The Big Sick Review

 

        When it was first advertised, it was going to be an Amazon Prime exclusive, and seeing how I was a paying member, I thought I’d check it out. It’s probably one of the best films that I’ve seen in the 2010s. The entire story is original which I’ll delve more into. As well as being a more nuanced romantic comedic movie that manages to be different and subvert most of the genre’s tropes. This is one of those films where I actually want to have a physical copy to have in my collection, it’s that great. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. A True Story

        As I mentioned in the introduction, the story is actually original. Since it did happen. Kumail Nanjiani co-wrote with his wife and starred as himself. It retells how he met his wife. And how he manages to juggle his ethnic’s notion of romance with him being in love with Emily. The highlight is him unintentionally saving her life. One would think that it would be pretty out there that the events being presented actually happened, and it did. Albeit, with some creative liberties. 

        It’s such a new way to tackle romance since Kumail gives her parents company and really understands their idea of romance. The whole movie without the story is about being in love. I’ll elaborate more on the parent’s side of things since I feel that that’s the big thing in the movie. Other than that, the film is pretty hilarious. The film is littered with comedians not just Nanjiani and Romano, including some like Bo Burnham and Aidy Bryant to name a few. 

        With the comedy, it doesn’t feel forced in the most bit. It’s utilized as a way to break the tension when something is happening to Emily or Kumail. I really want to know if Kumail and Emily actually ran the script with the comedians to see if it was funny enough or balanced enough where the moments that are emotional are just right. Regardless, the film absolutely deserved to be one of the best films of 2017.

2. Emily

        Zoe Kazan has to be the luckiest actress to have the role as Emily since for most of the film has her character be under a medically induced coma. It’s an easy paycheck. Not to smear her role but when she’s with Kumail it’s the most charming parts in the film. They have that chemistry that doesn’t feel forced or just not connectable to us. I like the part where she starts as a heckler and they immediately hit it off. I thought when they first broke up, it would be the last time we’ve seen her. 

        When she’s in the hospital, Kumail manages to save her life. It was interesting since, it was an move that he did that was instantaneous. When she wakes up, I thought that they would finally make up. Refreshingly, she wanted nothing to do with him. That was a gutsy move since it’s unheard of for the love interest to still have the same mindset before being MIA. I was surprised that she wanted to move on. That was short lived when she eventually warms up to him. 

I would’ve liked more scenes or a montage of her seeing the standup of Kumail. Such as when she sees his bombed standup when he’s crying that his ex might die. That montage would’ve worked to actually convince her that Kumail did the right thing and saved her from a potential death. Other than that, her actually visiting his stand up in New York was a happy ending to the movie. 

3. Parents

        Aside from the romantic aspect, the parents of both the main stars is also one of the highlights in the film. Since Kumail comes from a Pakistani background, their culture prefers arranged marriages instead of just finding someone. It started out with just comedic timing when the mom would introduce Kumail with a potential wife and then cut to him placing the pictures in a special box. 

        Whereas when Kumail spends time with Emily parents, they’re a dysfunctional couple that sleeps in different beds. I feel that the moments that Kumail is either with his parents and with Emily’s shows us just how complicated the idea of love is. He tries to be honest with Emily about him being hesitant on introducing her to his family. As well as seeing a marriage almost fall apart. He sees this as routes with what he wants to do.

        Eventually he chooses what he wants but is met with scorn from his parents. I feel that the moment when his family disowns him feels a bit exaggerated. His mom did actually disown him, but what the film was doing, I felt that the scene could’ve been just played straight instead of just having it for dramas sake. Although, his brother actually sees his one man act which makes the whole disownment thing moot. 

4. Overall

        Another short review, not that this film has little to work with, but it’s one of those films where there’s so little to talk about how great it is. I feel it reenergized the genre by having a unique spin in the rom-com style. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon deserved the academy award for best original screenplay. Their story of how they met is the most heartfelt and just original that it is the stuff that Hollywood is made for. 

        The Big Sick gets a four out of five.