The Farewell

⭐ 7.5/10

(Originally written by Tim)

This movie has been on my list for a long time, and when I saw the trailer I expected it to wring out all my emotions and leave me a changed man. Maybe that is putting too much on a trailer, but the bar was high and I was a bit disappointed.

This movie is sad and has sad moments, but I never felt myself super invested in anyone. They did a great job making each family member distinct and memorable, but at the cost of truly caring for any of them. Even the main character, who is having an identity crisis as well as a family crisis, just felt completely unrelatable and a bit wooden. I feel like the story is there, but the situations they put the characters in weren't compelling enough? Its tough to verbalize, but I was completely bought in and ended completely unmoved.

This is going to sound pretentious, but I thought the movie tried too hard to be artsy. I know nothing about making movies, but I do know there are movies where the staging and framing have a huge artistic impact, making scenes more emotional and more memorable. There was a lot of artsy framing and intense juxtaposition (having an emotional breakdown in front of a wall covered with balloons, or the garish colours of the wedding paired with the turmoil the family is holding inside), it just felt too staged? Like, I don't know why similar shots in something like Roma can move me where as here I felt the seams were showing, but the shots staged to look like pieces of art felt like cheap copies.

You probably hate me, and I hate myself for having to say that, but I can't help myself. This movie still has a lot to give, and I have no regrets watching it, but it felt like it was trying too hard. Seeing a grandmother's unconditional love for her grandkids did melt my heart of stone a couple times, but I think it says something that the grandma was the most relatable character here.