Directed by: Michael Showalter
Written by: Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
IMDb Link
This one is going to be a short one because I have not been feeling well lately and I can barely put two thoughts together.
The Big Sick depicts actual events from the lives of Kumail and Emily, with Kumail playing himself and Emily being played by Zoe Kazan. We see their relationship bloom as they grow to trust and appreciate and love each other, and it all feels completely natural, heartfelt and believable, while Kumail's cultural background leaves a constant spike of tension as we watch the two develop together. Kumail's Pakistani/Muslim background is a massive part of his story, and it's fantastic to see him portray it with a sense of humour that's still respectful; a topic like arranged marriage, or indeed the nature of obeying one's culture, is not easy, and the decision to leave a broad answer out of the film and deal only with Kumail's views about how it affects himself seems an excellent way to handle it, allowing the merits of such an idea to exist but showing with honesty how Kumail chose to deal with it. Everything about these events comes off as very personal, and I appreciate the difficulty that comes with putting such an important part of your life so completely out there, a fact that I applaud Kumail and Emily for.
Outside of the film's cultural subject matter, there's the events of the film that occur once Emily enters a medically induced coma. There's so much raw emotion here that it's hard to process in my current state, but Holly Hunter's performance as Emily's mother is unforgettable. The moment Kumail introduces himself and she replies with "We know who you are" in a tone so cold Jack Frost got chills, I knew she was going to be incredible. The way Kumail, Hunter, and Ray Romano play off each other is so true to how people behave in these grievous situations, as emotion and blame are thrown around and misdirected while they all just try their best to cope with the situation.
The Verdict: The Big Sick is fantastic; I appreciated the humour and humanity with which the whole film was approached, and in doing so was able to bring a tear to my eye, whether I laugh or cry. I have a lot of respect for what this film was able to achieve in it's depiction of the human experience, dealing with difficult subject matter with no right answer and an understanding that the film can't give an answer more than the personal one that Kumail came to. I highly recommend you go see it, because it's one of the best films I've seen all year.
Rating: 9/10
Published August 7th, 2017
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