The Big Sick

It follows strictly the tried and tested plot of a typical Sundance midcult feel-good flick; i.e. it’s not serious about serious things, with social overtones, not overdone and with likeable characters. Of course, it doesn't matter at all if it makes you laugh, moves you, and also teaches you something about cricket in Pakistan. (07/16/2017)

Don't expect a romantic comedy from this. Except for one inappropriate joke about September 11th and a few amusing moments, the attempts at humor fall flat - especially considering the environment of stand-up comedians in which Kumail works. As a melodrama that wants to touch and manipulate your emotions, it surprisingly works well. The mere three stars I'm giving it are due to the cast. The chemistry between the central duo is minimal, but it's not just about their interaction. They simply lack the charisma to capture the audience's attention and carry the main roles in their respective genre. Kumail is simply not Hugh Grant or Colin Firth, and Zoe Kazan is not Meg Ryan. And here's another observation: rather than an indie film from the Sundance festival, this reminds me of a Hollywood studio production. The arranged brides look like a portfolio of a Pakistani modeling agency, and potential conflicts and barriers are overlooked and retouched. Rebelling against established norms, such as arranged marriages, is one thing, but admitting to parents the loss of religious faith and transitioning to agnosticism or even atheism in the conservative environment of Pakistani Islamic conception is incomparably more serious and hardly imaginable. The only possible consequence here would be immediate and complete expulsion from the family and community. It is good to remember that the (extended) family and community have a crucial significance in Islamic society, which the individualistic and rationalized West usually underestimates and disregards. Overall impression: 65%. (08/04/2019)

Of course, there is nothing wrong with films that cater to the tastes of the masses. The fact they want to be liked (even though they may deal with rather painful issues) and do not arouse any antipathy in viewers only puts critics in a non-conformal position, as they are being manipulated. Therefore, I had a similar problem with The Big Sick as I did with last year’s Sundance hit Captain Fantastic. In a film that boldly combines observational comedy about the clash of different genders and cultures (with humour based on commenting on everyday situations in the manner of stand-up comedy) and melodrama, there is less banality and more truth. The first welcome disruption of the romantic-comedy formula is the unexpectedly early break-up, which is not the worst thing to happen in the central couple’s relationship. After the sudden genre shift, a relationship remains the focal point of the film, but it’s not the relationship between the guy and the girl, but between one of the partners and the other partner’s parents. Considerations as to whether the solution is original or cowardly and rather insensitive toward one of the characters are not very relevant, given the knowledge that this is how it actually happened. Though the film does not completely lose its humour after a change of tone, which may be reminiscent of some of James L. Brooks’s comedy-dramas, it is more serious, more moving and less egocentric than other romantic comedies by young filmmakers. The parents are given almost as much attention as the children, whose self-centredness and unreadiness for life are that much more apparent. The unexpected change of perspective, which Aziz Ansari also works with brilliantly in Master of None, leads us, just like the protagonists, to reassess what is really important in life. Emily and Kumail’s inability or unwillingness to perceive the situation that has arisen from the other’s perspective is more thoroughly elaborated in the slightly repetitive final act of this somewhat drawn-out film (which is, however, a shortcoming of most of the films made or produced by Judd Apatow). The filmmakers like to spend time with their characters and let them carry on dialogue often lasting a few minutes longer than is necessary. Most of the time, however, they adhere to the central theme of "love in spite of” and never deviate from the main storyline for so long that the narrative loses traction and starts to be boring. Besides that, they succeed in utilising most of the plot detours in an emotionally powerful climax, where the alternating perspectives make you care not only about the fortunes of the central couple, but also about the many characters around them. 75% (07/03/2017)

A very nicely constructed romantic conversational drama with a delightful final scene and a thematic update in the form of Muslim traditions in the midst of Western society. But my impressions are mixed, on the one hand, there are several times in the first half when the film goes against conventional expectations, moving from traditional romantic formulas to more serious and expansive themes, but then it uses quite unbelievable characters with exaggerated reactions for its social expression, and only the otherwise routine romantic storyline fully works in the end. At times it can be emotional, and in the second half the story surprises again by stubbornly delaying the happy ending, but the cathartic effect is weakened by the fact that easygoing humour is constantly injected into a hugely complex life situation, and the narrative somewhat unthinkingly gives so much space to the parents of the sick Emily, whose life views and attitudes go well beyond intellectual conventions. In any case, it's a very smart film that, unlike most of its contemporaries, has something to say globally and intergenerationally. Very strong 3*. (12/25/2017)

Enthusiastic responses from Sundance announced that this may be the comedy of the year, but it’s no miracle - this independent romantic comedy is completely standard, and there are dozens to hundreds of similar films in existence. In fact, it is only moderately funny. However, it differs from the others with its Pakistani themes and cute origins, which is certainly a plus, as well as the unusual motifs of the mother separating her son from her family for disobeying cultural traditions, jokes about Muslim terrorists and possible metaphorical interpretations of the deadly consequences of lies among two partners. (06/24/2017)