Written by: Kevin Berge
Two people from opposite sides of the world, you know Hollywood was eating this up when it was pitched. (Image Courtesy of: athenacinema.com)
Quick Take: The Big Sick tells a dramatic story with a hilarious script that dives into an incredible real-life story with comedians at the helm who are able to balance the serious and the funny. A true standout romcom, it is well worth viewing even for those weary of the tropes of the genre.
***This is a review for the recently released and somewhat under-the-radar movie The Big Sick with the expectation that the reader has not seen the movie yet. This will be a spoiler-free review only discussing directly the set-up of the story, primarily diving into the film's effect and themes.***
The romantic comedy genre may be the most generic, overwrought genre in cinema. Even horror has varied up its villains to make the killings unique. You can only watch guy meets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl so many times. It just tires out the soul even as it tries to be relentlessly cheery.
There are great examples of the genre from Pretty Woman to Notting Hill to Sleepless in Seattle. However, even though I will admit I personally am a romantic at heart, the films in the genre that have always interested me the most are those that bend genres.
The Princess Bride, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Groundhog Day have romcom elements that they use well without being defined by them. The Big Sick pretends to be a pure romcom on the surface, but it far better stands with these blends of genre though with a more conventional dramatic edge.
Based on the real romance between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, this autobiographical romantic comedy-drama focuses on how the two first met and their steady romance through tough circumstances. The movie stars Kumail as himself, Zoe Kazan as Emily, as well as Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents and Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and Anupam Kher as Kumail's brother and parents.
This is a simple movie whose primary story kicks off halfway through as the tale turns into a far more deep and dramatic exploration of how we interact and react to one another in times of shared distress. Kumail's story is also made more interesting through its exploration of his Pakistani heritage.
While there is a central romance to the tale and it is one you grow to root for by the close, the central theme of this tale is familial love. How can Kumail wrestle with family ideals and his American living? What will Emily's parents do to protect her and how will they react and interact with Kumail when the two are inevitably stuck together?
The romantic comedy genre may be the most generic, overwrought genre in cinema. Even horror has varied up its villains to make the killings unique. You can only watch guy meets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl so many times. It just tires out the soul even as it tries to be relentlessly cheery.
There are great examples of the genre from Pretty Woman to Notting Hill to Sleepless in Seattle. However, even though I will admit I personally am a romantic at heart, the films in the genre that have always interested me the most are those that bend genres.
The Princess Bride, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Groundhog Day have romcom elements that they use well without being defined by them. The Big Sick pretends to be a pure romcom on the surface, but it far better stands with these blends of genre though with a more conventional dramatic edge.
Based on the real romance between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, this autobiographical romantic comedy-drama focuses on how the two first met and their steady romance through tough circumstances. The movie stars Kumail as himself, Zoe Kazan as Emily, as well as Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents and Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and Anupam Kher as Kumail's brother and parents.
This is a simple movie whose primary story kicks off halfway through as the tale turns into a far more deep and dramatic exploration of how we interact and react to one another in times of shared distress. Kumail's story is also made more interesting through its exploration of his Pakistani heritage.
While there is a central romance to the tale and it is one you grow to root for by the close, the central theme of this tale is familial love. How can Kumail wrestle with family ideals and his American living? What will Emily's parents do to protect her and how will they react and interact with Kumail when the two are inevitably stuck together?
The true highlight of this movie: reviving Ray Romano's career. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
It's hard to do this movie justice by simply describing its elements because it is only through excellent craft that it excels. This is a fresh story at its core, but the ideas in the mix have been covered many times before. They just have never been written this well with this much honesty.
Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) is excellent even if he is simply playing himself, charming and charismatic in a way that always feels likable. Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) has great chemistry with him, playing the perfect partner with so much of their performances mirroring one another.
Holly Hunter (The Piano) very much comes off as the veteran actress of the cast, adding weight to her frustration and adding comedy through subtlety. Ray Romano (Eveybody Loves Raymond) nails the role of concerned father, almost making you forget he is an actor.
This is a movie with multiple tone shifts that are hardly felt. Michael Showalter (Hello, My Name is Doris) brilliantly navigates a film that is returning to an old genre and revitalizing it without ever relying on one route, the comedic or the dramatic, too strongly. Even if the movie looks and feels conventional, it evokes emotion at every turn without manipulation.
The screenplay by the happily married couple that are its center is the true star of the film that helps it rise above the masses. The lines are laced with quick wit and have a clear understanding of racial tensions that poke fun at the way Kumail is treated on all sides with realistic honesty.
Criticizing such a well told story particularly one directly connected to real events can be tricky given it is hard to say how much could be changed without straying from the real tale. However, The Big Sick does rush to its conclusion despite also being somewhat overlong for this type of comedy.
The conflicts at its heart are interesting but are so simply resolved that it takes away from the complications at their heart. While it is not perfect, it is too far above the curve to be anything less than one of the year's best films. It is the romcom to save romcoms and has the ability to make you laugh and cry with every step along the journey.
Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) is excellent even if he is simply playing himself, charming and charismatic in a way that always feels likable. Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) has great chemistry with him, playing the perfect partner with so much of their performances mirroring one another.
Holly Hunter (The Piano) very much comes off as the veteran actress of the cast, adding weight to her frustration and adding comedy through subtlety. Ray Romano (Eveybody Loves Raymond) nails the role of concerned father, almost making you forget he is an actor.
This is a movie with multiple tone shifts that are hardly felt. Michael Showalter (Hello, My Name is Doris) brilliantly navigates a film that is returning to an old genre and revitalizing it without ever relying on one route, the comedic or the dramatic, too strongly. Even if the movie looks and feels conventional, it evokes emotion at every turn without manipulation.
The screenplay by the happily married couple that are its center is the true star of the film that helps it rise above the masses. The lines are laced with quick wit and have a clear understanding of racial tensions that poke fun at the way Kumail is treated on all sides with realistic honesty.
Criticizing such a well told story particularly one directly connected to real events can be tricky given it is hard to say how much could be changed without straying from the real tale. However, The Big Sick does rush to its conclusion despite also being somewhat overlong for this type of comedy.
The conflicts at its heart are interesting but are so simply resolved that it takes away from the complications at their heart. While it is not perfect, it is too far above the curve to be anything less than one of the year's best films. It is the romcom to save romcoms and has the ability to make you laugh and cry with every step along the journey.