THE BIG SICK – Review

“I’m battling a 1,400-year-old culture!” lead actor Kumail Nanijani yells amid an emotional dispute with his girlfriend in the Sundance-praised film THE BIG SICK. This culture he’s specifically referencing is the Pakistani-born, Muslim belief household that believes in arranged marriage with another woman from his own country. And yet, this culture can also allude to the romantic-comedy genre that American filmgoers are used to viewing on the big screen. It’s not every day where a Middle Eastern actor gets top billing in a motion picture released across the country, and it’s quite another thing to see that someone play opposite a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American woman. The genre tends to skew predominantly white across the board. So, it’s with great fortitude that Kumail is willing to put aside his personal fears and squash cinematic norms to share a story about his and screenwriter Emily V. Gordon’s real-life romantic courtship.

Kumail meets Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) one night after a stand-up set at the comedy club he performs at. A one-night stand reluctantly turns into more after Kumail sets it upon himself to see her more than just that night. It doesn’t take long for their relationship to blossom. All the while, the expectations of his parents begin to wear on Kumail, who continuously try to set him up with young, single Pakistani women. This pressure, unfortunately, creates a rift between the star-crossed lovers. When Emily suddenly falls sick and is hospitalized, Kumail is put into a position where he is forced to confront his fears and her parents, played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter (in what might be two of the best performances of their careers).

Produced by Judd Apatow, THE BIG SICK carries with it story beats that are familiar to Apatow’s brand. Though this time around, the dick and fart jokes are toned down compared to previous outings. However, it is a formula that has proven successful in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and the Netflix show LOVE that balances drama and comedy, while letting the characters explore life in a way that feels surprisingly natural. Writers Kumail and Gordon have a knack for pivoting on a dime between sentimental and schtick – sometimes working both into the same scene, as is the case where a hospital lunchroom scene becomes howlingly funny.

A simple story is able to make room for complex issues in a tender and sincere way. Even though it’s a film about two people falling in and out of love with each other, it’s able to build layers of loss and regret through Emily’s parent’s relationship paired with Kumail’s identity. The pressures of being raised in a Pakistani family are brought to the forefront in such a way that each scene between Emily and Kumail feels like a step toward danger. The mounting pressure from his family is constantly casting a black cloud over their growing love for each other, making their love both a tragedy and a symbol for the bitter irony of the American dream for many foreigners. While his family has acclimated to life in America, the cultural clash becomes a central conflict that is refreshingly never entirely resolved. In the end, providing a realistic parallel to a growing problem our country is facing with no resolution in sight.

It goes without saying that Kumail is a shoo-in for a role where he plays himself, but Zoe Kazan, despite her natural charm, struggles slightly more during some of the more emotional highs. It’s a minor complaint though in a film where you can feel the heart and honesty in every scene. THE BIG SICK is an earnest remedy to the summer slog of big-budget, studio retreads. The battle within Kumail between his traditional Muslim parents and his love for Emily is a rivalry that puts more at risk than any Transformers film or spandex-clad superhero battle. In the end, hearts will be broken and the damage and pain are more traumatic than any CGI spectacle can elicit.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 

THE BIG SICK is now playing in limited theaters and opens in St. Louis on July 7th