impressive Oscar potential. This is not unreasonable.
After the grandmother of the main character of Chinese descent discovered an incurable disease, the family decided to keep this news from her secret. And under the pretext of the wedding of the grandson, the whole family must come together again to say goodbye to her.
This is a quiet and small film that speaks about fundamental truths: about family, separation, depression, cultural identity and premature grief through the prism of Chinese culture and mentality, which distinguishes it from similar pictures.
Since there is nothing outstanding in the plot, he just works at the expense of the sincerity and sincerity of the message, which is difficult to resist. This is a film that talks to the viewer on difficult topics without moralizing and unnecessary sentiment, but causes genuine emotions at the right moments of emotional intensity. Skillfully twisting the drama, the comedy in the hands of the director begins to work even more whirlwindly, bringing the despair of the characters to the absurd.
And in the finale, you, along with the characters of the film, feel a certain catharsis and a slight shake, and only one thought remains in your head, you need to call your loved ones.
8 out of 10
As the tagline says, "Farewell" is based on "real lies." In many ways, the film is autobiographical: screenwriter and director Lulu Wang was born in China, moved with her family to the United States. In 2013, a woman was told that her grandmother, who still lives in China, became very ill and had only a few months to live. Wang and her family went to China to see their grandmother for the last time. The catch is that Nai-Nai (that is, the grandmother in Mandarin dialect) was not told about the disease. The family reasoned that it was best to leave the elderly woman alone and thereby protect her from the truth and allow her to enjoy the last days. The reason for the visit of the grandmother all the big Chinese family was the wedding.
Wang wrote the script, recounting her experiences. Interestingly, the director was rejected for a long time: some studios wanted to turn it from a drama into a pure comedy, well, the one with romantic interests and a couple of frankly tear-pressing scenes. Wang defended her directorial vision; in 2019, “Farewell” received rave reviews on “Sundance”, and then A24 bought the rights to distribute the film worldwide.
Farewell is a beautifully written film. The script alternates situational anguish and strange comedic observations, which helps to spend a lot of time weighing the act - deceiving a family member. At the same time, interestingly, the film never puts the mental state of Nai Nai in the main theme, although it seems that the film is about it.
As universal as the basic premise is, Farewell is a window into another culture. This film seems to require no explanation to the narrative, which is intuitive. Probably every family experienced the same feelings that the characters in the film experience. The impression of “Farewell” varies greatly from the personal landmarks of the viewer.
While the film is littered with funny and sad interludes, it reaches impressive heights in showing off Aquafina's acting range. Her character is a very complex personality. The family exerts a strong influence on her; at least take her father, who has adopted a Western way of thinking. An emotional girl cannot survive a sense of cultural stratification, especially by the time she returns to her homeland.
Developing the potential for confrontation between generations, Farewell threatens to drown in sentimentalism, but Wang shies away from the obvious plot techniques. In general, the scenario comes to a very correct decision. The director depicts the details of the lives of ordinary Chinese and, although here is often shown ordinary life, “Farewell” never sags in part of the plot.
"Farewell" has something to say - at least a few truthful words about what it means to love in the family. Even if you leave your family, you can still stay close to them. Observing the influence on the central character of the grandmother, you can achieve a powerful experience from watching. Love goes beyond language and location.
7 out of 10
“Farewell” of the American writer of Chinese origin Lulu Wang is a melancholy drama that makes you think about the huge price that we invariably pay when leaving our relatives to the other side of the world, and is able to touch anyone who has experienced the bitterness of irreparable loss.
A ridiculous and funny girl with a Chinese appearance and an American name Billy (the first really large-scale role for the famous hip-hop performer Aquafina in the United States) by the age of 30 has not achieved serious success: she lives in New York in the house of her parents (first-generation Chinese immigrants), constantly stumbles upon her mother’s lectures about the acute shortage of her own finances, in addition, she was refused from the university for free education – it seems that her writing career will end before it really starts.
The only outlet is the opportunity to talk on the phone (albeit in clumsy Chinese) with her grandmother Nai Nai, who lives on the other side of the Pacific in a provincial Chinese town. In the conversation, Billy will lie to her grandmother that she wears a hat and that she should not worry - her granddaughter is fine and will not get sick. Nai Nai, too, is cheating - all in good health - even though she has just undergone a serious medical examination.
But the fact that its results are disappointing, relatives will deliberately keep silent and Nai Nai will not say - such are the Chinese traditions. Aware of the fatal diagnosis, everyone rushes to Grandma who is from Japan, who is straight from the States, allegedly to the wedding of his grandson (of course, staged), but in fact, to visit the unsuspecting Nai Nai for the last time and wrap her in the love and care that she has been deprived of all these years.
Billy is the only one who will steadfastly resist the family conspiracy and insist that everyone, including the beloved Nai Nai, has an inalienable right to know about their illness. Around this topic, especially acute for China, where doctors at the request of the family can not tell the patient a terrible diagnosis, and built a framework of experiences of the main character.
Through the generally good thoughts of Billy, the director asks a complex ethical question from the category of those to which there has never been and will never be an unambiguous answer: how humane it is to practice conscious lies for the good, how humane it is to instill in near hope, when a medical epicry unequivocally leaves a person several weeks / months. Are we right when we decide to protect the family from negative emotions and not to send the last hours of his life?
Wang, who has absorbed the essence of two cultures – Asian from her parents and Western from New York – cannot and does not want to answer this question. Through the mouth of her heroes, she will judge that everyone here has his own truth, that in the West life belongs to man, and in the East life is part of the whole (family, society). In the East, it is customary to bear family, collective responsibility for the death of a loved one, while in the West, illness is strictly individual and extremely personal circumstance, which is better to keep to yourself and fight it alone. When family members engage in a dialogue about whether it’s better in America or China, Billy will conclude that “they can’t be compared, they’re just different.”
“Farewell” will not become for the viewer an invaluable storehouse of universal keys and practical lessons – the conclusions and conclusions of the director are too blurred. But it will force almost everyone to stop, look around where we are going, and plan a trip to the village — to visit your grandmother.
General impression: More recently on the screens of our country you could see the comical, but touching film Lulu Wang "Farewell". The theme touched upon in the picture is topical, advances with the right steps to the final and turns into a strong drama filled with meaning about life and death, not indifference of relatives and traditions of China.
The main character, near which the whole fuss, grandmother Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) is impossibly cute, as soon as she appears in the frame, immediately falls in love with this cute old woman, before that she charms with her attention. Suddenly it turns out that the grandmother is sick, she does not have long to live, but they do not want to upset her and keep silent about her imminent death. It is not customary in China to talk about cancer, because then a person can be consumed by fear. And a huge family keeping a secret, trying to spend time and remember the grandmother as she is, it is a lie for the good. And that all members of a large family had time to say goodbye to the dying, she will be told that everyone comes to the wedding of a grandson who actually does not want to get married (there is also enough funny). Among the relatives, there is a granddaughter of Billy (Aquafina) - a novice writer of Chinese descent lives in Brooklyn, but is very attached to her grandmother who remained in her homeland. Arriving at the grandmother’s house, the girl can not control her emotions, but nevertheless, she keeps silent about bad news, honoring traditions.
"Based on a real lie" - the tagline of the tape. And indeed, the more the viewer immerses himself in the atmosphere of the Chinese cycle, the more captured the movie. I’m not afraid to say it’s the best independent film I’ve seen in a while. And one of the best of 2019!
The musical accompaniment consisting of classical melodies touches the strings of the soul, touching the center of the heart, the sound simultaneously delivers the pain of experiences, as if a shock wave of bitterness from the heroes, and peace. The original music is so precisely selected, you want to listen to it, even if it mercilessly pours salt on the wound.
And juggling two subtle genres like drama / comedy, helps the viewer and focus on good drama, as well as delivering a portion of humor, sometimes black. And indeed, sometimes it's laughter through tears! Thin, intellectually!
In addition to the most important theme - death, the director of the tape did not forget about the characters, placing the games as if on a chessboard, draws his role for everyone in replicas, through dialogues. The viewer begins to understand the character of not only a lively grandmother, but also a large family. Let some have little screen time, everything is arranged harmoniously in the frame, there is an understanding of why some Chinese want to leave the country, why they honor traditions, and there is also a markup from the old generation to the young. Again, the atmosphere is an important part of the film.
I want to look at this movie, frame by frame, laughing, somewhere worrying from mental anguish, but I want to get closer and closer to this family. Wiping the boundaries of the screen with an invisible eraser, I sit down at the table with Nai Nai, because there, at the table, such delicious cakes ...
10 out of 10
They're different but so similar to us, contradictory but understandable, funny but a little sad.
Absolutely stunning work with a deep experience of human relations in the family and culture.
It’s not a depressing movie, as it might seem, and it’s not a tragedy either, it’s a drama that brings a smile from a specific humor, and helps you look more thoughtfully at some aspects of your life.
In the center of the plot is a family of Chinese immigrants who have been living in the United States for more than 20 years, but maintain communication with their rather brisk grandmother, who remained in China.
Far from the best reason makes the whole family gather with relatives who came from different parts of the world, under a plausible, but not true pretext, to the house of the unsuspecting Nai-Nai.
It is a mistake to believe that Chinese immigrants in the United States will be difficult to understand and feel their motives, on the contrary – these heroes are very easy to empathize with.
These characters are very similar to each of us.
The film shows many stereotypes, as if casually and unobtrusively, but it is shown with irony - for example, who would imagine Chinese tourists in China who do not speak Chinese well? Ironically, in many ways, Chinese construction, delusional cars, incidents in hotels, round tables with a carousel and much, much more. And it's all around just one family, talking, arguing, drinking, celebrating weddings, laughing and crying like you and me.
A-One continues to pamper the bright representatives of the indie film industry this year: the beautiful drama “Farewell”, which thundered at the Sundance festival in January, with a quiet boot, but quite successfully, which took place in the summer in American cinemas, and finally reached our viewer, is released. It is a pity that such a charming picture in its eastern color risks almost imperceptibly leaking through a Russian movie screen, getting lost in the high-budget Maleficent shadow. But such a modest in the implementation, but very powerful in emotional energy picture, speaks of family values, albeit in a very original Chinese manner, many times more penetrating and unassuming (deceptively) his Hollywood CGI-pompous brother with his boring and emasculated maxims.
“Farewell” is a diverse set of touching, sentimental, sometimes insanely funny, discouraging, tragic and strange episodes that develop into a spectacular cinematic puzzle from the life of a Chinese family. Despite the difference in mentality, there are two important events in the life of almost any nation, sooner or later uniting all members of the clan under one roof - a wedding and a funeral. In the case of Lulu Wang’s story, we see a strange event hybrid linking the family together after a long separation with a big little lie. For good or not, it is already up to the viewer to decide, but what for a Western person would seem like a complete asburdism, for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire only the norm of life. And this is the incredible charm of the picture: and if the kinship of varying degrees of conflict during the general festivities is close to everyone, then the difference between East and West within the family, whose members formally belong to the same nation, gives rise to quite specific kinship interactions that baffle our brother. The main character performed by Aquafina is a vivid example of this eternal misunderstanding: a character stuck in such a cultural limb, whose lostness and emotional irritation the actress perfectly conveyed her angular and cold-distant game. And the rest of the actors, led by the incomparable Grandma, played their images with hurrah.
As a result, for me personally, “Farewell” is a delicate mutual trolling that is saving absolutely for all the characters, which proves not only the amusingly altered opening credit “This film is based on true lies”, but also the stunning scene in its parody of the heroic passage of the family in slow-mo, after the final and most important scam (and whether a scam?).
In general, very soulful, slightly eccentric, inciting an incredible appetite (God, how delicious and a lot in this film eat), sincere and close to each viewer, despite the Chinese sweetness, cinema. Plus a wonderful opportunity to once again witness the amazing national customs.
Verdict: Kulik praises this swamp!
Family comes first, and everyone seems to know that. But what if family members are separated from the ocean? “Farewell” is a catchy story of one family at the intersection of two cultures, which is destined to reunite under rather strange circumstances.
Billy makes ends meet in New York, and it's so great that you can drop by your parents' house, chat with them, or just throw things in the laundry if you don't have enough money. Once upon a time, she and her mom and dad moved from China to build a life full of opportunity and hope. It is the hopes, perhaps, the girl still feeds: she decided to choose creativity instead of a career, choosing writing as her only lot - and she cannot boast of success so far. One day, when she decided to run home, it turns out that the grandmother, who remained in China, is seriously ill, and she has very little left. On this occasion, cousin Billy is urgently obliged to play a wedding with his new girlfriend, so that everyone has a reason to see Grandma. It is impossible to tell her that she is dying, this is the custom in the East. Until the very last days, until it becomes obvious that something is going wrong, it is not customary for the patient to report his condition. Billy is blown up and decides to fly with his parents "to his cousin's wedding." Parents, of course, protest: after all, the girl will betray everyone with her emotions. But, of course, at thirty you can still go to your parents to eat, but you do not need to obey them.
So Billy crosses the ocean and she's home again. She gazes her eyes, barely holding back from tears, at a fussy grandmother (Nai Nai), who squeezes her, rejoices at guests, sits everyone at the table, releases educational remarks and shoves food into everyone. Classic grandma. She's holding on. She decides to talk about the wedding of her grandson Hao Hao, dismisses all incoming proposals and assumptions - she knows how it will be better. She is generous on the festive table, ready to waste energy and time, is inspired by the opportunity to do everything in her own way, with a scope, beautifully - and what won't you do for the only grandson? And here the cheerful Nai Nai is broadcasting from behind the table about all her plans, and family members are silently choking on food, realizing that this all may soon be gone. No joy, no valuable instructions, no educational moments, no incredible care. A lump in the throat. She devoted everything to them - children and grandchildren - and the moment of realization is hardly overcome for them.
Imagine: China, wedding planning and... preparation for death! While Nai Nai is busy with the holiday, everyone else is trying to get used to the idea that this is her last feast. Especially, Billy seems to be worried: she does not agree with the need to lie to Nai Nai about her condition, and every day she asks her uncle, mother, and grandmother’s sister (the younger Nai-Nai), whether it is really so important to lie to a dying person. It seems that this immoral tradition from the Western point of view does not bother anyone. And there it is -- all out -- the junction between Eastern and Western cultures. Billy is a Chinese woman who grew up in New York City, has different cultural values (unlike her parents who grew up in China), and is more concerned about the ethical side of the situation. In addition to loving her grandmother and trying to capture every moment, she wants to make sure that Nai Nai will be fine. But the girl in her head absolutely does not fit how it can be generally good - when you withhold vital (or deadly?) important information from a loved one.
In the end, the film, which primarily tells about the family and eternal values, also through fundamentally important and acute questions shows how great the difference between the two cultures. If in the West life is private property, in the East it is part of the whole. Like families. We see how family unites – and how wonderful it is in general: to be surrounded by family and friends. We also see that it's very difficult to accept traditions when you've grown apart from them, which is what happens to Billy, and to take her side or argue with her is not clear. After all, in such a situation I do not want to be, I do not want to put myself in the place of a girl.
Another thing is emotion. How to hide them, should they be hidden at all, or on the contrary, in order not to be like a screen with an emoji, to experience everything behind closed doors, or even deep inside yourself? This dispute happens to Billy and his mother at the beginning of the film, in the middle of the film. In the end, everyone chooses his own version of behavior, but the question of which is still better and more comfortable remains open.
On top of all that, the most important thing is responsibility. The burden of feelings and unresolved problems of a dying person, shared by all family members, as long as they hide the terrible truth. It seems to be as humane as possible towards Nai Nai, and in itself, out of context. On the other hand, how to decide for a person what he should know and what not? What if he wants to do something?
Putting the brunt of the apprehension of impending death on a person—or wearing it on your shoulders?—is another open question. And, most likely, the point is not even in which option in this film becomes more attractive to the viewer. The bottom line is that in each individual family, this will be decided in connection with local customs/family traditions. And the members of this family will have only to capture the last moments, whatever they may be, trying to consolidate the legacy, preserve the memories and make this time as beautiful as possible for those who are about to leave.