Film Review: The Big Sick Refreshes Romantic Comedies With Originality
Leave it to a true story to bring a fresh originality to a genre that can struggle with being formulaic. Romantic comedies aim for the happy ending, but not every road to happiness is easy, planned, and mindful. On the contrary, they are filled with stupid mistakes, struggles to be vulnerable, and even cultural/ career barriers. Director by Michael Showalter, produced by Judd Apatow, and written by the real lovebirds of this story between, Nanjiani and his wife Emily V Gordon, The Big Sick is genuinely heart-warming and shows that being a person in love is hard, but, when it clashes with your culture, it is even harder.
If you come from immigrant parents, you will understand Kumail Nanjiani’s real-life struggle to date a woman outside of his Pakistani roots. The Big Sick nose-dives into the odd limbo many “second generationers” feel in being divided between the culture you were raised in, and the country you are living in: America. Kumail’s parents, Azmat (Anupam Kher) and Sharmeen (Zenobia Shroff), are incredibly lovely and hilariously passive aggressive. Kumail’s dinners with his parents are some of the funniest scenes of the film, and shows why he reveres so much Pakistani roots; your culture defines the best of your family, it can have deeply frustrating, restrictive traditions like, arranged marriage. While, at first, he does not even consider marriage within his sphere, as he is determined to make it as a comedian, when he meets Emily, he feels a genuine, marital love for someone. Again, if you come from immigrant parents, you can tell from my previous statement Kumail is a “rebel”; trying to be a comedian is not the top dream for any parent towards their child, but especially one who had to cross land and sea for a better life. Hence, Emily is a diamond in the rough for Kumail, whom I do not know if I should compliment for playing himself, or simply laud that he is a truly cool and funny guy. Instead, I will praise actress Zoe Kazan for making Emily sweet, noble, and a person you genuinely miss.
Emily is in a medically induced coma for most of the film, which gives Kazan about 30, of the movie’s 119 minutes, to leave an impression that helps you understand why Kumail went everyday by her bedside to be with her, despite being broken up. It is in this fact that The Big Sick plays up its “romance”. While culture can stop love from being furthered, it cannot stop it from being felt, and seeing Kumail’s deep loyalty and care for Emily, even though he does not need to have it, shows that love is truly about desire. Kumail WANTS to be with Emily, and his bond with her parents, Beth (Holly Hunter) and Terry (Ray Romano) only amps the audience’s clear “shipping” of this couple. Holly Hunter and Ray Romano are so charming and broken, all at once. Having a sick child is one of the worst things that can happen to a parent, and these actors ability to show the light and humor of these two people, even in tragedy, is just another testament to their talent. Moreover, no matter how hilarious this triumvirate of Beth, Kumail, and Terry grows in being central to the film, director Michael Showalter incredibly trickles everything back to Emily. Ultimately, the film is written, cut, and paced like one giant breathe of fresh air. The Big Sick will be released on June 23, and PLEASE SEE IT. One of the most original and lovely in theatres, of which you can find more information about HERE.
