Genre: Dramedy
Director: Lulu Wang
Starring: Awkwafina, Zhao Shu-zhen
Running Time: 100 minutes
Synopsis: In her early 30s, Billi (Awkwafina) lives in New York City where her parents settled, but maintains a warm bond with her grandmother Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen) in Changchun, China. When Nai Nai is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, the bad news is kept from her and the family hurriedly contrives a wedding as an excuse to gather and bid her a surreptitious farewell. Billi is heartbroken about her grandma's impending demise and uneasy about the deception, but the trip is an opportunity to deepen her understanding of the family's culture.
What Works Well: Based on the actual experiences of writer and director Lulu Wang, a middle class family's bonds, stresses, and foibles create a loving cross-cultural tableau. Billi's parents immigrated to the US, her uncle's side of the family settled in Japan, and now they all gather in their homeland to participate in an underhanded farewell, Nai Nai the centre of attention but the only family member unaware that she is dying. Through this lens, awkwardness, joy within sadness, tears, laughter, frustration, and typical (but no less cutting) judgments between generations emerge. Subtle scenes tease out individuality, Billi the most obvious outsider/observer, but her mother and uncle also contributing unique perspectives. A playful music soundtrack adds texture to the affectionately messy gatherings.
What Does Not Work As Well: The clutter of characters often stuffed into small spaces reduces many of them to a peripheral presence. In general, the overriding emotions are stagnant, Billi's sadness and puzzlement held in place throughout the trip.
Key Quote:
Nai Nai: Life isn't just about what you do, it's more about how you do it.

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