Image: Roadshow
Most families are hiding a secret, but when Mum’s the word about a terminal diagnosis for a matriarch, things get out of hand for a Chinese family in the new dramedy from director Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians). Partly a biopic and based on a real lie, it draws both Eastern cultural influences and universal themes of familial duties and obligations with enough raw performances and vignettes to be a delightful family gathering, while just avoiding the tear jerker genre.
Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) has returned from the doctor’s with some devastating news that is all but conveyed to her, while her granddaughter Billi (Awkwafina) is struggling to piece her own life together. Weedy, behind in her rent and anxiously awaiting news of a scholarship, she struggles to accept her family’s decision that withholding the news from her beloved grandmother is the best way to allow her to enjoy her fleeting time.
Under the guise of a cousin’s wedding, the family journey from New York to Changchun, China to hastily plan the nuptials, all the while downplaying the burgeoning cancerous symptoms of their matriarch. It’s not a tourist friendly postcard for China, as the rapid urbanisation strips away at the native childhood that she yearns for. It is a raw, supple portrayal of a family’s collectivist nature coming in stride during a crises, yet there are plenty of joyous moments to ease the palette. As if the subtitles are almost redundant, the criticism of the new bride to be’s lack of affection and her overall perceived daftness make for an hilarious pre-wedding sequence, and there is some fine nuance as every aspect of Chinese heritage is explored. The confined spaces are filled with food and warmth, and like everyone’s Grandma, Nai Nai is there to make a fuss over her children not eating enough.
More than a film about loss and unspoken grief, it picks at the expectations of immigrants, especially those seeking a better life than their mother country. During what is virtually a round table discussion (with a lazy susan turntable) both sides of the family discuss their ambitions and in some ways ruefully regret their upheavals. Their identity ties of American, Chinese and Japanese heritage place them at odds within their own family, and how it affects their perceptions of how they must grieve. It challenges the exhibitionism of public displays of sadness, even zooming in on ‘paid criers,’ a black comedy setting in a cemetery. The new bride to be is almost a lifeline to the audience, as she does not speak Chinese and is often as bewildered at her new environment. Most of the genuine exchanges are such that no further explanation is needed, like the unspoken language between two beloved relatives.
An enjoyable family affair, even for your Grandma.
Verdict: 8/10
Roadshow Films Australia
About The Author
