Post by SnoBorderZero on Jun 16, 2017 0:53:12 GMT -5
While Judd Apatow did not direct The Big Sick, this produced-by film has his formula written all over it. We have a film packed with jokes that then begins to slowly develop lighthearted drama and utilizes its two hour running time to touch on themes and display more in the tank than you would expect. But Apatow's last two films, This is 40 and Trainwreck, were examples of this formula falling too deep into unlikable characters and their issues that were difficult to feel invested in. The Big Sick however, directed by Michael Showalter, is an example of a film fully imitating the Apatow blueprint while not falling into its many pitfalls and delivering a film with constant laughs, great writing, and one of the more interesting films about family dynamics I've seen in awhile.
The film centers on Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani), a Pakistani standup comic in Chicago who begins to date Emily (Zoe Kazan) unbeknownst to his conservative family who are constantly attempting to set Kumail up with an arranged marriage. When Emily finds out that Kumail hasn't told his family about her and has no intent on doing so for fear of being disowned, she breaks up with him and Kumail figures them to be done for good. Things change though when Emily falls into a serious coma and Kumail begins to connect with her mother (Holly Hunter) and father (Ray Romano), who are upset with Kumail for breaking Emily's heart but begin to form a relationship with him while also attempting to sort out their own marital problems. So as you can see, this is certainly a film that is very much up Apatow's alley, and yet there's a lot going on thematically with The Big Sick that his films have never explored while remaining hilarious throughout that's more impressive than maybe any film Apatow has directed.
The central theme here is Kumail's struggle with his strict Pakistani family and how he's forced to choose between being with Emily or keeping in good standing with his family. It's a concept that Emily and her parents can't comprehend, but while Kumail means no maliciousness in his actions he knows that he's in an impossible situation. It's an interesting film because while Kumail and Emily's relationship are the focal point, Kumail spends more time in the film with the families of both sides than Emily. Both marriages bear similarities to one another in both their positives and negatives and both are firm in their cultural ways. Kumail wants to exist in both worlds, despite struggling with the knowledge that this can't happen. All of this though is done with consistent hilarity from its sharp script. The movie is full of cultural jokes, funny insights into relationships, and some funny standup performances that I found to land most of the time. The film is never snarky but always witty, and unlike some of Apatow's previous comedies The Big Sick is bolstered by a likable and hilarious cast. Kumail's family is particularly endearing while they bring in woman after woman to dinner to try to get Kumail married and follow the cultural traditions that they all have. The Big Sick has a lot of heart to it while never succumbing to being schmaltzy, and it's a fun film that doesn't feel as long as its running time thanks to a great cast and script. This is the best Apatow related film in a long time and I think will pleasantly surprise a lot of people that want a summer comedy that provides more than laughs.
8/10
