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The Quiet Excellence of The Big Sick


          Hollywood likes big things: sleeps, countries, Jakes, chills, Lebowskis, daddies, mommas, fish, years, eyes, shorts, and troubles in little China. Now it’s sick. 
          The Big Sick is a romantic comedy directed by Michael Showalter, and written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon based loosely on their real-life relationship. Sounds a tad self-indulgent. But this personal story is actually pretty incredible and really deserves to be told through such a passionate and relentlessly likeable film as this.
          Kumail Nanjiani plays himself as a stand-up comedian and Uber driver in Chicago who meets and develops a strong relationship with Emily (Zoe Kazan). However he keeps her secret from his parents, who are Muslim Pakistani immigrants and dead-set on arranging Kumail’s marriage. When she finds out about this she breaks off their relationship, only to enter emergency care shortly after, necessitating her being placed in a medically-induced coma. As Kumail cares for her, he meets her parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), getting to know them as he struggles to reveal the truth to his own family.
          Anyone who’s seen him on Silicon Valley knows that Nanjiani is really funny, but this film allows him to show he’s capable of conveying drama, both as an actor and writer. It reminds me a little of Don’t Think Twice in this regard, as well as the fact it’s beautifully honest. The situation feels real, the characters’ interactions are those of genuine people, lending an amazing degree of relatability. To the point that there are moments a little difficult to watch for how close they are. And this realism extends to the plot itself which defies convention and goes in unexpected directions because it’s the truth. Particularly one development in the final act is especially contrary to these kind of films, but really does make sense given who these characters are and what their feelings are. There’s a racial commentary to this film of course, but it’s subdued. The prejudice portrayed is from another vantage point, that of Kumail’s family, and there it’s not so much racism as entrenched tradition. And apart from some of his stand-up, one scene of which is both awesome and uncomfortable, there’s not much racial tension directed at Kumail.
          The chemistry between Nanjiani and Kazan is outstanding. The film eases us into their relationship so we’re very invested by the time she’s in hospital. And through that relationship there’s a focus on details: the way they flirt and joke, their conversational dynamic, and they have such believable rapport they make for a sweet couple. And during the major break-up scene, both characters’ actions and responses are understandable. The script assures they make sense from each point of view despite not coming together. Nanjiani as I’ve indicated, performs the drama surprisingly well, likely due to having already lived this story, and is especially good at playing the dilemma between his family’s obligations and the relationship he wants. He’s likeable and actually charming. Kazan is marvellous as usual, emotional and smart, and filling her performance with subtle nuances that make all the difference. It’s also great to see Ray Romano stretching his capabilities to deliver a very good performance as Emily’s father Terry. But it’s Holly Hunter who really shines as Emily’s mother Beth. As this coarse and stressful mother making rash decisions out of confusion and worry, Hunter paints a fascinating character in a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. And the relationship Kumail has with the parents, who are initially ambivalent to him, develops at a steady pace, becoming almost as significant to the story as Kumail and Emily’s romance. Zenobia Shroff and Anupam Kher play Kumail’s parents, and are also very good in their rigorous expectations and dismissal of their sons’ comedy career. Adeel Akhtar is good as Kumail’s brother Naveed, and his comedian friends are played by Aidy Bryant, Bo Burnham, and Kurt Braunohler -whom despite his characters’ joke being how unfunny he is, is by far the funniest of the three. 
          Despite The Big Sick’s subject matter, it doesn’t forget to be a comedy. And when it needs to be, it’s very funny. Kumail’s stand-up is a regular feature of course, but he and Emily both have funny personalities, and Terry has a warm sense of humour . There’s even some good timing and delivery from members of Kumail’s family and the Pakistani girls his mother keeps bringing over (which kudos on this movie for giving work to a number of minority Muslim actresses, a couple of whom were really quite good) This is a movie that knows how to employ its humour in a natural way too, that even the bad jokes add to the heartfelt and ultimately joyous nature of the film.
          I think The Big Sick is one of the best romantic-comedies in years. It’s intelligent and truthful, funny and moving, unexpected and enrapturing, and most of all genuinely romantic and beautifully sweet. The performances are some of the best I’ve seen this year, as is the writing from the actual couple. Really, it’s not only one of the best of the year, but it’s one of those films that defines what its genre ought to strive for. 

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