The Farewell
2019
***
Director: Lulu Wang
Cast: Awkwafina, Shuzhen Zhao, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Jim Liu, Han Chen, Yongbo Jiang, Aoi Mizuhara, X Mayo, Hong Lu
An aimless Chinese-American woman named Billi travels to China for a staged wedding in order to say goodbye to her beloved grandmother, who is unaware that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Lulu Wang's autobiographical drama offers a warm portrayal of cross-generational relations and a fascinating fly-on-the-wall peak into Chinese culture. This well-acted film deals with cultural differences, but I failed to comprehend and accept the central deception that runs the plot.
